SOMETIMES there are expressions that seem to rivet themselves in one’s mind. Such was the case forty years ago, when driving through Chester, West Virginia. Rounding the corner stood a church building and in bold letters on the bulletin board were these words:
“Atheist Funeral. All dressed up and no place to go.” The words were quite humorous, to say the least, yet on the other hand there was something sad about them, too. According to the atheist, the corpse was all dressed up by the undertaker, but alas, the person that once lived in the corpse had no place to go, thus he simply ceased to exist. Can this be true? Do read on for a sensible answer.

We have all heard of William Shakespeare, the world’s outstanding poet, but have you ever read the first paragraph of his last will and testament? Here it is! “I commend my soul into the hands of God my Creator, hoping and assuredly believing, through the only merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour, to be made partaker of life everlasting, and my body to the earth, whereof it is made.”

Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of America, spoke these last words. “My sufferings, though great, are nothing in comparison with those of my Saviour, through whose death I look for everlasting life.”

THE SELF-CONVINCED MIND

Atheists have convinced themselves that faith in Christ is an invention for weak-minded, unstable people, as a crutch to help them through life and in the day of death. My friend, would you term George Washington, Andrew Jackson, William Shakespeare, and multitudes of other mighty Christians, weak-minded and unstable? The atheist in life may be brave, but in the day of death how different! His mind has absolutely no hope, no future. Thomas Paine, the renowned American author and infidel, came to his last hour in 1809. During his final moments he cried out, “O Lord help me! Christ help me! O God what have I done to suffer so much? But there is no God! But if there should be, what will become of me hereafter? Stay with me, for God’s sake! Send even a child to stay with me, for it is hell to be alone. If ever the devil had an agent, I have been that one.” Voltaire, the king of Atheists, died a horrible death crying out in fear. His attending nurse exclaimed, “For all the wealth in Europe I would not see another infidel die.”

God says, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt” (Psalm 14:1). Consequently, to the atheistic mind, there is no divine Person to give an account to for sinful behavior. How convenient, but alas, how false! As human beings, we have a Creator that we must meet. That Creator is very concerned over us and drops us warnings along life’s pathway, such as — “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment ...For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil ...Prepare to meet thy God” (Ecclesiastes 11:9; 12:14; Amos 4:12).

THE GREAT ANCIENT QUESTION

A question was asked over 4,000 years ago.
“But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?” (Job 14:10). The medical world cannot provide an answer, neither can the philosophical and intellectual world, but friend, God provides the answer in His unerring and indestructible Word
— the Holy Bible. The atheist may foolishly convince himself that he has no place to go, but in reality, when his body dies, his ever-conscious soul departs. Where? God has the answer.

Jesus, the Lord, said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13,14). “Destruction,” is hell and “life,” is heaven. In order to enter hell after death, we need to do nothing, “for all have sinned” (Romans 3:23). To arrive in heaven after death we need to be saved. Christ said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God”
(John 3:3). This new birth takes place upon trusting Christ as one’s own personal Saviour. He died as our sacrifice for our sins. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). Before the undertaker has the opportunity to dress my body for burial, I will be in heaven with Christ. Where will you be in that sobering day, my friend? Heaven or hell?