For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. (1 Timothy 6:7)

Two Things That Are Certain

Life is filled with uncertainties and fears. There are few guarantees because of the unstable nature of the economy, ever-changing health and aging, decisions impacting the course of life, and a host of elements that fill life with feelings of insecurity. A divine view of life will put everything into perspective with two certainties that are true for everyone without exception. It does not matter if a person is rich or poor; these certainties apply. Cultural differences do not change reality. Science cannot redefine or alter what is unchangeable. Every human being enters the world naked and leaves the same way.  

The first certainty is evident every time a child is born. When a baby is delivered, there are no attachments of riches, fame, and knowledge that proceed from the womb. The only thing the doctor finds at the birth of a child is a naked baby dependent on someone else for survival. Without the care of the mother, the child will die. It will take a few years for the child to become dependent. No one brings anything with them into the world. Birth only produces a baby. Every announcement of a new baby should come with the acknowledgment that the baby entered the world naked. They did not bring anything with them. Babies born with silver spoons in their mouths get the spoon after birth.

A second certainty is connected to the first. As the baby comes into the world naked, everyone dies naked. Death does not take a person’s clothes. They are left behind. When a person dies, they cannot take their bank account with them. It remains for others to divide among themselves. All the knowledge gained from the many years of study dies. Fame will diminish over time, and the world will soon forget names once known by the world in a fickle turn of fate. Cemeteries are filled with marble headstones of souls born into the world stark naked who died completely naked of everything they gained in life. The two certainties in an uncertain world are the certainties that nothing is brought into the world and nothing is taken in death.

The knowledge of the certainties of life should impress upon the heart the true value of living. It is remarkable how often the lesson is lost that gaining the world is gaining nothing. No one remembers the moment of their birth, but they should learn the lesson they brought nothing with them. More importantly, the grave is a stark reminder that everything possessed in life remains in this world. How many funerals have people attended mourning the loss of a loved one and not realizing everything the person had remains? No one is exempt from these certainties, and yet most people live as if they will take everything with them when they die. It would be good for them to look at their baby pictures to remember how dependent they were on others and that nothing in life is of any value.

God testifies to His creation of certainties in life to remind man how frail he is. Man was not created to serve the world but to serve God. The reason man comes naked in the world is first to declare man is created by God. Death is a reminder from God that nothing in this world is of value. When a child is created, he becomes an eternal creature that will never die. He is born naked in the flesh, but he is made in the image of God. Life is the time when the eternal spirit of man learns about his Creator so that he can worship Him and give Him glory. When death comes, everything in the world is left behind, but the eternal spirit continues to the praise and honor of God. That is what life is about.

There are three certainties that man must remember: nothing is brought into the world, and nothing is taken in death. The third reality is that God is on the other side of death. Life is a short time, but in that capsule of time, the destiny of an eternal creature is determined. Nothing in birth and nothing in death. It is what happens after death that is certain that must be considered. Are you ready to meet God?