R.I.P - Add Death to the Plans by Derrick Decency Antwi

This article confronts the reality that death is humanity's inevitable appointment, but what comes after is determined by choices made in life. The familiar letters "R.I.P." carry two vastly different meanings: for believers in Christ, it means "Rest in Peace" - eternal joy in God's presence; for those who reject salvation, it means "Rest in Punishment" - eternal separation from God. Drawing from Hebrews 9:27, the article emphasises that while death is universal, our eternal destiny is determined by one choice: accepting or rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior. The piece urges readers not to postpone this decision, reminding them that tomorrow is promised to no one, and that God's invitation to salvation remains open while there's still breath in our lungs.

1. R.I.P - ADD DEATH TO THE PLANS.
INTRODUCTION
"And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." ~ Hebrews 9:27
(NKJV).
The only way to honour the dead is to continue living. The cemetery is full of people who
thought they had more time. The morgue is full of those who planned to get right with God
someday. Hell is full of people who believed they were good enough on their own.
But Heaven - glorious, eternal Heaven - is full of people who recognized their need for a Saviour
and accepted God's gift of grace while there was still time.
Death is the great equaliser, the final appointment that no one can reschedule. Scripture makes it
clear - this appointment is divine, inevitable, and universal. Rich or poor, famous or forgotten,
young or old - we all face the same inescapable truth. But while death itself is certain, what
comes after is determined by the choices we make while we still draw breath.
THE UNIVERSAL INSCRIPTION
Walk through any cemetery, and you'll see those three letters carved into countless headstones:
R.I.P. They represent humanity's deepest hope for the departed - that somehow, beyond the
silence of the grave, there is rest. But rest comes in two forms, and the difference between them
is eternal.
TWO DESTINIES, ONE CHOICE
When the final heartbeat echoes and the last breath escapes, every soul embarks on a journey to
one of two destinations. The same three letters (R.I.P.) that mark our graves carry vastly different
meanings depending on the life we've lived and the relationship we've cultivated with our
Creator.
∆ For the sons and daughters of God - those who have surrendered their lives to Christ, who
have been washed clean by His sacrifice, who have walked in faith and love - death is not defeat
but victory. For them, R.I.P. means exactly what our hearts hope it means: REST IN PEACE.
Their eyes close in this world only to open in paradise. Their struggles end not in emptiness but
in the arms of the Almighty. Their final breath here becomes their first breath in glory eternal.
Death, for them, is simply stepping from the shadowlands into the light.
∆ But for those who have rejected God's gift, who have chosen to live as their own god, who
have turned away from the outstretched arms of mercy, who have said "no" to the only Name
that saves, the same letters carry a terrifying weight: REST IN PUNISHMENT .

2. Their rest is not peace but justice. Their eternity is not joy but the consequence of a life lived in
rebellion against their Creator. They rest, yes, but not in the bosom of Abraham - they rest in the
place prepared for those who chose darkness over light.
THE GREAT DIVIDE
What determines which rest awaits you? It's not your good deeds weighed against your bad ones.
It's not how many people liked you or how much money you gave to charity. It's not whether you
were religious or went to church every Sunday.
The great divide between these two eternities (R.I.P.) is crossed by one bridge alone: JESUS
CHRIST
He stands at the crossroads of every human heart, extending an invitation that changes
everything. "Come unto me," He says, "all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give
you rest." Not the temporary rest of sleep, but the eternal rest of salvation.
Many people struggle with this truth. They ask, "What about good people who haven't heard
about Jesus? What about those raised in other religions? Surely God wouldn't condemn sincere
people who are trying their best?"
These are honest questions that deserve honest answers. The Bible tells us that God is perfectly
just and perfectly loving. He judges according to the light people have received (Romans 2:12-
16). But it also makes clear that Jesus declared, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). This isn't narrow-mindedness - it's the
narrow gate that leads to life (Matthew 7:14).
God's love is so great that He made a way for everyone through His Son. Our responsibility is
not to judge who gets saved, but to share the good news so that everyone has the opportunity to
hear and believe.
THE TICKING CLOCK
Right now, as you read these words, your heart is beating. Each pulse is a gift, each moment an
opportunity. The clock of your life is ticking toward that final second when time becomes
eternity, when choices become consequences, when R.I.P. becomes your reality.
But here's the beautiful, life-changing truth: it's not too late.
As long as there's breath in your lungs and blood in your veins, the choice is still yours. The God
who created you loves you so much that He sent His only Son to die in your place, to pay the
price for your sins, to make a way where there was no way.
THE INVITATION

3. You don't have to guess which rest awaits you. You don't have to hope,wonder, and worry about
what those three letters (R.I.P.) will mean when they're carved above your name. You can know
- with absolute certainty - that when your time comes, you will rest in peace.
The invitation is simple: acknowledge that you are a sinner in need of a Saviour. Believe that
Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again. Call upon His name, surrender your life to Him,
and become a child of God.
In that moment - that beautiful, life-changing moment - your eternal destiny is sealed. Death
loses its sting. The grave loses its victory. And R.I.P. becomes a promise, not a question mark.
THE URGENCY OF NOW
Tomorrow is promised to no one. The young and healthy have died unexpectedly. The old and
wise have passed in their sleep. The rich have taken their last breath in hospital beds that money
couldn't save them from. The poor have slipped away in places where no earthly comfort could
reach them.
Death is no respecter of persons, but God is no respecter of persons either. His salvation is
available to all - the broken and the whole, the lost and the found, the sinner and the saint. But it
must be received while there's still time to choose.
WRITING YOUR ETERNAL STORY
Every day you live, you're writing the story that will determine your eternal rest. Every choice,
every word, every moment of surrender or rebellion is a sentence in the book of your life that
will be opened when you stand before your Creator.
But unlike the stories we read, you know how this one can end. You have the power to choose
your own ending. You can ensure that when people visit your grave and see those three letters
(R.I.P.), they'll know, with absolute certainty, that you are not just resting, but resting in perfect,
eternal peace.
CONCLUSION
Which rest will be yours? The choice is before you now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not
when you're older or sicker or more desperate.
The beautiful truth is that no matter what you've done, no matter how far you've strayed, no
matter how many times you've failed, God's arms are still open to you. His mercy is new every
morning, and His grace is sufficient for every sin.
Because in the end, we all rest in peace or punishment. But only you can determine which three
letters will define your eternity.

4. Written by DERRICK DECENCY ANTWI
(Alumni, Pentecost University)
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