Where Will You Spend Eternity?

 "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment," (Hebrews 9:27)

"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!" (Luke 12:4-5)

It goes without saying that every individual will pass away one day. No one can avoid that day. Possessions, status, education, ethnicity, colour, creed, beliefs, wealth, poverty, etc will not prevent that day from happening. In other words, one day our earthly journey will come to an end. Some people think death is the end of the journey, other claim they believe in reincarnation, others claim they believe in Heaven and they are adamant that they will enter Heaven on their own terms. Wow! It might be an interesting and comforting thought but deep down we all know that cannot happen. We do not have control of Heaven and we cannot get into Heaven on our own terms. We need a pass, visa or permit for admission into Heaven. Don't we? Yes, we do. Now, this raises another question. If we need permission to enter Heaven, who owns Heaven and what conditions must we fulfill? 

In the world we live in, it is not lawful to get into a country without the necessary permits. Even citizens of nations have to tender their passports. A genuine passport is evidence of one's citizenship of a country or nation. In Mathew 5:34-36, Jesus said something very interesting, 

"But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black."

Jesus said Heaven is God's throne. In other words, God is in charge of Heaven; He decides who will be admitted. Screaming, jumping up and down, personal beliefs, so-called sophistication, intellectualism, business acumen, likeability, healthy living, prudence and even being law abiding will not work in our favour as far as admission into Heaven is concerned. Only those who are walking in holiness and righteousness (according to God's standards) can enter Heaven. We can only enter Heaven when we fulfil God's standards for entry. Jesus said,

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3)

To be admitted into Heaven, one must be born again. The only other destination after death is hell and that is a place you do not want to go to; it is not a place where you would want your worst enemy to go either. It is simply a terrible place and people who end up there are solely responsible for their fate. Why? Because if one lives on this earth without consideration for God, the person will get their wish or desire when they die - a life without God. In hell, God is absent which is why it is such a terrible place. 

One may ask, why bring up such a dark subject? Hmmm, don't you think it is important to talk about your final destination in life especially when it depends on your life here on earth? The fact that our final destination (Heaven or hell) depends to a large extent on us should really make us ponder seriously about it. Talking about hell, Jesus described it this way in Mark 9:44,

"If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—where ‘Their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched."

The idea here is that in hell there is everlasting torment while in Heaven, there is eternal bliss. God is so good and fair that He warns us of the possibilities facing us and the options we have. The question is, what would you go for? Remember, when that day comes - the day of death - there is no reversal, no postponement, no annulment, no pausing, no suspension. That day will come with such irreversible finality that no demon in hell or the devil himself can thwart or eradicate. For all of us our days and nights are predetermined. Jesus said in John 9:4, 

"I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work."

For each of us, the night is coming sooner or later. ARE YOU PREPARED FOR THAT DAY? It is important to state at this point that once in hell, there is no return. The sojourn in hell is not temporary, it is everlasting. After a billion years would have elapsed, life in hell will just be starting. What a horrific existence!

This brings us to the question, what can we do to be saved from such a horrible destiny? We need to get right with God. The answer lies in Jesus.  He said in John 14:6

"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." 

This statement is definitive and authoritative. Jesus declared that He is the Way, the only Way to God. If you want to go to Heaven, you must go through Jesus. You cannot bypass Him, you cannot bulldoze your way through, you cannot argue your way through, neither can you pull a fast one on Jesus. You see, Jesus knows all about you because He is God the Son and the Son of God (John1:1). Hallelujah!

Will you come to Jesus today? The Gospel is the good news about Jesus, how He came down from Heaven, took upon Himself the form of man (Philippians 2:5-8), was crucified and died on the cross of Calvary, was buried and then rose from the dead on the third day. Jesus is alive today and His tomb is empty. Hear what Apostle Paul writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit said,

"For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve." (1 Corinthians 15:3-5)

Jesus invites everyone to come to Him. He loves you unconditionally and that's why He died for you on the cross of Calvary. Everyone on earth is born a sinner (because Adam and Eve, our ancestors sinned against God) and without Jesus no one can be saved from the power and bondage of sin. Jesus came to save.

Rom. 5:8; Eph. 2:4; 2 Thess. 2:16; (1 John 4:9, 10; Rev. 1:5)"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

These powerful Words of Jesus are true and give us certain hope. God loves you so much and wants you to have everlasting life. Jesus is the Messiah, in Him there is salvation, abundant life, joy and peace, hope and strength for tomorrow and everlasting life culminating in eternity with God in Heaven. Glory be to God. What this means is that to be born again, one must repent of one's sins and receive Jesus as personal Lord and Saviour (John 1:12)

I pray that as you humble yourself and receive God's Word today receiving Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour or rededicating your life to Him, that the joy, peace and assurance of salvation will be your portion in Jesus' Name. With Jesus in and with you by the power of the Holy Spirit, you cannot fail. Have a blessed day.