You have sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard. I have, too.
The fact is, there is no one who hasn’t sinned. Not even that sweet, kind, loving grandma or grandpa that everyone adores.
We all fall short of God’s glorious standard because we simply can’t meet it in our own power.
It is God’s desire that we be holy as He is holy, that we never lie, envy, steal, or be gluttonous. He longs for us to choose the right responses when we’re angry. He wants us to obey all His commandments to remain in right standing with Him.
We cannot. He knew that when He made us. It came as no surprise to Him. Don’t imagine that he came up with the plan of salvation as an answer to a surprise happening. Scripture tells us that Jesus is the Lamb of God who was slain from the foundation of the world. Before God even formed the Earth, the plan was for Jesus to walk it, live sinlessly, then die on the cross for sinners like us.
God knew we would sin. He knew that sin would separate us from His presence. He knew. And it broke His heart. He longs for us to love Him and want Him, to be in that right standing with Him, so He made a way.
See, the penalty for choosing to reject Him, to choose gods other than Him, is to spend eternity separated from Him. While those who choose Him will spend eternity in His presence, those who reject Him will know nothing of His presence.
What’s that mean? It means spending forever in a place where God is not. We don’t get that, because He is here in this world we walk around in. His presence is known through those who truly bear His name. In hell, the place created for the devil and his angels, God is not. Nothing of Him exists. No goodness, gentleness, no self-control. No kindness, no love, no peace, no life. Only death forever. Chaos reigns.
In short, for believers, the only hell we will experience is here on Earth, and that’s not even a real taste. For those who reject God, this Earth is all the heaven they will experience, and that’s actually an incredible taste, because the milk of human kindness is actually provided by God. Every ounce of love, peace, joy, kindness, patience, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control is born from God and will not exist in the rejection of Him.
Friend, if you’ve chosen to reject God so far in your life, I ask you to reconsider that decision. I ask you to look at whatever goodness exists in your life, from the food on your table to the people around it, from the kindness of a nurse’s touch to the smile of a child and determine if you’re really willing to give that up forever.
Believer, if you’re not telling your friends, family, and others you have relationships with about this truth, why not? If you care about someone, share with them the truth of what entering eternity while rejecting the Almighty means.
As long as there is breath in your lungs, my friend, you can choose Him. Please, do so today. Please.
Coffee, Bible, Journal.
