Dining with Death

Dining with Death

W
e have all heard that an unhealthy diet
can eventually lead to an early death,
but have you ever eaten anything that
could kill you within minutes? Those who have
eaten fugu—and lived to tell about it—can say
they have.
Fugu, otherwise known as pufferfish or blowfish,
is a delicacy in Japan and other places where
a single meal can cost as much as $200. It is
served raw, sliced paper-thin, and often arranged
in beautiful patterns of animals or flowers. What
makes this meal potentially deadly is that the poison
contained in several internal organs of the
fish is one of the deadliest known toxins—over
1,000 times more potent than cyanide. If the fish
is prepared improperly, and even a trace of poison
is left in the meal, the eater will die 60% of the
time, as there is no antidote.
For this reason, fugu may only be prepared by licensed
chefs who have undergone extensive training,
testing, and an apprenticeship — all of which
can last up to ten years. In spite of all this, each
year a handful of people who “dine with death”
pay the ultimate price. Fugu poisoning brings
a terrible death, as the fully-conscious victim is
gradually paralyzed —losing the ability to talk,
losing use of his arms and legs, and eventually
becoming unable to breathe. Death occurs anywhere
within twenty minutes to twenty hours.

With all of the danger, why is fugu still eaten?
First of all, those who have tried it say that the
flavor of this unique sushi is unlike anything else.
Others will tell you that it is the excitement of doing
something dangerous, or that eating the expensive
and hard-to-find meal is something of a
status symbol.
You and I might not ever get the chance to eat
fugu, and may even question the sanity of ones
who do, but did you know that millions of people—and
possibly you—are taking an even greater
risk with something much more important
than their life?
The Bible teaches us that we all have a never-dying
soul that will spend eternity in one of two
places: either enjoying everlasting life in heaven,
or suffering eternal judgment in hell. The Bible
also identifies the reason our souls are in danger,
and the remedy we need to take.
More deadly than the toxin found in fugu, the
poison of sin will claim 100% of its victims. Who
has taken this poison? The Bible says that “All
have sinned” (Romans 3:23). What will be the
consequence? God’s Word says “the wages of sin
is death” and “after death the judgment” (Romans
6:23; Hebrews 9:27). Because we have all been poisoned
by sin, we are all on our way to facing its
terrible end. Unless we are freed from sin, we will

all be found guilty before the righteous Judge.
The good news is that unlike fugu poisoning,
there is a remedy for sin. God, who is “not willing
that any should perish” and desires “all men to be
saved” (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4), has provided the
antidote for sin. “For God so loved the world, that
He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish but have everlasting
life” (John 3:16). The Lord Jesus Christ became
the supreme sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 9: 26) by dying
on the cross of Calvary and shedding His precious
blood. He then rose from the grave, proving
His victory over sin and death.
To be washed clean from every trace of sin and
thus be freed from its everlasting penalty, one simply
needs to come in faith to Christ, trusting Him
as Saviour. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).
Don’t play with death any longer. The consequences
are too great. Take the “antidote” God has
provided for sin’s poison. Trust Jesus now as your
personal Saviour. In doing so, you will be defying
death—eternal death—choosing rather eternal life
with Christ in heaven. “He that believeth on the Son
[Jesus] hath everlasting life: and he that believeth
not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God
abideth on him” (John 3:36).