By action or inaction when it comes to eternal life or death, each person is going somewhere sooner or later. According to God’s Word in the Holy Scriptures, when a person’s life is up, that person is going to a literal place depending on the decision they have made – some to Heaven and Glory with the Lord, and some to eternal damnation or separation from God.
There are so many scriptural references to these; I will just give a couple for each.
John 3:15 “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
John 5:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believe on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
Mark 3:29 “But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.”
Jude 7 “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”
They are right there in the Bible for all to see and understand, so you are without excuse; God gives you the opportunity to decide for yourself. God gave mankind his life’s manual or resource book, the Bible, to obey for living “life abundantly,” if you choose him instead of the world’s ways. Otherwise, you are on your own. His ways and precepts are perfect along with the Ten Commandments that hold all of us accountable.
As the new saying is today, “You can’t make this stuff up.” Of course not; it’s already been written up by God in the beginning before the world was brought forth, and His word cannot be changed, edited, or deleted. You see, we naturally rebel against his word and authority. This is called sin.
“All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
Notice the word “all” – past, present, and future. All need a Saviour – not a spirit guide, human leader, idol, or god of any kind – just the Risen Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
This is the real decision a person has to make, and it is forever. Everyone will stand before God one day (as we count time). Salvation is simple; just repent of your sins, and believe the Gospel. That Gospel is the Word of God and also Jesus.
Mark 1:1 “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
Yes, there are many gods and religions, faiths, humanistic beliefs, denominations, and the list goes on. But there is only one true living God, and Jesus Christ {Yeshua in Hebrew} is the only begotten Son of God. Faith in Christ is what leads to eternal life. Look at the last book in the Bible (in Revelation, chapters 21 and 22) and see if you can’t get excited about what’s in store for you soon if you are in Christ.
Do you know that even young children can understand the Bible? The 1611 King James Version, we are told, is written on a 5th or 6th grade level. It is supposedly difficult to understand due to the earlier English-style language they used. Don’t believe that; trust in the Holy Spirit to lead you.
The KJV we have now is the 1769 version that was corrected and updated at that time for grammatical errors (typo’s, with some verses repeated due to human errors by the printer) in using the old typeset in those days. The context and original Scriptural words are still in place. Remember the Gutenberg printing press? You can read the history of the King James Bible, but this is an article for another time.
Children younger than that understand the Gospel message of salvation. Many children place their trust in Christ as young as seven or eight years of age; my wife is one who was in that group. No matter how old you are, you can join the group of believers that will reign and serve with Jesus throughout all eternity. We don’t know what that will be like, but it will be something that none of us can explain here. It’s not given in Scripture.
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Simple really.
I hope you make a decision today, because you don’t know when your time will be up. It’s possible that you will be here when the Rapture comes, and the only way to go in it is if you know the Lord. The ones that don’t will have to try to endure the Tribulation period that’s coming after the Rapture, and that is not good. Look at other articles that cover this here at R/R. Please don’t delay and take a chance by doing it your own way. Life is too short for theatrics, as they say.
I am writing this article to be encouraging to you, not to throw you “under the bus.” God alone is Judge, and I am just sharing what He has given me to write in a loving way. Sometimes truth is tough and it hurts, but it cleanses and renews us.
Clay Smith
All Scripture is from the King James Bible