“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.”
No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'” (Luke 16:19-31)
Scripture states that the last day of everyone’s life, the end of this age, and the end of this planet will surely come. After that, everyone will face judgment (Heb 9:27). Today’s Word is a parable Jesus told to illustrate life after death.
Who will go to heaven? The children of God. Who will then go to hell? Not the evil people but the children of the devil. We all are sinful by nature. However, the children of the devil will end up in hell. This is a terrifying truth.
If you believe Jesus as the Christ, you will go to heaven not because you do not have sins but because your sins have been settled by law (Rom 8:2). The unbelievers will spend eternity in hell not because they have many sins but because their sins have not been forgiven—the sins they committed, the sins of their fathers, and, worst of all, original sin.
When the unbelievers leave this earth, the devil and his angels will take them to hell, and they will be tormented with burning sulfur before the holy angels and the Lamb (Lk 16:23, Rev 14:9-11). However, when the children of God leave this earthly home, heaven’s gate will open, and the angel of the Lord will take them home to heaven (Lk 16:22).
The only standard of God’s judgment is Jesus Christ: “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 Jn 5:11-12). Those who have eternal life will spend their eternity in heaven; those who don’t will end up in hell.
Many people have a misunderstanding regarding life after death. They believe they will be rewarded with life in heaven if they suffer like Lazarus, but if they live like the rich man in Today’s Word, they will be punished in hell.
That was not what Jesus taught in this parable. The truth is that anyone given life through Christ, even a beggar like Lazarus, will spend eternity in heaven. Anyone who does not have life, even if they may possess everything in the world, will end up in hell.
Some religions emphasize only the reality of life on earth, so they diligently work to build heaven on earth. However, Scripture does not teach this. Even some religious groups insist on a specific time or date for the Second Coming of our Lord. They entice people by performing miracles and signs and showing all kinds of false visions and dreams. Their followers drop everything to prepare for deliverance while their leaders accumulate wealth and power themselves!
Jesus was clear about His Second Coming: “So always be ready. You don’t know the day or the time when the Son of Man will come” (Mt 25:13). The gospel about the kingdom of God will be preached throughout the world. It will be spread to every nation. Then the end will come (Mt 24:14).
This is why we should continue to preach the gospel at all times. There is nothing to worry about if you are in Christ, enjoying and proclaiming the gospel in your daily life. The earlier Jesus returns, the better. Anytime will be just fine. Do not be deceived.
So, know and enjoy what God has freely given you in Christ. You have eternal life through Christ (Jn 20:31). You get to experience this life to the full (Jn 10:10). You have been given the right to become children of God (Jn 1:12). You have been saved from the power of Satan, sin, and hell (Rom 10:9-10).
Since the day you received and believed Jesus as the Christ, you have been living in heaven here on earth (Php 3:20). God has rescued you from the kingdom of darkness and brought you into the kingdom of His dear Son (Col 1:13). You are God’s chosen people, the King’s priests. You are a holy nation, people who belong to God (1 Pet 2:9).
The Holy Spirit lives in you, guiding and empowering your life. The forces of darkness will not stand against you. God’s army of angels will surround you wherever you go. You have full access to the things in heaven through prayer. You now have new directions in life—proclaiming the gospel to all nations.
Listen to the cry of the unbelievers. No one can escape from the fundamental problems they face. Scripture states that everyone is born with the fundamental problems of Satan (Rev 12:9), sin (Rom 3:23), and separation from God (Eph 2:1).
They are caught in the devil’s trap of self-reliance and self-centeredness (Gen 3:5), corruption and worldly pleasure (Gen 6:1-8), and pride and worldly success (Gen 11:1-9) their entire lives. They are also caged in the devil’s frame of powers (Ac 13:4-12), economy (Ac 16:16-24), and the culture of this dark world (Ac 19:8-41).
That is why every person is destined to live as a child of the devil (Jn 8:44), worshiping idols (Ex 20:4-5), suffering mentally (Mt 11:28) and physically (Ac 8:4-8), eternally condemned in hell (Lk 16:19-31), and, in the end, leaving generational curses to future generations (Mt 27:25).
God is calling you to save them by the power of the gospel revealed in His Word—”Moses and the Prophets” (Lk 16:29). This is His heavenly mandate. When you hold on to it, you will see the actual condition of the world: millions of lives perishing without knowing Christ and, worst of all, the indifference of God’s people and church.
Living with a divine mandate is so critical that Jesus spent forty days talking to His disciples about the kingdom of God. Jesus promised the power of the Holy Spirit for you to carry out His heavenly mandate (Ac 1:8).
So, live today with the heavenly mandate God has given to you. This is the best life you will ever live.
Prayer. Father, I thank You for preparing a place for me in heaven. For the rest of my life, I will live as an evangelist, proclaiming the gospel to those who have no hope for life after death. In Jesus’ name, Amen.