A young man is driving his motorcycle. He is 300 feet from work; he has the right of way; the street is clear. A car pulls out from a stop sign, then the squeal of brakes and the grinding impact of metal and flesh.
Now the sound of the ambulance, the skill of the doctors and nurses as they desperately try to save the life of a 20-year-old man. A few words of good-bye from anxious parents as he is transferred to a larger city hospital. All attempts fail. The sad news must be told to family and friends... DEAD.
If you had asked this young man the night before, "How long is the rest of your time?" could he have told you? No, he could not.
And now I want to ask you this same question. "How long is the rest of your time?" More solemn yet, where are you going when you do end this life? I am happy to tell you that for this young man it was to be with Christ, which is "far better." Yes, he knew the Lord Jesus Christ as his own personal Savior. Do you?
But you may say, "I am not such a bad person. I've never done anything really seriously wrong. I think everything will be all right with me when I die. I hope so, anyway."
This takes us all in, you and me and also the young man in this accident. Have you ever in the presence of God told Him that you were a sinner? He loves you, my friend, and has provided a way that all your sins can be put away forever: "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7).
This young man was my own son. I loved him so much, but I could do nothing to save his life. When he left home that bright sunny morning in June he just said good-bye and left. I did not send him out to die. I did not plan on the sad events of that day. But I know a Father who loved His Son with a deeper love than you or I can imagine. Yet He sent His Son to die! You know whom I am talking about: "The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world." 1 John 4:1414And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. (1 John 4:14). Marvelous love!
The young man I am telling you about did not willingly give up his life. No, as we stood by him in that emergency room, we could sense the effort to live as his precious life ebbed away. But the blessed Lord Jesus, the eternal Son of the living God, gave His life for you and me. "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 Tim. 1:1515This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15).
Now I want to be very personal with you. If your father were writing this paper about you, what would he say? Could he truthfully say of you, "He is 'with Christ; which is far better' "? Or would he have to say: "I don't know"?
Wouldn't you really like to have the question settled? Wouldn't you like to be saved? You can be. All the work for your salvation has been done for you by another. "Through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by Him all that believe are justified from all things." Acts 13:38, 3938Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:38‑39).
God has made the way of salvation so simple and plain. We read, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Rom. 10:99That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9).
The title of this article is taken from 1 Peter 4:22That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. (1 Peter 4:2): "That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God." If you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your own personal Savior, I would encourage you to read your Bible daily, to be faithful to the One who died to redeem you and to live the rest of your time to the will of God.