Kaye Alexandhra M. MercadoBSLM- 2A

I'm here to talk about life after death or what comes next after our life here on earth. The existence of life after death is a universal question. Job speaks for all of us by stating, " Man born of a woman, is short-lived and full of trouble. Like a flower that springs up and fades. When a man has died, were he to live again?" (Job 14:1-2, 14) The Bible tells us that there is not only life after death but eternal life so glorious that "no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him" (1 Corinthians 2:9) I remember asking a priest numerous questions about what happens next if a person went to heaven. He told me that out of the three virtues namely, FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE only Love will remain in HEAVEN. It is because only those faithful ones will go to Heaven and why Hope for something you already have? When Christians talk about hope, they are referring to being saved, having a home in heaven, and living with the Lord. These will be realities when we are there, so there will be no need for Hope any longer. One day, faith and hope will no longer be necessary, but love will never cease. Love will go on for all eternity. Why is that? John answered the question when he wrote, "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love" (1 John 4:8). God is love! God is eternal; therefore love is eternal as well.

Jesus Christ, God in flesh, came to earth to give us eternal life. Jesus took on the punishment that all of us deserves and sacrificed His life to pay the penalty for our Sin. Three days later, He proved Himself victorious over death by rising from the grave. He remained on earth for forty days and was witnessed by hundreds before ascending to heaven. The resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith. We believe that just as God raised Jesus' body, so will our bodies be resurrected upon Jesus' return. (1 Corinthians 6:14) Although we will all be eventually resurrected, not everyone will go to heaven. A choice must be made by each person in this life, and this choice will determine one's eternal destination. The Bible says that it is appointed for us to die only once, and after that will come judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Those who have been made righteous by faith in Christ will go into eternal life in heaven, but those who reject Christ as Savior will be sent to eternal punishment in hell (Matthew 25:46). Hell, like heaven, is not simply a state of existence, but a literal place. It is a place where the unrighteous will experience never-ending, eternal wrath from God. Hell is described as a bottomless pit (Luke 8:31; Revelation 9:1) and a lake of fire, burning with sulfur, where the inhabitants will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Revelation 20:10). In hell, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, indicating intense grief and anger (Matthew 13:42).

Life on earth is a test, a preparation for what is to come. For believers, life after death is eternal life in heaven with God. How can we receive eternal life after death and avoid an eternity in the lake of fire? There is only one way—through faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die...” (John 11:25-26).

The free gift of eternal life is available to all. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36). We will not be given the opportunity to accept God’s gift of salvation after death. Our eternal destination is determined in our earthly lifetimes by our reception or rejection of Jesus Christ. “I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). If we trust the death of Jesus Christ as the full payment for our sin against God, we are guaranteed not only a meaningful life on earth, but also eternal life after death, in the glorious presence of Christ.