The title here is taken from part of the lyrics of a popular song years ago. It was a catchy tune, but it raises a question we all have to deal with, like it or not, and most of us don't like it. The undertaker and his helpers are coming for us, no doubt about it, one of these days. What are we gonna do?
In life, we confront things that are coming for us. We see them coming, and we do not like it, but being rational people, we do what we can to prepare for the arrival of that which we expect. It could be anything from a job loss we anticipate to a relationship going sour to a child heading for trouble, or whatever, but we see it coming. Whatcha gonna do? We are confronted with reality.
Often, we say why? Why me? Why this? Why now? And, often, there are no answers to be had. It is just that things come into our lives that we have to confront. Whatcha gonna do?
I am pretty certain of this: even though you may feel helpless, you will not just sit and mope; you will try to do something to alleviate the situation and make things more tolerable and less disastrous. You will give it your best shot, and that is what you ought to do.
For most people, the most fearful thing that is seen coming is death, and yet we often fail to make preparations to meet it. I overheard an older couple sometime back conversing with an older gentleman, and in mentioning the topic of death, first one then another said they just did not think about it. I doubt the total truthfulness of those statements for how does one just completely erase the thought from the mind? Nevertheless, trying to not think about it is a way many have of coping with that which is inevitable.
The Bible teaches clearly that one needs to make preparation for death. The Hebrew writer says, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." (Heb. 9:27 NKJV) A few verses later in chapter 10, verses 30 and 31, we read, "And again, 'The LORD will judge His people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Heb. 10:30-31 NKJV)
Paul says it this way in 2 Cor. 5:10-11 (NKJV), "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." Death is coming, and we must either go prepared for it or unprepared. Put another way, we must prepare to meet God in judgment. Whatcha gonna do?
Daniel Webster, the great statesman, said, or so it has been attributed to him, "One may live as a conqueror, a king, or a magistrate; but he must die a man. The bed of death brings every human being to his pure individuality, to the intense contemplation of that deepest and most solemn of all relations - the relations between the creature and his Creator."
We came into this world alone, and we will go out of it alone. There were people there when we were born, and there may well be people there when we die, but we go alone, even if a thousand others were to die with us in our presence. I think this is one of the things that makes it frightening for us. There is no one to go with us, no one who can help us; we must do it alone. When the day comes, it will just be the individual and God. It will not be my family and me, but me alone with God. The same will be true with you.
If this is all very depressing with you, it is the same for all of us. No one likes to contemplate that which is inevitable for us all. Life, life, life, that is the thing we want and desire, that is the good thing, not death.
The burden of this article is to declare preparation for life eternal and not dwell on death; however, without facing up to facts, we will never prepare for that which we must prepare if we are to have it – a life in heaven. In the book of Matthew, chapter 25, verses one through thirteen, we have an account of ten virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom after the manner of the custom of those days when Jesus lived. None knew exactly when the bridegroom would arrive, but some made adequate preparation for a long wait, while the others did not.
When the time came at midnight, when the bridegroom arrived, the five foolish virgins found they were unprepared, and their lamps were going out, for they had not taken sufficient oil. The other five virgins who had prepared adequately for a long wait had sufficient oil but none to spare. The Bible says, "those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut." (Matt. 25:10 NKJV)
This parable is all about being prepared versus not being prepared. There are consequences to those who do not prepare. The Bible says, "the door was shut" with direct reference to those who had not prepared.
Why would we be surprised if we were to find, as we do, that we must prepare if we want to go to heaven? Do we not prepare for everything in this life if we want it? What is going to college all about? What is physical exercise all about? What is work all about? Each is preparation for that which we want or need, whether it be a good job, fitness and health, or money to live on. We prepare for nearly everything we do in life. If we don't prepare, we suffer the consequences.
But please note in the parable of the virgins that the Bible says, "those who were ready went in." If we are shut out of heaven, it will be our own fault. No, we cannot save ourselves by ourselves, but there are things we must do if we want to go to heaven. The idea that there is nothing we can do is not taught in the Bible.
