Eternal Life

There is one inescapable fact of life that everyone must face regardless of age, race, creed or social circumstances. That fact of life is…death.

One day you will die. However, this will not be the end of your existence. Regardless of your religious belief, your spirit will live on forever. The question is: where will your spirit reside?

God has created two, and only two, destinations for the human spirit. Those two places are Heaven and Hell. The throne of God resides in Heaven. Those who dwell there will live for eternity in the presence of the Creator of all things. The Bible tells us there is no more sorrow in Heaven. Hell is a place of eternal torment and agony created for the Devil and his angels.

There is a story in the Bible that describes one man’s experience in Hell. It reads like this:

“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Luke 16:19-31

Notice a few things about the rich man:

• He was in torment.
• He knew who he was, where he came from and who he was related to.
• He could see Heaven from his place in Hell, but he could not get there.

What kind of a God could be so cruel?
Many people think God must be cruel to create such a place for man, but it is not true. Hell was not created for man, Hell was created for the Devil and his angels, who rebelled against God and were cast out of Heaven.

"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;” Matthew 25:41

Man makes a conscious choice to go there by rejecting God.

You see, the entire human race has descended from Adam and Eve (Genesis chapter 1). No, it’s not a fairytale, it is the truth, and because Adam and Eve sinned against God, they brought death into the world. Before the sin of Adam the world had not known death.

With death came eternal separation from God; Hell. Because each of us is descended from Adam and Eve, we have all inherited a sin nature. There is no escaping it, you are sinful from birth and doomed to Hell if left to your own means.

“For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;” – Romans 3:23

“But I’m a good person!” you say. Really? Here’s a simple test to see how good you are:

1. Have you ever lied?
2. Have you ever stolen anything?
   (Be honest, even something small or intangible like time)
3. Have you ever committed adultery?
   (Remember the Bible teaches that if you even look upon a woman (or man) and have lustful thoughts you are guilty of adultery (Matthew 5:28))

So, the chances are good, if you were honest, that you have just admitted you are a lying, stealing, adulterer at heart. This is a far cry from the perfection that is required to enter Heaven.

However, God, in His infinite mercy has provided a means by which each of us can be saved from the torment of Hell. That Saviour is Jesus Christ.

The Bible tells us that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary. His father is God Himself, as a matter of fact, Jesus is God, incarnate. That is, God living as a man. Therefore, Jesus did not inherit the sin nature of Adam. He lived a sinless and perfect life. Then, He willingly laid down His life as a sacrifice for our sin. In doing so, He received the full wrath of God for all the sins that have ever been committed. The price has been paid in full. In other words, Jesus paid the price for our sin so that we can go to Heaven.

“For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

That’s not the end of the story, however. After three days Jesus rose from the dead and is living today. He ascended into Heaven and is now sitting at the right hand of God.

So, you see, God has provided an escape from the wrath of Hell through His Son Jesus Christ. Only those who reject the salvation provided by Christ will be cast into Hell and that of their own choosing. It is not God’s will that anyone go to Hell, we must choose to go there on our own by rejecting Jesus Christ.

“Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.” Matthew 18:14

What must I do to be saved?
You now know that you were born a sinner in need of a saviour. You know that one day you will die; there is no escape. You know that Hell is a place of endless torments from which there is no relief. You also know that Jesus Christ has already paid the penalty for your sin.

So what must you do to be saved? The same question was asked of Paul in the book of Acts. His response is recorded in Acts 16:31:

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,” Acts 16:31

That’s it. That is the secret to eternal life. Repent of your sins, turn from them and follow Jesus. Accept that He is your only hope for salvation and you shall be saved.

“if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

Now what?
If you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, you can be certain that you will be saved from the wrath of Hell. Jesus teaches that those whom the Father has given to Him cannot be snatched from His hand. However, He also teaches that we are to live new lives and turn from our sinful past. The way He tells us to do this is to fellowship with other Christians on a regular basis. Church is the best place for this. There you will receive regular teaching from the Bible and great fellowship with other believers.

On the other hand, if you have rejected God’s gift of free salvation through Jesus Christ, please seriously consider your fate. You cannot know the day or the hour that you will die and at that time, it will be too late. Your fate will be sealed and your destiny secured. You will live a life of eternal agony and pain. You can see now that the choice will be yours. You cannot blame God, He has offered you a better way through His Son Jesus Christ. Put your faith in Him today.

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