This is the question that was presented to me today while I moved around the house to complete today's chores. Many of us casually move about in our day meeting the demands of life, conquering daily challenges and conflicts, and pondering tomorrow's conquest, without carefully considering our present state of life and the weight of today. If God said, "This is it. These are your final moments here on earth." Would you be ready?
Take a minute and really think about that, because the truth is everyone isn't going to heaven. Moreover, everyone won't walk those streets paved with gold. The Bible says, "Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar heresies), envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who practice such things SHALL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Galatians 5:19-21--Amplified Version).
Now I know this isn't a popular message or a politically correct interpretation of what is allowed in today's culture, but it is truth! And God's truth always trumps philosophical and world views and the next law up for debate. God's Word also says that, "As for cowards and the ignoble and the contemptible and the cravenly lacking in courage and the cowardly submissive, and as for the unbelieving and faithless, and as for the depraved and defiled with abominations, and as for murderers and the lewd and adulterous and the practicers of magic arts and the idolaters (those who give supreme devotion to anyone or anything other than God) and all liars (those who knowingly convey untruth by word or deed)- [all of these shall have] their part in the lake of fire and brimstone. This is the second death." Nothing that defiles or profanes or is unwashed shall ever enter it, nor anyone who commits abominations (unclean, detestable, morally repugnant things) or practices falsehood, but only those who are recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life (Revelation 21:8 & 27).
Those that practice lawlessness, who never received Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior through repentance, and those who have but refuse to opt out of sinful practices all the way, are in danger of the coming wrath of God. (Isaiah 30:33; Matthew 5:22, 7:13-14 & 21-23, 12:33-37, 13:24-42, 24:44-51, 25:1-46, John 3:16-21; Romans 1:18-32, 2:1-11, 8:1-13, Hebrews 10:26-31.) The Word of God admonishes us to, "kill (deaden, deprive of [all] power) the evil desire lurking in your members [those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin]: sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covetousness, for that is idolatry (the deifying of self and other created things instead of God). It is on account of these [very sins] that the [holy] anger of God is ever coming upon the sons [and daughters] of disobedience (those who obstinately are opposed to the divine will [of God]), among whom you also once walked, when you were living in and addicted to [such practices]. But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips! Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old (unregenerate) self with its evil practices, and have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remodeled into [fuller and more perfect knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it. ...Clothe yourselves therefore, as God's own chosen ones (His own (hand) picked representatives), [who are purified and holy and well-beloved (by God Himself), by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes with a good temper]. (Colossians 3:1-10 & 12.)
As you can see in Scripture, God has a standard for how we ought to live as Christian's, whether it is in our private time or in public. Every square inch of our lives must be infused with the implanted Word of God. If we want to be with Jesus, in the company of our heavenly Father and the angels, we must comply with His Word and obey His will. We must do so not out of religious duty but out of love and consideration for the One who paid a debt we ourselves were never fit to pay.
No Gray
Today's world and church cultures teach and believe we can live our lives in the gray and still gain eternal life. This belief and teaching is INCORRECT. Those who live in the gray will be spewed (expelled rapidly and forcibly) out of the mouth of God (Revelation 3:14-15). God wills that all people make a decision. Choose you this day whom you will serve, either God or Baal (the devil). (Joshua 24:15; 1Kings 18:21.)
So you see, there is no such place called purgatory or a state of limbo for the dead. There's no reincarnation or dying and that's just it. There is life after death and for many death after death. The Bible says in 2Corinthians 5:10-Amplified Version that, "We must all appear and be revealed as we are before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive [his pay] according to what he (or she) has done in the body, whether good or evil [considering what his purpose and motives have been, and what he (or she) has achieved, been busy with, and given himself (or herself) and his (or her) attention to accomplishing.
Unfortunately, we have veered away from teaching and preaching on the judgment of God after death, and to the misfortune of many, they are not ready to meet Jesus. Even worst, many don't know these dimensions even exist. Are we guilty of moving the ancient landmarks? Have we put more emphasis on this world than the life to come?
I am all for prosperity and good success. I believe these are eternal principles and benefits of the kingdom that should be taught regularly. However, I, also, believe one knowing their eternal fate is as equally as important, and there options should be communicated and the scales weighed.
Don't Die but Live
It is God's will that no man perish, but that all should turn to repentance (2Peter 3:9). I strongly encourage you to read 2Peter 3:1-10 slowly and have a Selah moment of meditation and reflection, asking God to unveil the seriousness of eternal life and eternal destruction and your state of life at the moment. One must choose life over death for his or herself. When you choose life, you choose to reflect Jesus Christ in your everyday life. As He was dead to sin, you, too, must willingly choose to die to sin and destructive habits daily.
God's Just Judgment
Now, I have heard many question the soverignty of God and His judgments. Expressing their frustrations they say things like, "How could a loving God who is good punish people by sending them to hell and eternal fire? Yes, God is all powerful, and as a righteous judge who judges on the basis of His Word, He has every right to punish the wicked. But the truth is God allows eternal destruction to befall those who refuse to repent, believe in Jesus Christ and/or resist the Word of God and the Holy Spirit who reveals it (John 3:16-19, 12:56-48, Hebrews 10:26-31). The truth is, we seal our own fate, rather good or bad. God just makes sure it is carried out.
You might feel a heavy conviction right now. That conviction is apt to turn your heart in the direction of Jesus and out of the way of sin leading to death and tornment. Look, it is not my job nor my conviction to judge you, but it is my conviction to warn you to flee the coming wrath of God and compel you to receive Jesus into your heart. Because when you do, and you decide to truly trust and obey Him, you will have eternal life.
Isn't that Good News? I do believe it is!
-KINGDOM BUILDING UNITED-
(Promoting the Good News of Jesus Christ around the globe)
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