I am reminded of the Philippian jailer who fell down trembling before Paul and Silas and asked them, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30 NKJV) In Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost when the first gospel sermon ever to be preached was preached by Peter many who heard were "cut to the heart" (convicted of the truth and of their sin) and the Bible says they said to Peter and the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37 NKJV)
What shall we do about what? The answer is, obviously, what do we do about our sin, about forgiveness, about salvation. Peter did not tell them there is nothing you can do. He did not say there is no preparation a man can make to meet God in judgment. We know he did not tell them that; he gave them an answer. The sermon had already made believers out of them, so he says nothing about faith but says, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." (Acts 2:38 NKJV)
In further proof of this point that man can do something for himself to be saved, can make preparation that makes a difference in his salvation, I quote here Acts 2:40, "And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, 'Save yourselves from this crooked generation.' " (ESV) Some versions say "be saved" rather than "save yourselves" but it is all one and the same.
There is something you can do is Peter's message. You can be saved, you can save yourselves. Well, how? By doing just what I (Peter) have told you--repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins.
So a man can prepare to meet God in death by hearing, believing, and obeying the gospel, which includes not only faith but also repentance, confession, and baptism for the remission of sins. Many have not done this and thus wait unprepared for the bridegroom.
In Matt. 24:35-44 Jesus is speaking to his disciples and says:
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the days of Noah were so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (NKJV)
The Bible says that when Noah and his family entered the ark, God shut him (them) in (Gen. 7:16 NKJV). Do you think there might have been any knocking on the door after it became obvious to all that they were in the midst of a disaster? Had those door knockers prepared? It was too late. There always comes a time when it is too late, when the door is shut for good.
Peter called Noah a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5). Based on Genesis 6:3, some think Noah preached to the people of his day for 120 years. It is certain Noah did preach, else Peter did not tell the truth. This preaching, if heeded, would have spared those who believed and obeyed it, but they faced the day of the flood unprepared for what they heard had no effect upon them. Man prepares to face God first by hearing his word but then by believing it and acting upon it, obeying it.
But Jesus says when he comes again, it will be the same as in the days of Noah (Matt. 24:37). That coming day will arrive suddenly and unexpectedly. When he tells us to watch for that day (Matt. 24:42), what does he mean? When he says if the master of the house had known what time the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into (Matt. 24:43), what is he telling us? Is he not saying prepare, be prepared? He most certainly is. "Therefore you also be ready," he says. (Matt. 24:44 NKJV)
That was the problem with five of the ten virgins when the bridegroom came, they were not prepared. But I want you to note one other thing here. In Matthew 24, who is Jesus addressing? It is his disciples. Being prepared to meet God is not just a matter of preparation on the part of those who have never obeyed the gospel, but also upon those who are already his disciples. It is not once saved always saved as some teach. One must live a faithful, obedient life if one is to be prepared to meet God.
Do not be deceived. Even if the Lord were not to return for another thousand years, you will meet him much sooner; you will not have to wait long. How can I say that? For all practical purposes, the day of death is the day you meet God. Even for the youngest among us, that is just a very few decades off at the most, and for the rest of us, it is a lot closer than that.
I know the young generally think they have a lot of years of life left. That is the way we think when we are young and healthy. How mistaken many of them I have known have been in that matter. I have been around the public schools for many years. How many students have there been over the years who, if they gave it any thought at all, thought they would easily far outlive me as I was the teacher and they were the students. Some have been dead for many years now already. Just about every year, there are two or three who generally very suddenly and without warning are gone, often the result of car accidents, but sometimes other things as well.
Jeremiah, in another context, writes, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!" (Jeremiah 8:20 NKJV) As I said, I am taking that verse out of context, but what a sad day if that was said of us on the day we depart this earth.
Perhaps as scary a passage as one can find in the Bible is 1 Thess. 1:7-10, "And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be admired among all those who believe." (NKJV)
In conclusion, there is a great force coming our way which we cannot avoid--death and judgment. We cannot avoid it, but the Bible teaches we can prepare for it. It teaches that if we will, we can be saved and have life eternal in a place far better than this, where there will never again be death, sorrow, crying, or pain. What a wonderful place heaven must be with those things being true. Why not make preparation? The question for us all is "whatcha gonna do when death comes for you?" I hope you will be prepared. Will you hear and heed God's word?
"Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Cor. 6:2 NKJV)
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