No More Good-byes

 “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I (Jesus) would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” - John 14:2,3

Jesus spoke these tender words to the 11 remaining disciples that were with Him the night before His death. They were words of hope the disciples would need to carry them through the next few troubling days.

But the sorrow of the disciples ended before long (John 16:20) when Jesus rose from the dead; our own sorrow for the death of a loved one can last much longer, even years. “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” - Matthew 5:4

When we think of repenting from our sins and becoming “born again,” we often think about it in terms of changing our lives here, or avoiding the fires of Hell. But there is another benefit that is wonderful, and is taken much too lightly – there is hope in dying. The pains of death vanish quickly as our spirits live on, without pain, in Jesus.

Yet during our lives we do also suffer much emotional pain when separating from loved ones. Not only in death, but even normal good-byes in life can be very painful (Acts 20:38).

A big part of the eternal life God offers is the chance to be with those we love, with no more separations! He wants there to be no more good-byes to interrupt our joy.

My wife and I didn't like the sound of saying good-bye to each other when we were first together. Neither did we care for, “see you later,” because we wished not to be apart at all. If we had to be apart, we wanted it to be for only as short a time as possible. Not liking good-byes, or any need to separate, we now say, “I'll see you soon”; when we must separate for a time.

By receiving salvation through Jesus, God's love delivers us from the flames of Hell. But this is just the beginning of how God shows us His love; He has taken the sting out of death, and removed the pain of Good-byes.