RIDING the train one day during World War II, a Christian man named Mr. Mott asked a young man in uniform, “Do you fly?”
“Yes, I’m a Navy flier,” he replied. “Will your last flight be up or down?” asked Mr. Mott.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean your very last flight.” “Well,” the young man replied, “I hope it will be up.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know it will be up?” the Christian asked.
The flier became serious. “Is it possible for me to know NOW where I will spend eternity?” he asked.
“Yes,” said Mr. Mott, “according to the Word of God, it is possible for you to know now.” The flier listened eagerly as he talked to him from the Bible.
Opening his Bible from Luke 23, Mr. Mott read to him the story of the dying thief, and how he came to Christ in his last moments. The flier took in every word.
“Now,” continued Mr. Matt, “how was this man saved? Did he quit his evil deeds and begin to live right? Did he join the church? Did he go and pay back what he had stolen?”
The flier read: “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
The flier read: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
“Now,” said Mr. Mott, “that verb ‘hath’ is in the present tense. Is it possible to know now whether your last flight will be up or down?”
“Yes,” he replied.
The result was that the young flier believed God’s Word. He claimed there and then the Lord Jesus as his own Saviour. “Now,” said Mr. Mott, “will your last flight be up or down?”
“Up!” he exclaimed, “because Jesus died for me, and I dm trusting in Him.”
Yes, glorious truth! His load of sin was lifted; he was saved. He had passed from death unto life, from darkness to light, from the power of Satan into the glorious liberty of God’s dear children; out from the place of condemnation into the sunshine of God’s love and favor. Now he had a new life — eternal life, he had a new nature, and a new hope that went beyond this life, with a new joy and satisfaction. Old things had passed away, and behold, all things had become new (2 Cor. 5:1717Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17)). From thenceforth he could look forward to the coming of the Lord Jesus to take him with all His redeemed ones to be with Himself in that bright glory forever.
Now may we ask you, dear reader, Will your last flight be up or down? If you do not come to know Christ as your Saviour, it certainly will not be up, but DOWN. Only those who are “born again” (John 3) have everlasting life and enter into the kingdom of God. In Rev. 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15), we read, that “whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
ML-07/10/1960