How To Live Right So You Can Die Right. Series

How To Live So You Can Die

Robert A. Glass

Life is a unique thing, we never usually think about life until someone dies or is about to die. Truly, how a person lives IS important, but how someone dies is MORE IMPORTANT.

(Genesis 2:7) “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.” We are not just alive; we have the BREATH OF LIFE! We Have an ETERNAL SOUL. This gift is given to a baby when it is conceived. Every single day of our lives, from day ONE is a gift of God. If we have a TOMORROW, it TOO will be a gift of God.

Having the blessing of life requires the obligation of living forthrightly for God. We do INDEED have life, But ONLY for this MOMENT. This MOMENT will NOT last forever. (Hebrews 9:27) “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” Two things are apparent in this verse. ONE, we will die and TWO, There will be a judgment.

So, keeping this in mind, HOW should we LIVE so we can DIE? No one WANTS to die, but HOW should we LIVE? (Micah 6:8)“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

It would seem simple to follow God. (Jeremiah 10:23) “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.”

Scientists have PROVEN that a man, unaided by physical cues for geographic location, will THINK he is walking in a straight line, when in REALITY; he is walking in a circle. We cannot direct our own steps! (The sailor’s compass points north, does your compass point CHRIST? (John 14:6) “I am the way”

Our First STEP: Is to study. You can’t know Math, English or God if we don’t study. Paul proved this point when he wrote to the young preacher Timothy. (2 Timothy 2:15) “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” We study so we can learn about God. We study so we can be APPROVED by God as a WORKMAN. A workman is a man who works in a chosen field. OUR BEST OCCUPATION is Christian! If not, Why Not? Only LIVING as a Christian can allow us to DIE as a Christian. Would you want to die any other WAY except as a CHRISTIAN?

When we STUDY, we build Faith. Paul wrote in (Romans 10:17) “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” We can ALSO “hear” by reading and STUDY! (Acts 17:11) “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (1 Peter 2:2) “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” (James 1:21) “Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”

Each one of us has an appointment with death. For some that appointment may be sooner than for others.

Since February 21, 1987, I myself, through Operation Teddybear, have been to more than 200 funerals for children from age Birth to age 10. It is hard to believe that children CAN die. NONE die lost in sin, and yet they pass away.

That said; No one can know WHEN we will die. Doctors are good, but they’re NOT that good.

Children die young and seniors die AGED. Every one of us is somewhere between birth and our own appointed day. I conducted a funeral for a man who was nearly 100 years old and some folks live to 110 or MORE. BUT!

(Psalms 90:10) “The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”

So, 70-80 is our HOPE! But our life is soon cut off and then we fly AWAY. I have a STEAM coffeepot; I have often watched the steam as the coffee percolated in the pot. STEAM doesn’t last LONG!

(James 4:14) Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. A vapour is a steam. It like us, will not last forever. I’m 56. But my vapour may vanish before I see SIXTY.