There are many people
who still believe that life is one never-ending party. We have
friends to meet, places to go, and things to get. We seek
constant amusement in the pursuit of happiness. We need
non-stop activity to fill the emptiness inside, to fight the
boredom that surrounds us. Drugs, alcohol, immoral sex, money,
and rock and roll are some of the most popular choices in this
never-ending party called life. We don't want to think about
the fact that the party will end.
However, there is an
enemy to all this fun and excitement. It is death. We
all--you--have an appointment with death and eternity. "It is
appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews
9:27).
Yes, you have a
God-given eternal soul which will spend eternity somewhere
when the party is over. Where you will be in eternity may not
matter to you right now. The thought of facing a sin-hating
Holy God is a subject you probably avoid at all cost. But, you
see, the Creator who put you here for His purpose has been
trying to speak to you, and you just keep on partying as if
this life is all there is--as if there is no life after death.
There are things that
God would like to tell you before you die, because once your
"party" is over it will be too late. He wants to speak to you
directly from His Word, the Bible. The Bible contains all the
information you need to prepare for life after death.
God's Word declares,
"For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders,
adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
These are the things which defile a man" (Matthew
15:19,20). We see in
Scripture that we are all unclean in God's sight because of
sin. You may not think that you are a hell-deserving sinner.
After all, there probably is no God. Right? Wrong!
God is real. God is
holy and He hates sin. Sin will keep you from being with God
in heaven for eternity. Unless you receive God's forgiveness
for sin, God's Word reveals that you will die in an unclean,
unforgiven state. Because of your choice, you will spend
eternity in hell with all of the other people who refused
God's mercy.
"That's okay--all my
party friends will be there too," you may think. Yes, sadly,
they will join you there too, but the thick blackness of
"outer darkness" will separate you from each other (see
Matthew 22:13).
What other choice is
there? There is one.
Ephesians 2:4
tells us something about God that maybe
you did not know: "God, who is rich in mercy, for His great
love wherewith He loved us." Yes, even though you have lived a
life bound by sin and selfishness far away from God, He loves
you very much. Because He loves you and desires to have you
with Him in heaven, God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ,
to the awful cross at Calvary some 2000 years ago.
"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"
(John
3:16). The Lord Jesus
provided payment for our sin debt, the death penalty we
deserve, by bearing God's wrath there on that cross and dying.
We now can receive God's forgiveness for our sins by seeing
ourselves as God sees us--as hopelessly lost sinners,
undeserving of the pure home of God in heaven where there is
no sin.
Will you agree with
God that you are a sinner? Will you believe that Jesus Christ
died for your sins and then rose again according to the
Scriptures? (1
Corinthians 15:3,4).
Perhaps you will say,
"I have partied too much. How do I know if Jesus will receive
a sinner like me?" Jesus said, "Him that cometh to Me I will
in no wise cast out" (John
6:37). "Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners" (1
Timothy 1:15).
Call upon the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ today, confessing to Him that you are a
sinner and trusting Him as your Saviour. Precious soul, this
may be your last call. Do not delay your answer.
"Behold, NOW is the
accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation" (2
Corinthians 6:2).
--Gary Pace