Where are you headed?
We live in a fast-paced society where everyone is always on the go. From a baby’s first wobbly crawl to our endeavors to climb the corporate ladder we are always on the move. But where are we going? Perhaps to the store, maybe to the salon, work, or possibly a vacation. These are all great destinations for now, but what about the future? Your eternal destination is a trip that most people don’t plan or even think about. However, it is the single most important destination you will ever arrive at. There are only two options for this trip. Heaven or Hell? It is easy to believe that Heaven is a real place but quite a bit harder to believe that Hell is just as real. HELL IS REAL!! The Bible describes Hell as the final resting place of lost souls. A place of continual torment, a place where the rich man who died with Lazarus couldn’t even get a drop of water to cool his tongue. A place of fire that burns but does not consume. A place that was created as punishment for Satan and his fallen angels. How does anyone ever want to go to there? Unfortunately, hell is our default destination. You see in the beginning God created everything. The heavens and the earth, the land and the sea, the animals and plants, and yes Adam and Eve. Everything that was made was perfect, but then Satan entered and convinced Eve that the forbidden fruit was worth the risk. When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they tainted that perfect world with sin and the curse of death. Unfortunately, because Adam and Eve were the first people every person born from that time on was also tainted with sin. Just like a mold that is defective makes defective parts a man who is filled with sin and cursed with death produces men who are filled with sin and cursed with death. A man cannot be perfect when he comes from a broken mold. The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
Because of this sin man has a penalty. The Bible tells us in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death;” We all know what wages are they are what we get paid for the work we do. Most of us feel that we don’t get paid enough for our work, but what about our sin? Is death a fair penalty for sin? To answer that we must first look at what Sin is. Sin is any transgression against God’s divine law. Is lying the same as murder? In God’s eyes yes. James 2:10 states “For whosever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” So according to God a lie is the same as committing every sin known to God, and murder is the same as committing every sin known to God. So yes, death as a penalty for our sin is completely justified. This death is not an end of life here on earth, for we will all die physically one day. It is an eternal separation from the love and fellowship of God. Bible math tells us that if we are born once (physically) we will die twice (physically and spiritually) but if we are born twice (physically and spiritually) then we will only die once.
If we are destined to have an eternal hell as our destination, then why is there a heaven? Because God loves us and has given us a choice. Romans 6:23 also says “ but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God loved you so much that he sent Jesus Christ; His only begotten son to Calvary to be tortured, mocked, beaten, and have all the sins of the world past present and future placed on his body. There Christ was crucified, he died (Christ gave up his life), and was buried in a borrowed tomb. A stone was rolled in front of the door and sealed with the King’s seal. A guard was posted. Three days later Christ rose from the dead and rolled the stone away. Not so that he could get out but so that all could see the victory within. He conquered death for you and for me. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That whosoever is you and me. Each and every person on this earth has the ability to be saved if they will only believe. Romans 10:9-10 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Can it really be that simple? Can I just believe (put all my faith in) that Christ took my place on Calvary and paid the debt for my sin and he will forgive me? Yes, it is that simple!!! 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Think about it this way. God spent chapter after chapter describing how the tabernacle was supposed to be made. And then He described how the temple was to be constructed. If he had some complex performance that he wanted before he would forgive you don’t you think he would have spelled it out word for word. He Did!! Believe on Christ’s death as payment for your sins, ask Him to forgive you and He Will!! It really is that simple. But believing is more than just knowing. Knowing takes place in the head. Believing takes place in the heart. When you truly believe in something you stop relying on everything else. When you truly believe in what Christ has done you will no longer rely on the ritual of religion. You will understand that Baptism doesn’t save you, Communion doesn’t save you, the good in your life out weighing the bad doesn’t save you. The only thing that can save you is Faith in Christ and Christ alone. John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Can you say that today? Can you say that you have completely placed your hope of eternity in Christ and Christ alone? I hope you can. My eternal destination was settled in 2007 and knowing that has changed my life. I go through every day knowing that I am a child of God and that he is in control of my life. He is the one that knows my strength and my weakness. He knows when I will fail and when I will succeed. He has my life planned out and all I must do is follow His will. What a relief! One last verse. 2 Corinthians 6:2 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
