It seems some folk have the impression that they can continually ignore God and they will continue to be ok. That when all is said and done, God is a God of love and so we will all wind up in a “better” place. That, friends, is not the complete truth. God is a God of love, but there is more to the story than that.
When Adam and Eve took a bite of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, that separated all men from God. Now, all men were and are condemned to Hell (yes, literal Hell, there is such a place). So, God, being a God of love planned an escape for all of mankind to be able get to and have communion with God. He devised a plan for His Son to come to earth in a sinless manner (immaculate conception), live a sinless life (which could only be lived by a sinless being), die (from no fault of His own), be buried, conquer death and the grave. Thus, providing the means for all men to come back to Him – through the belief in His Son and the sacrifice that had been made for the sins of all.
The problem is, God had given man this pesky free will. The will that lets each of us decide whether we believe in Him or not. There’s the rub! The majority of mankind would rather believe in the exploits of mankind, and if he does believe in an afterlife, we will all be in some sort of communal, tribal thing where everyone gets everything he ever wanted. The others, who do not believe in an afterlife, just think that it will all be over upon death and that will be their end. So, they just try to get things and stuff here that they can leave to their heirs and/or have a good old time while they are here.
Are you one of those that believe everyone will go to Heaven, that everything will be good for everyone when it is all over. Or, are you on the side of the fence of atheism and believe nothing? God, through men, tried to send you some messages, some smoke-signals,as it were. Throughout the Bible he told of the coming of Jesus, he told of Jesus entire life and death. He told of the choices people would have to make in the end. He told of Heaven, and what it would be like to live there (at least, the Apostle John tried to write about Heaven, but was so overwhelmed he could not describe how beautiful it was). God not only told about Heaven, but for those of you who are on the fence or do not believe in Hell at all, he also told about what would happen if you choose not to believe. See Ezekiel 7:3-4:
“Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompence upon thee all thine abominations. And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thine ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the LORD”.
So, God said from the beginning that it would happen – judgement. But he provided a way that you could be spared – through the sinless sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have and advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
“And he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whold world.”
1 John 2:1-2
AE
I think 2020 is the first year many people slowed down enough to think about their own mortality. They thought that if they contracted corona virus they could die. They began to look to the scientists, and the government officials in charge to save them. They followed the CDC guidelines to the letter, and they worried that if they slipped up in any way they would get sick and die, or that they might somehow infect others and be responsible for the death of a loved one. I understand where that level of fear could come from. Especially if you’ve never really thought much about what would happen when you die. If death is a new thought for you don’t try to block it out but really dwell on it. What happens when I die? It’s one of the most important questions you will ever ask yourself.
There was a man named Nicodemus who had questions as well. Read what Jesus told Nicodemus about being born again.
1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
If you have never put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ you can do that today. It will give you perfect peace and you will never regret it. Turn to him today.
GA
Voice of the Introverts 