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Someone shared a similar message with me when I was 13 years old. For that I am grateful. In the course of doing business with my clients the topic of eternity only comes up when you, the client, bring it up. You can rest assured that I will not hound you with this message, irrespective of your beliefs.
Eternity.
Are you thinking about it? Where will you spend it?
How do you plan on getting there?
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All humans have a problem. Looking at just a couple of the ten commandments, how do you stack up?
You shall not steal. (Exodus 20:15, NET Bible). Have you ever taken anything that was not yours no matter how inexpensive? Specifically, doesn't that make you a thief?
You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor (lie). (Exodus 20:15, NET Bible). Have you ever lied about anything, even once? If so, doesn't that make you a liar?
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain...(Exodus 20:7 NET Bible) Have you ever used God's name as a swear word or exclamation point?
You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife... (Exodus 20:17, NET Bible) Have you ever lusted after a woman or man you were not married to? Are you lying about this? Jesus said, "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:28, NET Bible)
I don't know about you, but based on just these four questions I would have to admit that I am a lying, thieving, blaspheming, adulterer at heart. And we haven't even gotten to what Jesus called the greatest commandment of loving God with all of your heart, soul, and mind, and your neighbor as yourself, i.e. always putting God's will first in every decision, thought and action.
The Bible says we all fall short of the standard of a Holy, Perfect and Just God. ...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23, NET Bible)
Many hope to spend eternity in heaven by having their good deeds outweigh their bad. But, compared to God, can any of us claim to be truly good?
No one would call a judge just or loving if the judge said to a thief and rapist, “Up until this incident you've lived a pretty good life. Therefore, to demonstrate my love for you I am setting you free without paying a penalty.” In fact we would say the opposite. We would say the judge is unjust and has a warped sense of love. Yet we expect God to do just dismiss us in dealing with our sins.
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The real penalty for sin is death and eternal separation from God.
However, because of God's love and mercy, He chose to send Jesus to die in our place and rise from the dead, so that accepting His payment, we can start living with Him, and for Him, now and in eternity.
But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved through him from God’s wrath. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life? Not only this, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation. (Romans 8:5-11, NET Bible)
But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you are saved! (Ephesians 2:4-5, NET Bible)
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However, if we do not want to get to know and obey God and experience His love during the short time we have on earth, why would God force us to spend eternity with Him once we die? He will let us have the payoff (wages) of our choosing.
So what benefit did you then reap from those things that you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death. But now, freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit leading to sanctification, and the end is eternal life. For the payoff of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:21-23, NET Bible)
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Walking an isle, church membership, having your good deeds out weigh your bad - these things will not save you. Head knowledge about God does not equal making a choice to accept God's grace through Jesus Christ.
...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and thus has righteousness and with the mouth one confesses and thus has salvation. For the scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. “For there is no distinction between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all, who richly blesses all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:9-13 NET Bible)
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| Conclusion: Have you come to know God intimately and to the point of obedience? If not, would you like to? If so, tell God that you now understand that you are a sinner and ask Him to forgive you. Thank Him that Jesus paid the penalty for your sins when He died on the cross and rose again to life. Tell Him that you would like Him to save you and pour His love into your heart through the Holy Spirit.
Now, whether you have followed through with God's plan of salvation or not, read Romans 6, 7, and 8 once a day for the next week. Then read the book of John three or four times over the next month. Ask God to reveal Himself to you as you read. You might be surprised at how He starts to speak to your heart.
Please don't go into eternity with a false hope in something you have done or accomplished. You would not want to stand before Jesus and hear this: “On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:22-23 NET Bible)
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