Would you consider yourself to be a good person? Good enough to go to heaven?
Do you think you have kept(that is, have you followed) the ten commandments?
If so, then answer these questions honestly and carefully:
1. Have you ever told a lie? Even if it was a little “white lie”.
2. Have you ever stolen anything? Regardless of the value of the item. Even if it was one 5 cent piece of bubble gum from the gas station.
3. Have you ever used God’s name as a curse word or to express disgust?
4. Have you ever made a god in your mind to suit yourself? Have you ever had any idols? A god that tolerates ‘white’ lies or a fib here and there? A god that won’t send anyone to hell? Any other god to suit yourself? If your God isn’t the God revealed in the Bible, than it’s a false god, an idol.
5. Have you ever seen something that someone else had and thought, “I wish I had something like that. I wish I could afford the stuff they get.” This is called coveting. And the Bible also says that covetousness is Idolatry, which is a violation of the 2nd commandment, so you’d also have to say yes to question number 4.
6. Have you ever disobeyed your parents? You may have forgotten the sins of your youth, but God hasn’t.
7. Have you ever hated anyone? God sees hatred as murder. See 1st John 3:15.
8. Have you ever looked at another person with lust? God sees that as adultery. See Matthew 5:28.
If you have done any of these things, then by your admissions, you’re a lying, thieving, blaspheming, coveting, idol worshipping, rebellious, murderer and adulterer at heart(select all that apply). And these are just 8 of the Ten Commandments, found in Exodus 20 in the old testament of the Bible!
So, if on Judgement Day, God judges you based on the 10 commandments, do you think you’re going to be found innocent or guilty?
You might say that you don’t believe in God. Your unbelief in God’s existence doesn’t change anything. That would be like someone standing in the middle of a freeway with a truck coming along and saying “I don’t believe in trucks.” Or someone walking towards the edge of a cliff and saying “I don’t believe in gravity.” That wouldn’t change reality. Same thing with God. Your lack of belief in God doesn’t change the fact that He exists.
But you say, “the world just happened by accident. Everything happened by evolution.” Well, what about a building? Does a building just build itself or appear by accident? No, somebody built the building. We can’t see, touch, or smell the builder, but the building is proof that there was a builder. A painting is the same way. The paints didn’t just form themselves and jump onto the canvas and form the paining. No, someone painted the painting. Another example is a can of coca-cola. The sweet, brown liquid didn’t just evolve from water over a period of time, gather the ingredients that make it up on it’s own, and then jump into a can, which in turn painted itself red, black, and white, and write on itself “Coca-Cola Classic. 12 ounces.” No, someone designed the coca-cola can. We can’t smell, see, or touch the painter, the builder, or the coca-cola can designer, but we know that someone painted the painting. By the same token, we humans didn’t just come about by accident or evolve from apes. No, we humans were made by Someone, and that Someone is God Almighty.
Well, you say, “I’ve done more good things than bad in my life”. That doesn’t matter. If you were in a trial of court for commiting a crime, would the Judge let you off just because you had done many good things before the trial? No. He would still punish you for commiting the crime. That’s because the law would require you to pay a penalty for the crime.
But, you might say “God is a good God, and He wouldn’t send anyone to hell.”
What would happen if you said in an earthly court, “Judge, I believe that you’re a good man, and I’m trusting that your goodness will convince you to let me go.”
The Judge, if He was a good judge, would say “You’re right about one thing. I am a good judge, and BECAUSE I’m a good judge, I’m going to see that you’re punished for your crimes.”
By the same token, God’s law still requires that a penalty be paid. And God’s goodness, the very thing people trust to save them on Judgment day, will be the very thing that condemns them, as God will satisfy His Law’s requirements for punishment. And just in case you are wondering what that punishment is, it is eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire, where the fire is NEVER quenched and the worm dieth not. It is a place of wailing and gnashing of teeth. And the really bad thing about it is, the suffering in the Lake of Fire will never end. Never. You will beg for a drop of water to cool your tongue, and you won’t get it. It is a place of unspeakable torment.
Now, before you start rambling about God being unjust, remember that God is a righteous and Holy God, and He cannot allow sin to go unpunished. God doesn’t look at some sins and wink at them and say, “it’s OK this time.” No, God takes sin very seriously. God CANNOT tolerate sin.
Like, for example, if someone is given a $5 fine for a crime, we would think it was insignificant. But if they’re given several life sentences or the death penalty, then we would think their crime was serious. With that in mind, you can get a picture of how seriously God takes sin.
However, what if during that trial, what if someone you didn’t even know came into the court room and took the punishment for you so that you could be set free from the penalty of the crime? Wouldn’t you feel a great since of gratitude towards that person?
That’s what Jesus Christ did for you when he was crucified 2000 or so years ago for your sins and for your transgression of God’s law. He took the punishment for you so that you wouldn’t have to be punished for your sins. All you have to do is accept God’s forgiveness by accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior!
So, before you go to bed tonight, why not get right with God today? You might not have another chance. You don’t know when your time on Earth is going to be up. And if you die in your sins without accepting God’s mercy, you’ll have to face the Judgement of God, and with your sins still in the books, there will be no hope on that great and terrible day. But you don’t have to die in your sins, and God doesn’t want you to, either. He is not willing that any perish, but rather, he wants all to come to repentance. So, why not get right with God now while you still have a chance?
If you want to make a decision to accept Jesus Christ as the atonement for your sins, then sincerely pray this prayer:
“God, I admit that I am a sinner and that I have broken your law. I realize that I am lost without God and that I’m headed towards a terrible judgement. However, God, today I confess my sins to you and I want to be right with you. I know that I alone cannot pay the debt that I owe for my sins. I believe with all my heart that your son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross to pay my sin debt for me, and was resurrected on the third day and now sits at the right hand of God the Father. I ask today that Jesus Christ be the Lord and Savior of my life, and I turn from my sins. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.” If you just prayed that prayer, and sincerely meant it, then you are now adopted into the Family of God, on your way to the splendor of heaven. To start out your Christian life, I would suggest that you pray to God, read your bible every day, and get into a good Bible-teaching Church.
To Help Start Our your Christian Walk, here are some good sites
www.livingwaters.com/articles_growth.shtmlwww.wayofthemaster.com/
