'Jerry Falwell Dead?'
By J. Grant Swank Jr. (05/16/07)
That's what they say.
But Falwell is far from dead. He is more alive now than when he walked to his Liberty University office this morning.
Jesus said, "He who believes in Me will never die."
Those who are foolish enough in faith to claim Jesus as Master of life and death hold that when the last enemy is done in—that is, death—then eternal life takes over. And it is just that: Life. Eternal.
Therefore, Falwell is where he preached for years upon years—in heaven.
Those who scoff at Jesus’ statement and therefore have nothing to do with His conviction end up with nothing. Truly. They have nothing. Oh, they claim philosophies and Zen and yoga and "dying like a squirrel." But that means nothing when you have no breath left.
My grandfather did not believe Jesus’ statement about faith in Him equaling eternal beatitude in the Father’s home. Therefore, though he lived into his 90s, he died with no hope.
According to the same Jesus who offered hope in heaven, there is an eternal damnation for those who reject His lordship. That is where my grandfather on my dad’s side is. Now I have to say that, though is sounds grotesque, because if I state the glowing promise of heaven I also have to accept the downside of hell’s torment. You see, the data regarding both came from the same Jesus mouth.
Falwell preached that one could be saved from his sins by confessing those wrongs to Jesus. A sincere confession would yield Jesus’ compassionate forgiveness. That forgiveness would be the gift of salvation implanted.
That makes a soul a Christian, Falwell preached. Church membership and good works and serving on civic committees won’t do it. It has to be the biblical way or no way. Falwell proclaimed that a wayward soul could find refuge in Jesus’ grace by repenting genuinely, thereby accepting divine mercy.
That equaled then living the Christian life till death. It meant surrendering to the Spirit of Jesus everything the saved soul has. That also meant knowing that no matter what trials this world coughs up, there is always Jesus’ friendship enabling the strength to deal with those trails.
Yesterday morning Falwell had breakfast with a friend. Falwell went to his office. He was found there unconscious and so taken to the hospital. There he slipped from this sphere into Jesus’ presence—forever.
Falwell never dreamt that the last night would be his last night in his bed. But I am sure that to Falwell he knew that any night or any day could be the entrance gate to that which is beyond us.
Those on his campus will be shedding tears today. All sorts of eulogies will be pronounced. His accomplishments on behalf of the fundamentalist branch of Protestantism will be forthcoming. Words words words and more words.
But all that adds up finally as an offering to Jesus, wrapped in a dedicated preacher’s life who refused to compromise the Word, knowing it was the integrity of that Word that would carry him safely across the line.
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