In a sad story published by the Korea JoongAng Daily yesterday, it was reported that a runner in their 20s who was left brain-dead after being hit by a truck during a marathon in North Chungcheong died on Sunday.
According to the city of Cheongju, the victim — an athlete affiliated with the city’s municipal athletics team — passed away at around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday while receiving treatment at a hospital.
The runner was struck on Nov. 10 around 10 a.m. while taking part in a marathon in Okcheon County. The person was hit by a one-ton Porter truck driven by an individual in their 80s and suffered severe head and upper body injuries, resulting in brain death.
At the time, only the second lane of a two-lane road was closed to traffic for the marathon. The truck, which had been traveling in the first lane, reportedly changed lanes and crashed into the runner at a speed of 57 kilometers per hour (35 miles per hour).
The driver told police they were looking at a traffic signal about 100 meters (328 feet) ahead of the crash site and failed to notice the runner.
And, you know, as tragic as this story was, if this young runner had made the decision to trust in Jesus Christ as his Savior, we could mourn for the loss but smile knowing that the athlete inherited eternal life and was now in heaven. This is true because the Bible tells us that everyone “who believes in the Son has everlasting life…” The Bible also tells us that everyone who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
The driver told police they were looking at a traffic signal about 100 meters (328 feet) ahead of the crash site and failed to notice the runner.
And, you know, as tragic as this story was, if this young runner had made the decision to trust in Jesus Christ as his Savior, we could mourn for the loss but smile knowing that the athlete inherited eternal life and was now in heaven. This is true because the Bible tells us that everyone “who believes in the Son has everlasting life…” The Bible also tells us that everyone who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
“And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.‘“ Matthew 25:46 NKJV
You see, death is not the end for anyone. It’s either the joyous beginning of “eternal life” for those who choose to follow Jesus or the wretched start of “everlasting punishment” for those who reject Jesus. There is no purgatory and no second chance once a person takes their last breath on earth. They will either enter into heaven or hell based on the decision they made while they were alive. And let me remind you, not making a choice is making the choice to reject Jesus.
In that respect then, each and every person chooses their own eternity—thus dispelling the myth that God sends people to hell. The truth is, people send themselves to hell.
Which is the very reason that the decision to accept Jesus should not be put off. As this story shows, life is fleeting at best, and tomorrow is never guaranteed. I’m sure this young runner never anticipated that Sunday would be his or her last day. But it was. The person’s life ended quickly—as did their opportunity to choose where they would spend eternity.
“For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’” Romans 10:13
Likewise, whether a person is 20 or 80, tomorrow isn’t guaranteed and only those who call “on the name of the LORD shall be saved.” Being a good person won’t save you, inheriting your parents’ religion won’t save you, doing good deeds won’t save you, and having religion but not a relationship with Christ won’t save you. Salvation is only found in Jesus.
So, if you haven’t made the choice to accept Jesus as your Savior, won’t you do it today my friend? It’s the absolute most important decision you could ever make and it must not be put off until tomorrow—because tomorrow may never come. And if you are a believer, won’t you share the Message of Salvation with everyone that you know? It’s a conversation that could be started with a simple question… “If you were to die today, do you know where you would spend eternity?” If their answer is no, share the only Message that has the power to save.
Heavenly Father, thank You for making it clear that there are only two places a person can go when they die, heaven or hell. Help us to be bold in sharing that with the world Lord, that no one would die in their sins because of our failure to share the Good News. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen
Happy Running!
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