Christ the Center

Sin's Penalty

Hebrews 9:27

LeRoy Eims

"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27).

Have you ever made an appointment to meet a person or to be in a certain place at a certain time, and then completely forgot about it? It happened to me not long ago. I had a friend visiting from Singapore. He called me and we made an appointment to meet at a restaurant nearby. Then, to my sorrow and shame, I forgot about it. I felt terrible. I immediately went to where he was staying, apologized, and asked his forgiveness.

I'm sure we have all experienced something of that nature. We missed our appointment because of forgetfulness. Or we were delayed by a flat tire, or bad weather or sickness; any number of things. But you know, there is one appointment we are all going to keep unless it is pre‑empted by the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Today's vital Bible verse tells us that we are all appointed to die. Notice, "Once to die." This excludes the possibility of endless re‑incarnation which some would have us believe. This verse puts to rest the teaching of re‑incarnation. "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."

There is another appointment spoken of in this verse: the appointment to stand before God at the place of judgment. At that time your eternal state will be determined. This is the unalterable decree of God: you must die and you must be judged.

Now think with me for a minute. There are a lot of things in this life that you have a second chance at. In a ball game, if you come up to bat and strike out, very likely you will come up to bat again for another chance. The movie actor who does not like the way a scene went can have a re‑take. Therefore it is a great comfort to the follower of Jesus Christ to know that when he comes to that final appointment it will all go well.

Paul said, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). Isn't that a tremendous word of encouragement to all who are in Christ? "For me to die is gain!" However, to those who are outside of Christ, death is the final, horrible, unspeakable loss. For the Christian to die is gain. For the non‑Christian to die is to lose it all.

The context of this vital Bible verse explains God's provision for our appointment with death and judgment. Jesus Christ came to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. My friend, He died that you might live. Repent of your sin. Turn by faith to Christ. Put your trust in Him and receive the gift of eternal life.

This vital Bible verse is just one of 60 carefully selected scriptures that are contained in the Navigators Scripture Memory course. If you want to memorize Scripture, but aren't sure what to memorize or how to get started, this is exactly what you need. The Topical Memory System includes memory verse cards in four different Bible versions - NIV, KJV, NASB, NKJV. Topics include all of the basics of the Christ-centered Spirit-filled life, sharing your faith, and growing on to maturity in your walk with God. May God bless you as you fill your life with His Word.