Is This World All That is Worth Living For?

For twenty years I lived for this world, seeking happiness in it, trying hard to satisfy the cravings of my soul with dancing, parties, races, fairs, games and amusements of every description; but then the thought of death, and what came after death -- the judgment -- would trouble me, and thus I never got what I so much desired -- real, true joy. Yet, with all my ungodliness, I had my place of worship, and used to attend regularly every Lord's Day, and had a class of boys in the Sunday School, and was pretty well posted, as I thought, in the Scriptures, but my religion gave me as little satisfaction as my amusements. This state of matters went on until a companion of my own was saved through that precious verse in God's Word, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Two months after he was saved, while we were walking together, he asked me, "Is this world all that is worth living for?" I ran from his presence in passion, as I could not bear to have my peace broken with questions about eternal things, but I could not run from that question, "Is this world all that is worth living for?" No, I knew it was not, I knew there was an eternity before me. I knew there was a Heaven and a Hell, I knew I came into the world a sinner -- a sinner by nature -- and that I had lived in rebellion against God; therefore, I was on the road to Hell. I was miserable. I resolved to live a different life; and began by refraining from swearing; and even reproved some of my companions for swearing, but this gave me no rest.

I tried to pray; I asked God to have mercy on me; but no peace could I find until one morning, while walking down the street, the line of a little hymn came into my mind, "One there is above all others, Oh! how He loves." I asked myself, can it be possible that He loves me? In a moment the answer came from God in that verse, "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Rom. 5:6). I said, "Why, that is just for me, for I am without strength and ungodly, and if Christ died for such, He died for me." So there and then I trusted Him, and was filled with joy and peace in believing (Rom. 15:13); I was saved, eternally saved! Praise the Lord!

Let me ask you, is this world all that is worth living for? Perhaps your locks are gray, your eyes growing dim, your ears dull of hearing, your hand shaking and your step faltering; look back, my aged friend, over your 60, 70 or maybe 80 years. What do you say? Is this world all that is worth living for? Perhaps my reader is in the prime of manhood and counting upon a good many years in this world yet, engrossed with business. Consider, friends, is this world all that is worth living for?

But perhaps my reader is a young man, or a young woman, and you are saying, "Oh, death is far from me; my grandparents lived to a good age, and my father and my mother lived a long time, and so will I." Ah! young friend, you forget that God says, "Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth" (Prov. 27:1). Many have died just at your age, and when in this world they were just as strong and healthy as you are, and no doubt just as you do, they thought they had a long time to live, but they are gone, where?

Ah! my young reader, should you get all the wealth, all the honor, and all the amusements this dark world can give you, what will it profit you if you lose your soul? But you say, "Well, but I'm young, and I want to be happy." If so, come to Christ, for it is only in Him that true joy is to be found. Young man, young woman, is this world all that is worth living for? Listen to the good news -- God loves you. Jesus shed His precious blood in order that you might be saved from the wrath to come. Will you trust Him? His word to you is, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me hath everlasting life" (John 6:47).