From the moment of Jesus' resurrection from the dead, and the giving of the Holy Spirit on the Jewish day of Pentecost seven weeks later, there is a note of certainty that runs through the New Testament. When speaking to his disciples at his last meal with them before he was crucified, Jesus talked about the coming of the Holy Spirit. He said, "Then you will know that I am one with the Father. You will know that you are one with me, and I am one with you" (John 14:20). This certainty they were to discover is found everywhere in the book of Acts and the letters of the New Testament. John gives us the reason for writing his first letter near the end of the New Testament: "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13).

The Bible talks about the "full assurance of understanding" (Colossians 2:2), "the full assurance of hope" (Hebrews 6:11) and "the full assurance of faith" (Hebrews 10:22).

Paul, facing possible death in a Roman prison, wrote, "I want to die and be with Christ, because that would be much better" (Philippians 1:23). He says, "We should be cheerful, because we would rather leave these bodies and be at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). The author of Hebrews, in commending those he writes to, says, "You gladly let your possessions be taken away, because you knew you had something better, something that would last forever" (Hebrews 10:34). If you wish to explore further this certainty of heaven and of the defeat of death in the New Testament, I would suggest you begin with the following passages:

• Romans 8:28-39

• 1 Corinthians 15

• 2 Corinthians 5:1-9

• Philippians 1:20-24

• Hebrews 2:14,15

• 1 Peter 1:3-9

• 2 Timothy 4:6-8

There have been a great many examples throughout history of individuals facing death with this same certainty found in the New Testament. One of my favourite stories is about C. T. Studd, who captained the English cricket team in the 1880s. He left a promising career at home to go as a missionary to China. Later, when most men would think of retiring, he pioneered missionary work in the heart of Africa. When dying in central Africa, the last word he wrote, in a letter to missionaries, was "Alleluia!" The last word he spoke was "Alleluia!" After his death, the mission sent a telegram back to England, "Bwana glorified July 16th, Alleluia!"

Another is the story of Henry Venn, Anglican clergyman and one of the founders of the Church Missionary Society. During his final illness his doctor told him he only had a week to live. He actually lived for three weeks. His doctor later declared that it was the prospect of dying and going to heaven that made him so jubilant and high-spirited, and it was this that had kept him alive for the extra fortnight!