| Both the Bible
and experience remind us that death is certain.
"...It is
appointed for men to die once, but after this the
judgment." (Hebrews 9:27)
The judgment
will take place when Jesus returns, and He has described it:
"When the
Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him,
then He will sit on the throne of His glory. And all the nations
will be gathered before Him, and he will separate them one from
another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He
will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the
left." (Matt. 25:31-33)
These two groups
will go forth to vastly different destinations.
HELL
"Then He
will also say to those on the left hand, `Depart from Me, you
cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his
angels.'" (Matthew 25:41)
"It is
better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than
having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire -- `where their worm
does not die and the fire is not quenched.'" (Mark 9:47-48)
"But the
cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral,
sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the
lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second
death." (Revelation 21:8)
"Let no one
deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the
wrath of God comes on the sons of disobedience." (Ephesians
5:6)
The warning of
this last verse is appropriate for our times. Hell is a joke,
considered no more than a mild by-word, in our generation. Even
among those who claim to be Christians, there are many who
insist that God is "too good" to send men to hell. To
questions hell, however, is to question the goodness of God, for
God is also too good to lie. Jesus said:
"These will
go away into everlasting punishment." (Matthew 25:46)
One who believes
in Jesus must believe that this is true. The way to hell is easy
and popular.
"Wide is
the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and
there are many who go in by it." (Matthew 7:13)
One does not
have to do wicked things to go to hell. He may go to hell by
failing to take the way to heaven. The Bible describes the end
of the world when -
"The Lord
Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming
fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those
who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These will
be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of
the Lord and from the glory of His power." (2 Thessalonians
1:7-9)
HEAVEN
Man was not
created to spend eternity in hell, but to walk with God in
paradise (Genesis 2:7-9). When man lost his home in Eden through
sin, God set in motion a plan of redemption by which he may be
forgiven and enjoy a home that is even better than Eden.
John the apostle
was given a vision of this new paradise:
"Then I,
John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of
heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice out of heaven saying, `Behold the
tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and
they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and
be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;
there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there
shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed
away.'"(Revelation 21:2-4)
This is the
paradise to which the King will summon those on His right hand,
saying,
"Come, you
blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world." (Matthew 25:34)
But the sad fact
is that few will enter this heavenly paradise.
"Because
narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life,
and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:14)
JESUS
IS THE WAY
Those who will
enter the heavenly rest after judgment are those who die in
Jesus, for He is THE WAY.
"And I
heard a voice from heaven saying to me, `Write: Blessed are the
dead who die in the Lord from now on.' `Yes', says the Spirit,
`that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow
them.'" (Revelation 14:13)
If we wish to be
among those who die in the Lord, we must establish that
relationship with Him while we live. This is not accomplished by
merely calling Him "Lord", but by obeying God's will
as revealed through Him. He has warned us:
"Not
everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom
of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in
heaven." (Matthew 7:21)
We have already
learned that the will of the Father for those who believe in
Jesus is that they should repent of their sins and be baptized
into Christ.
"For as
many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on
Christ." (Galatians 3:27)
"And now
why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your
sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16)
Baptism is only
the beginning. God requires a life of faithfulness to Him.
"And you
will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to
the end will be saved." (Matt. 10:22)
"Blessed
are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right
to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the
city." (Revelation 22:14)
Having been
baptized into Christ and living as He directs, we can be sure
that are in the way to heaven. If we are not in Christ, we are
not in the way for, as the text of this series assures us, He is
the only way.
CAN
YOU ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?
Please read the
following Scriptures in your own Bible, then answer the
questions.
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Last revised:
February 22, 2007 . |
