There is a severe evil which I have seen under the sun: riches kept for their owner to his hurt. But those riches perish through misfortune; when he begets a son, there is nothing in his hand. As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, to go as he came; and he shall take nothing from his labor which he may carry away in his hand. And this also is a severe evil—just exactly as he came, so shall he go. And what profit has he who has labored for the wind? All his days he also eats in darkness, and he has much sorrow and sickness and anger. Ecclesiastes 5:13–17
From Solomon’s writings we have observed the futility in endeavoring to enrich ourselves in a currency that will be worthless in the world to which we hope to go. But if we cannot take our worldly possessions, our mortal bodies, or our titles of distinction, what can we take? Is there anything at all that can be acquired in this temporal world that holds eternal value? In God’s new covenant He reveals that there are such things––things we can take with us when we go.
We can take ourselves. Although we cannot take our material homes or mortal bodies, “we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Corinthians 5:1). While we attempt to do good in this life, much of what we do may be pulled back down, but this does not affect our eternal salvation: “If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:15). This is particularly true concerning our evangelistic efforts. God told Ezekiel, “If you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul” (Ezekiel 33:9).
We can take our works. We cannot take the works of our hands, because “both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). There are, however, works that follow us: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them’” (Revelation 14:13). Paul says that our works can even go ahead of us: “Some men’s sins are clearly evident, preceding them to judgment, but those of some men follow later.” (1 Timothy 5:24). Whether our works precede us there or follow close after, it is sure that even our secret deeds will be manifested (Ecclesiastes 12:14) and that our works will be the evidence by which we will be justified or condemned (2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 16:27).
We can take others, beginning with our families. “By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household” (Hebrews 11:7). A good parent can deliver his own child’s soul from hell (Proverbs 23:14) through proper discipline and godly instruction (Ephesians 6:4). We can also take our brethren if we will restore the erring “in a spirit of gentleness” (Galatians 6:1). James says that when we turn a sinner from his error, we effectively “save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:20). As we journey toward that happy land, let us resolve to take as many with us as we can.
David rightly spoke of death as “the way of all the earth” (1 Kings 2:2), for there is, as his son later put it, “no release from that war,” nor any power within man to retain his own spirit (Ecclesiastes 8:8). When we all stand before God on that Day, stripped of titles and riches and everything else that is devoid of eternal value, what will we carry with us? Let us not go into eternity with empty hands. Let us spend our time grabbing up everything and everyone that can endure and carry them over the river with us for our Master’s good pleasure.