C.S. Lewis made this observation regarding eternity in his book The Weight of Glory:
“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest, most uninteresting person you can talk to, may one day be a creature which, if you saw [them] now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or [who would cause your greatest] nightmare. All day long we are…helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities…that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. It is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.”
Indeed, each human is made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26–27), and we each have the extraordinary opportunity to guide and influence one another to become either “immortal horrors” or “everlasting splendors” for eternity.
Meeting Chris.
I met Chris for the first time in 2013 in my law office. (Note: his story is shared with express permission.) Chris was a beautiful man—tall, blonde, with big blue eyes, a genuine smile, and the warmest hug. He was humble, too. He admitted freely that he had made a mess of his life.
I didn’t see Chris again until August 8, 2022, when he stopped by my office. This time, he was desperate and in serious legal trouble. We talked for over an hour. He wept as he described how his choices had robbed him of his best life. His soul was deeply troubled. He told me about a recent drug overdose, when he thought he had died. He described sensing the presence of hell—its awful, rotten, putrid smell.
He was terrified and asked me to represent him.
But God’s Spirit gave me no liberty to say “yes.” Instead, I asked him:
“Chris, when you told me back in 2013 that you had received Christ as your Savior and Lord, what proof in your life shows that this transaction with God truly occurred?”
He didn’t have an answer. So I continued:
“A person who has been born again bears the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and—last but not least—self-control. Chris, I don’t see that fruit. Do you?”
He hung his head and whispered, “No, I don’t either.”
Our discussion shifted to trying to pinpoint the time he was born again. To help him, I shared my own story of surrender to Christ. In our discussion, it became evident that Chris’s salvation story was vague and uncertain. He realized he didn’t really know if he had been born again. He admitted that he couldn’t point to a moment when he had truly said “I do” to Jesus.
We agreed that he needed to know—beyond any doubt—that he belonged to Christ for eternity. He needed to surrender to Jesus not from fear of consequences (“worldly sorrow”) but out of genuine desire to be reconciled with God (“godly repentance” – 2 Corinthians 7:10.)
So I declined to represent him at that time. I felt very strongly that what he needed most was not an attorney, but a Savior. Without God, legal representation might only leave him free to destroy himself. Before he left, I prayed for him, and then I called my mother—my greatest prayer warrior—to join me in praying daily for Chris.
The breakthrough.
Two weeks later, on August 29, 2022, Chris arrived at my office with his mother, Debi. My spirit sensed a difference in him. I asked him if he wanted his mother to be present for the appointment, and he said, “I most certainly do!” Then, there in my office, a conversation occurred that I will never forget. The Spirit led me to have a very direct conversation with Chris.
I asked, “If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?”
He looked me right in the eyes and said, “Yes.”
“Where?” I asked.
“I would be with Jesus,” he replied.
“How do you know?”
He replied, “Because I asked Him to be my Lord and Savior, and I completely trust Him, because He does not lie.”
I said, “Wow, Chris, I can sense your confidence in Christ. Now, we need to make a plan for you to grow so you can stay close to God, and He can mold you.”
I COULD see the confidence in his eyes, the peace in his soul. He was a different man—clear-eyed, joyful, full of hope. Oh, how we rejoiced together. We discussed a plan for his spiritual growth. He wanted to live free in Christ, to become a better son, father, grandfather, and friend. He had tasted the transforming power of God and wanted to live for something eternal. Chris found his “everlasting splendor!”
Kneeling into eternity.
In that beautiful hour, on August 29, 2022, neither Chris, his mother, nor I, would have ever guessed that six days later, on Sunday, September 4, 2022, his lifeless body would be discovered kneeling beside his bed, as if in prayer. Medical personnel believe he died of a pulmonary embolism. But the “real,” part of Chris wasn’t there. His soul and spirit were with Christ.
How amazing to have complete confidence that the REAL Chris—his soul and spirit—are NOT dead!
In the week following Chris’s death, I was talking with Debi, and we marveled at how good God had been to have orchestrated his last few days. She was so grateful to have heard Chris express his unequivocal faith in Jesus in my office. She asked me to share this testimony at his funeral, and she also asked me to share his story with the world. So, my dear friend…
What would Chris want you to know about eternity from where he now resides with Jesus?
He would want you to know that the greatest, most important relationship you can have is with Jesus Christ. When you accept Him as your Savior and Lord, He satisfies the great hunger of your soul. He will fill you with more love, joy, peace, kindness, and goodness—than you have ever known. You will have confidence in your eternal destiny. God does not lie. Once you belong to Him, through receiving the GIFT OF SALVATION, you will always belong to Him. Just as you will always have the genetics of your parents, your “in Christ” genetics will never change, either!
When you belong to God, the fruit of His Spirit should dominate your life. God’s love and presence cannot be faked. His Spirit cannot be appropriated for our earthly purposes. Chris’s walk with Christ may have been short, but if his story brings you into a relationship with Christ, it will be more meaningful and eternally significant than if he had lived for 100 years.
Eternity is a long time. You only get THIS lifetime to decide where you’ll spend it.
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” Hebrews 9:27
Christ, the Lamb of God, died so you could have eternal life. There is nothing greater you could ever do, than surrender your heart 100% to Him and have your name written in His book.
“The [New Jerusalem] had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” Revelation 21:23,25,27
Reflection:
Is your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life? If it is, are you on fire, sharing your story of salvation with those around you? Jesus paid the ultimate price so every person could be reconciled to Him.
Prayer
Father, thank You for Chris’s life and testimony. Thank You for the peace of knowing that all who belong to Christ have hope beyond the grave for eternity. I ask You to stir hearts through his story, to draw those who know the truth but not sharing it, and to awaken those who do not yet know You. Help me to live with Your perspective about each person I meet, treating them as one made in Your image, destined for either everlasting splendor in Christ or eternal death. May my life point others to Jesus until the day I see You face to face. In His name, Amen.
