Inspired by a YouTube video originally posted by: Johnny Anonymous YouTube Channel
All Bible Verses are taken from the
New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995).
This message is for everyone; however, it is mainly intended
for anyone living without Jesus Christ. The message contains
an extremely important subject that can affect and determine
your
eternity.
eternity (noun)
eter-ni-ty
1. :the quality of state of being eternal
2. :infinite time. Lasting throughout eternity
3. eternities plural: AGE sense 3b
4. :the state after death: IMMORTALITY
5. :a seemingly endless or immeasurable time an eternity of delays
The topic is very serious and serves as a
warning to those who do not believe in Jesus Christ, while
serving as a promise to those who do believe in Jesus Christ.
When talking with people about God, it is usually easy to pick out the atheists. It's the person(s) that ask the number one question atheists ask; why would a loving God send people to hell? My answer to them is, God doesn't send anyone to hell. People send themselves, by their own volition, to the place called hell. God simply, accepts their decision.
This message talks about free-will. There are some people,
including myself at times, that say free-will is just an
illusion. If God is truly omniscient than He already
knows what decision(s) we are going to make in any
situation. That statement also feeds into the very
controversial topic of
predestination.
These topics are far beyond what I want to talk about and
much too philosophical for this message. One day I might
take up this topic in another message, but for now, there
is a lot of information on the Internet for those who want
to dig into these topics.
Everyone God has ever created has been given free-will. That free-will gives everyone the ability to act at their own discretion without constraint. Free-will allows us to make our own decisions. In this message I will be defining, “Free-will” in the context of one's personal choice to accept or reject Jesus Christ. His acceptance or rejection is our decision.
According to the online Cambridge dictionary,
free-will is defined as:
1. The ability to decide what to do independently of any outside influence.
2. The ability to act and make choices independent of any outside influence.
Also:
https://www.britannica.com/search?query=free+will
A modern day example of free will, without getting
philosophical, could be something like this. You merge onto
an expressway, and instead of driving at the posted speed
limit of 65 mph, you choose to drive 120 mph. When driving
at 55 mph over the posted speed limit, it is a reasonable
expectation that you will see red & blue lights flashing in
your rear-view mirror. You have accepted that possibility
because you chose to break the law by driving at 55 mph over
the speed limit. No one influenced you to make the choice
to speed, you chose to speed. The consequences of your
choice will most likely earn you an enormous fine, maybe
your license will be revoked, maybe you could end up going
to jail for reckless driving, and maybe your car will be
impounded, or any or all of these consequences.
When you merged onto the expressway, you had the choice to
drive the speed limit or drive at a high rate of speed.
Because you chose to speed, you might receive some new
jewelry as a prize; silver bracelets that need a key to
remove them. You might get a new wardrobe; an orange jumpsuit
with rubber slippers. And/or you could be eating a cuisine
of bread and butter while sitting in a jail cell. Had you
made the other choice and chose to drive at the posted speed
limit you most likely would have never been pulled over and
after exiting the expressway would have been at home eating
dinner and relaxing in front of the TV or reading a good
book. There were two destination and you could have picked
either one; the decision was yours to make.
In like manner, we all have a choice to accept or reject Jesus. What happens if you reject Jesus Christ? Rejecting Jesus Christ, means choosing to be separated from His and God's presence; a spiritual separation. The Bible teaches that God is the source of life, light, and goodness. Rejecting Him, leads to spiritual separation and darkness. In the gospel of John, Jesus is speaking in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6 (NASB1995). Isaiah 59:2 says, But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. Isaiah 59:2 (NASB1995) Rejecting God's gift of salvation through Jesus Christ brings about eternal separation and severed communication with God.
In relation to the choice you need to make, a lifetime of missed opportunities for salvation and the ultimate rejection of God, means missing out on the opportunity to experience forgiveness, redemption, and eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Matthew 25:46 (in context) “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:46 (NASB1995) records the words of Jesus, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” John 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36 (NASB1995) states, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Imperfect people (us), cannot dwell in a perfect place
(heaven). Both have to be equal, and believing in Jesus
Christ makes us perfect in His eyes. It's a simple “yes” or
“no” question.
Do you believe in Jesus Christ?
Whatever your answer, there is a place prepared for those who answer “yes”, and there is a place prepared for those who answer “no”. So, if there are any atheists reading this: You are correct, God is a loving God, but He is also a just God who provides two drastically different destinations for two different choices. But please remember, the choice you make, will send you to one of those two places.
So...what happens if you reject Jesus Christ? Without going into
great detail, you will not live where He will be. You will be
eternally separated from Him. You will live somewhere else for
all eternity, and the Bible states over and over again, it is a
place you will not want to be. There are hundred's of video's
and articles on the Internet that go into much greater detail
on this place you do not want to be. A place called hell.
Actually, the bible and Jesus talked more about hell then it/He
does about heaven. That should tell us how serious it is not to
go there.
However, there is another place, beyond your ability to conceive.
A place prepared for those who make the choice to believe in
Jesus Christ. A “paradise” that contains sounds that have never
been heard, and unimaginable things that man has never seen
(1 Corinthians 2:9)
but just as it is written, "Things which eye has not seen
and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart
of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him."
1 Corinthians 2:9 (NASB1995)
, and that destination is accessible only to those who believe
in Jesus Christ. His promise to those who believe, is stated
in His own words,
John 14:3
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am,
there ye may be also.” John 14:3 (NASB1995)
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come
again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am,
there ye may be also.”
17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. John 3:17-18.
Some might be uncomfortable with this next statement, maybe due to the raw nature of it, the take-it or leave-it effect that it implies, the finality that it encompasses, or the sheer simplicity of it; but to present it any other way, would bring unnecessary complexity and dilute the seriousness of it.” The statement is this…If you reject Jesus Christ, you will live in hell for all eternity. Conversely, if you believe in Jesus Christ, you will live in Heaven for all eternity. It's that simple, it's Biblical, and it is a choice given by God and made by you, and that's it.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16
