Will you choose life or death?

I. Introduction to the Choice

Throughout the Scriptures, a recurring theme presents humanity with a twofold option: to embrace a path leading to life or to persist in a path culminating in death. This distinction goes beyond physical existence and extends to the deepest spiritual reality. In the Torah, the Hebrew words for “life” often express both earthly and eternal vitality. While contemporary culture may downplay the significance of spiritually informed decisions, the biblical text underscores that the fork in the road—life or death—is of utmost eternal importance.

II. The Scriptural Call to Choose

One central passage vividly highlights this choice: “I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19). The invitation presented here transcends historical context and speaks to every generation. Far from a single, isolated command, this charge resonates throughout the entire biblical narrative. It echoes at pivotal moments, from Adam’s initial decision in Eden to the apostolic call for repentance in the New Testament.

III. Understanding Life and Death Biblically

In Scripture, “life” is frequently aligned with communion with the Creator. This is not merely breathing but living in right relationship with Him—an enduring bond that spans beyond temporal boundaries. “Death,” conversely, refers not only to physical mortality but also to spiritual separation from God.

Romans 6:23 captures this dichotomy succinctly: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Sin, according to biblical teaching, severs the closeness between humankind and God, thus producing spiritual death. God’s provision for undoing this grave result of sin is a divine gift, offered through Christ’s atoning sacrifice.

IV. The Offer of Redemption and Restoration

While human inclination might try to earn salvation through good works or logic alone, the consistent message of Scripture is that true life is a free gift from the Creator, anchored in Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection. John 3:16 records: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

This gift is historically substantiated by the remarkable manuscript evidence for the New Testament’s reliability and by archaeological finds corroborating the events described—such as the records of first-century crucifixion practices and the growth of the early Christian community in Jerusalem. Experts in textual criticism have consistently affirmed that the extant manuscript evidence aligns accurately with the message proclaimed by the earliest apostolic sources regarding the resurrection event.

V. The Significance of Christ’s Resurrection

Within the New Testament corpus, the Resurrection is presented as the linchpin of the Christian faith. Detailed accounts in the Gospels (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20–21) converge on the reality that Jesus physically rose from the dead. Early historical testimony—from Paul’s epistles referencing over 500 witnesses (1 Corinthians 15:6) to the unanimous conviction of the early church—indicates that the first believers held firm to Christ’s bodily resurrection as the defining event validating His divine identity.

When people asked the apostles why they believed in a risen Christ, they pointed to the empty tomb and the eyewitness accounts. Indeed, the earliest Greek manuscripts and subsequent families of texts overwhelmingly preserve a unified declaration: Jesus died and rose again. This bodily resurrection is God’s assurance to all that the promised path to life is confirmed in Christ’s triumph over death.

VI. Creation and the Call to Worship the Creator

From the opening pages of Genesis, the Bible sets forth that God created all things in a purposeful manner. The genealogies in Genesis, while subject to debate among some, have often been used to frame a young-earth timeline. Observations in nature—such as symbiotic relationships among living creatures and the finely tuned constants of physics—point many scientists and laypersons to the presence of an Intelligent Designer rather than mere blind chance.

Traces of geologic phenomena—the layering of sedimentary rock containing fossils, for instance—can be examined through the lens of a global cataclysmic flood as described in Genesis 6–9, offering a scientifically testable model for those who interpret the data from a young-earth perspective. These details, while not the primary purpose of Scripture, underscore the power and intentionality of the Creator who pleads with humankind to choose the life He offers.

VII. Covenant and Ethical Transformation

Biblical covenants—from Noahic to Mosaic to the New Covenant—reveal that God seeks relationship with humanity. By knowingly entering a covenant with God, individuals are committing to faithful obedience out of gratitude for His grace. This commitment results in ethical reorientation, evident in the transformation of the hearts and behavior of believers. Love for God necessitates love for neighbor, exemplified by acts of compassion, justice, and worship.

Rather than imposing burdens, these guidelines enable human flourishing and demonstrate that choosing life with God produces tangible outcomes for individuals and communities. On a personal level, believers report freedom from destructive behaviors and renewed purpose, while societies shaped by Judeo-Christian values have often enjoyed benefits of altruism, charity, and social uplifting.

VIII. Examining the Realities of Modern Experience

Miracles and healing, as recorded in the Bible, continue to be reported in modern contexts. Scholarly analysis of testimonial evidence worldwide ranges from medical cases with no plausible natural explanations to transformations of entire communities following answered prayer. While skepticism is a common response, those who have personally experienced such events frequently find their understanding of “choosing life” enriched, seeing God’s power at work in present-day scenarios.

IX. A Personal Response

The question “Will you choose life or death?” prompts each person to consider their ultimate loyalty. Will one remain isolated from God, resulting in spiritual death, or accept the invitation to relationship and eternal life in Christ? Choosing life does not promise an absence of adversity, but it does assure reconciliation with the God who created the heavens and the earth, and who has revealed Himself through both Scripture and the resurrection of His Son.

X. Pathways to Embracing Life

1. Repentance and Faith: Recognize the brokenness caused by sin, turn away from it, and direct trust toward the finished work of Jesus.

2. Ongoing Commitment: Cultivate a relationship with God through prayer (Philippians 4:6–7), Scripture reading (2 Timothy 3:16), and fellowship with believers (Hebrews 10:25).

3. Living Testimony: Put faith into practice by serving others, demonstrating love, and bearing witness to God’s transformative power in daily life (James 2:17).

In essence, “life” in Scripture signifies more than breath in one’s lungs. It embodies communion with the eternal God who desires relationship with each person. The choice remains open: Will you choose life or death?