We Won't Be Late For Our Last Appointment
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin ArticlesWe sometimes neglect to notice all the power of the passage found in Hebrews 9:27. The emphasis is not on the fact that we will die once. The emphasis is upon the fact that death is our last appointment — and we won’t be late for it! In this life, all of us make various appointments — and some are made for us. For example, we have appointments at work, for the doctor, the dentist, family reunions, and yes, even church services. We make these appointments with every intention of keeping them, but sometimes we are late in arriving at those appointments. But this last appointment has been made for us by the Lord Himself, and we will surely keep it. Our last appointment possesses the following characteristics:
1) It is universal — Everyone will keep it — no one can avoid it. The fact of the universality of death is said by some (such as existentialists) to prove that human life is but a cruel misery, destined to end in defeat, but thanks be to God for the truth that life is a victory for those who are “in Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57-58; Gal. 3:26-29).
2) It is individual — All men die, but each death ends the earthly part of a unique life. For example, when God spoke to Adam, Abraham, Moses and Paul, he was not speaking to mankind in some generic sense — he was speaking to individual men — and so it is with death. God has made us as individuals, each with his or her own free will and unitary existence (cf. Joshua 24:15).
We are saved in the body of Christ (Ephesians 5:23; cf. Acts 2:47). Thus we are part of a great community — the church (Romans 12:5; Ephesians 1:22-23). But as individuals, each of us makes our own decision to accept or to reject God (Acts 28:24). So it is that we will all fact death one day as individuals. I will appear before the judgment seat of Christ to answer for what I have done (Romans 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10), not what you have done, my parents have done, or what mankind has done.
3) It is unavoidable — One of man’s continuing follies is the idea that death can be denied. Part of this mindset arises out of the modern idea that mankind is infinitely improvable, even capable of perfection. There’s no doubt that we are able with some degree to improve ourselves as individuals. But we will never be perfect — not spiritually — and certainly not physically.
The Bible states that the body is indeed important (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), but we should not harbor any illusions about living forever in this fleshly state (1 Corinthians 15:50-54; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:1-2). The problem is that we often live like we will live forever in this bodily existence and that we will never be called to give an account for the way we have lived. However, our last appointment with death will be inevitable and unavoidable — thus we need to be getting our house in order today (cf. 2 Kings 20:1).
4) It is unpredictable — We make our appointments in our daily walk for times that we know are available to us so that we can keep those appointments. However, this last appointment will come at a time when we will not have the opportunity to choose the time. The inspired writer James said it best when he stated:
“Whereas you know not what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).
To use an old football analogy — we know that we are bound to be in the second half – we just don’t know if we’re toward the middle or the end of the third quarter, or perhaps even well into the fourth quarter. For all we know, we may be in overtime — the one they call “sudden death.” What are we to do in light of this predestined appointment?
The answer is simple: Be like the proverbial boy scout — be prepared — be ready (Luke 12:36-40; cf. Matthew 24:44; Matthew 25:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Titus 2:9-13). And the only way to do be ready is to be “in Christ” (Galatians 3:26-28; Romans 8:1).
The only question left for us to answer then is — “Are we ready?”
Related Articles:
- Are We Prepared For Our Destined Appointments?
- If Tomorrow Never Comes!
- “A Tale That Is Told”
- The Judgment Of God
- Death – An Enemy Or Friend?