YOU ONLY DIE ONCE

1. You Only Die Once

Hebrews 9:27 

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

a) This is one area that most people do not want to talk about. But, death is unavoidable. 

b) A born again Christian obtains immortality afterlife. In other words,  death separates your spirit and your soul (mind, will and emotions) from your physical body. Your physical body dies and returns to earth whereas your spirit returns to God and your soul goes to heaven or hell for eternity! That's why Jesus came to die on the cross to save your soul from eternal damnation!

c) When Hebrews 9:27 says, that death "is appointed", it might be stating the obvious, yet most people live as if death is unlikely!

d) We have birth control, but not death control. It is inevitable that "the silver cord is loosed and we fly away" (Ecclesiastes 12:6 Psalms 90:9-10). 

e) All of us, sooner or later, must keep a personal, unavoidable, appointment with death.

f) We are no exception to escape death. Nevertheless, most people live their lives as if they were exceptions to the rule of death!

g) Unless the second coming of Jesus Christ occurs in your lifetime, you personally cannot be excepted from death. In all of human history, the Bible tells of only two exceptions. One was Enoch (Genesis 5:23-24). The other was Elijah (2Kings 2:1,11).

h) We only die once and we don't get a second chance at life and death. It's a one-off.

i) When people say, "You only die once!" they usually mean that you might as well be reckless. But surely, since we live and die but once, we should make of our life what we were meant to make of it. Surely we should not waste our one life, but live it as pilgrims in this world (1Peter 2:11-12, James 4:13-17).

j) Death is not the end. After death comes judgment. It puts life and death into perspective, and supplies the wonderful hope in what otherwise would be a fatalistic and depressing statement.

k) Death is not permanent at all. There is something after death. This is why Christians speak of death as a "sleep" because it is a temporary state (John 11:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

l) For those who seek and follow Jesus, there lies beyond death "an inheritance imperishable... reserved in heaven" (1Peter 1:3-9).

m) Death is your destiny’s door. Hebrews 9:27 is telling us precisely what there is after death "the judgment". But those "in Christ" need not fear. "There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). How do you get "into Christ"? By faith and by baptism (Galatians 3:26-29).

n) Those who refuse or neglect that, are counted as ungodly, irreligious, and unprepared. They have everything to fear (John 5:28-29 Matthew 25:31-46).

o) In conclusion, it is appointed for men once to die and after this the judgment. Death is appointed, and you are no exception. You only die once, and death is not the end; it is your destiny’s door.