Is that it?

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. (Matthew 17:1-2)

Moses died in the Old Testament, and yet here he is, standing on a mountaintop, talking to Jesus. I like the twist that brings Moses into the promised land when God had refused to let him enter when he was alive. Standing on that mountaintop with Jesus, he was finally where he had longed to be after crossing the wilderness.

I know this question is going to surprise some people, and other people might find it to be heresy, but do we only get to death to make a decision to believe in God? Or is God able to chase us with prevenient grace even after death?

Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgment, but has passed from death to life (John 5:24)

When we make the decision to believe in Christ, then we pass from death to life. That judgment, which is our own, is our acceptance of grace. We stand at the door (as I talked about yesterday), and decide to enter. We are now in the kingdom of God. I don't believe that we have to wait until we die to make that decision. We do it during life. So when death does arrive, it is nothing. It has lost its sting. Jesus defeated it for us.

Death no longer has any power over us. Could it be that it does not have power over God either? Does grace chase us even into and past death? Can we pass through that door after we die?

How did Moses get up on that mountain?

Thanks to JtM for asking the question.