Good morning,
Last week I walked the fine line between heaven and hell. While visiting a hospitalized senior, we spoke about the need to trust Jesus as Savior and Lord.
He had been taught well as a youth. He knew many Scripture verses by heart. He realized the consequences of not accepting Christ. After his youth, he traveled in company that pulled him away from God. When asked, he responded that he had never trusted Christ to be his Savior.
He was struggling with making the decision to follow Christ.
The Bible states, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:10-12)
The forces of Satan and the forces of God were vying for this man’s life. The consequences would determine where he would spend eternity, heaven or hell.
Unfortunately, the resolution of this matter will only be known by God. This man passed into eternity yesterday.
This then is the essence of our existence, whether we will spend eternity in heaven or hell. We choose. All our good works are for the burning without Christ.
As the Scripture verses below indicate, we have a choice to choose life with God or death without God.
Deuteronomy 30:15-16 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: 20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
Proverbs 11:19 As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.
Proverbs 14:27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus Christ gives life. When He died on the cross for our sins, resurrected from the dead, and ascended into heaven, He made a way for us to go from death to life.
Let us consider the pros and cons.
PROS: Good, walking with the Lord, knowing and obeying His commandments, may multiply, blessings, may dwell in the land, righteousness, fear of the Lord, everlasting life, reconciliation to God, and salvation.
CONS: Evil, cursing, snares, condemnation, and sin.
The preponderance of evidence is on the side of LIFE.
Your choice. CHOOSE LIFE!
If you are interested in being saved and going from death to life, please call or email me.
Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001
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