Part Five: The Choice: Heaven or Hell
The entire human family is important to God. He created us in His image. He does not want anyone of us to perish, and He will make Himself known to any genuine spiritual seeker. The Bible teaches that anyone who wishes to begin a spiritual journey to encounter the only true and living God can do so. Here are a few examples:
King David: “The LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.”
The prophet Isaiah: “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”
The prophet Jeremiah: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”
The apostle Paul: God “made the world and everything in it. . . . God did this so that [all people] would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.”
The author of Hebrews: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Jesus Christ: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (1 Chron. 28:9; Isa 55: 6-7; Jer. 29: 13 Acts 17: 24-27; Heb. 11:6; Rev. 3: 20, respectively.)
How do you begin a spiritual journey to eternal life in Heaven? Start by seeing yourself as God sees you. No one can stand before the holy Creator of the universe and claim they deserve entrance into Heaven because they lived a seamless moral life. If you are honest with yourself, you’ll quickly admit you are a sinner estranged from God and in need of forgiveness (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). Once you admit this, confess and repent (turn from) your sins, and ask God for forgiveness. Thank Jesus for taking the punishment you deserve for your sins by His sacrificial death on the cross. Then invite Him (“receive” Him) on faith to be your personal Lord and Savior (John 1: 12; Rom. 10:9). If you do this, you are now a member of God’s eternal family. If you don’t and reject Jesus, you’ve chosen Hell.
Next week will be the last of this blog series. We’ll see the eternal promises God has given to those who accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior—those that choose Heaven over Hell. (C)