Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 22
November 26, 1970
NUMBER 29, PAGE 3

What Will The End Bring?

Larry A. Bunch

A tear silently made its way down her cheek and fell softly upon her folded hands. She was a Christian. Or supposed to be. Yet, she had not been serving her Lord faithfully for several years. Now, as she watched her faithful husband serving at the Lord's table, she was unable to hold back the hurt. Her mind went back to those days many years ago when she was active in the Lord's church and prayerfully worked toward the conversion of her husband. What had happened? She had successfully won him to Christ, but as her family grew and she became involved in caring for them, she somehow neglected her own spiritual welfare until it seemed a mockery to attend services and partake of the communion.

Her closest friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, had tried repeatedly to win her back again, but somehow the old spirit, the old fervor, was gone. She just did not have the right "feeling" about spiritual matters and could not bring herself to come forward during the invitation song because such would seem deceitful and hypocritical to her. Certainly, she understood her obligation to the Lord, what she must do to be pleasing in His sight. If she could only unbend her will and bow in humble subjection to Him! But, to serve Him would mean she would have to do things she, at present, was not doing or stop doing things she was doing. She just could not seem to bring herself to this. As she sat there that bright Lord's day morning with the tears dimming her vision, she mused, "What will the end bring?"

Thursday morning, after seeing the children off to school, she left the house for an appointment with the hairdresser downtown. As she pulled onto the highway, her thoughts were on the events of the past Sunday and she did not see the semi-truck which took her life so quickly.

The funeral was a sad affair. Everyone realized the condition of their friend, and wept for her, knowing that unless she had made peace with her Lord unknown to them, her destiny was one of torment in eternity.

The End? Or..

Wednesday morning she arose feeling "blue." After the children had left for school, her thoughts turned back to Sunday. Again, her eyes dimmed with tears of regret and remorse. Sinking down into a chair, her hand fell upon the Bible left there by her husband the night before. Opening it, her eyes focused upon Hebrews the tenth chapter... and she read. Thoughts flashed through her mind, "The old law done away...Jesus the perfect sacrifice...sins remembered no more...hold fast...not forsaking...sin willfully...no more sacrifice..sorer punishment...trodden under foot the Son of God counted.. blood.. unholy.. done despite unto the Spirit of grace... vengeance belongeth unto me ... fearful...just shall live by faith."

As never before, her thoughts turned to her herself and her spiritual condition. Paul's words to the Corinthians came to mind, "bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." That night she attended the services of the church with her family...and was restored.

She was killed on Thursday when the semi-truck almost demolished the small car which she was driving. The funeral was a sad affair. But it was a sadness made glorious by the 'blessed hope' of those who "die in the Lord." There were tears in eyes of her family and friends; but the tears served only to give added beauty to the rainbow of hope and promise in their hearts. They were tears of joy.