Eternal Life Or Eternal Separation From God

We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.  

For He says:

“In an acceptable time I have heard you,

And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

We are a nation that glorifies the perverse, the impure,  the wicked reprobates  steeped deeply in their inequity. Those who do not know, and even hate the only true God demonstrated by their profane disobedience. Their hearts hardened, closed, dead to the things of God and their conscience seared with the hot iron of unbelief, to the truth that can set them free. They are those who will pass into the nascence of torment that is the second death. And likewise all  those  who practice the same, shall be condemned and will likewise inherit just retribution that now burns and laps at their feet.          

"And then they will go away to eternal punishment...." 

Where  the Gate of Flames awaits patiently, eternally  for all the sons of petition. (Rev. 20:15-17) 

As Jesus the Christ, the One mediator between God and all people said, "do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."     For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. But fools  despise wisdom and instruction.     “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

"I am the way, the truth, and the life no one comes to the father except through me."  (Matt. 25:46; 10:28; Proverbs 3:6; Matt 7:13-14; John 14:6) 

And his Apostles pleaded with those they spoke to "We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.  For He says:

“In an acceptable time I have heard you,

And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”

Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. you will be saved. 

In this is love. Not that we loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

....And the righteous to everlasting life. 

(John 14:6; 2 Cor 6:1-2; Matt. 11:28-30; Rom. 10:9; 1 John 4:10; Matt 25:46)

The World and It's Desires

 

                        For thus says the Lord, Who created the heavens,  Who is God,

                               Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it,

                            Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited:

                                                   “I am the Lord, and there is no other.

The only hope for this world is the Only Savior for this world. The One chosen by the Only architect of this world because He loved what He had designed and brought into existence though they doubted Him and sought their own rather than God's glory.  The God of Scripture is to this day sustaining and maintaining all things seen and unseen. Every second of everyday, all life that breathes and relies on the atmosphere surrounding this less than a speck in all the universe. He created it to be inhabited, by that whom He formed from the dust, to live and breathe and have their being.   How sad is the sorry state of humanity. Chasing after the things of this world, the false gods and goddesses themselves without life except through the feebile efforts of a pitiful hardened and lost race,  rather than the God who spoke them into existence. Things temporary soon passing away and back to dust again. As Time the great rust maker,  eats away and soon devours all. 

Rich... poor...known...unknown...brilliant...doltish...The sad epitaph for mankind is... "The End." The world of humanity says death is the natural way of things....It gives life meaning. The Word of God tells us mankind, represented in the garden by humanities first, chose to disobey and believe a lie....That they would be like God. And thus sin and death became a reality of this created order today. 

But God's promise of one who would bruise the head of the serpent of old who led humanity to this state, has come. The Word who was in the beginning with God and was God--His One and Only Son, in Whom God the Father is well pleased has come. The way out of humanities miserable state of slavery to sin and corruption to true freedom, justification, sanctification, perfection  and acceptance through the only one capable of delivering  us from our depraved state  and to a citizenship in heaven. Theanthropos--the God/Man.

 For though we inherited the predilection, the predisposition to transgress God. God in His mercy and His grace  through His One and Only eternal Son,  in whom He is well pleased, offers His people eternal life in the future new heavens and earth soon to come. It is where only the righteous, holy, and perfect may dwell. And that only comes through Jesus the Christ, who Himself never sinned because He Himself possesses the divine. 

God the Father tells us all, "Listen to Him."  Listen to the  Son, for He has God's Words, the Words of eternal life, peace,  fellowship, and acceptance with the creator of all.  All other paths to God, so called,  are deceptions from the father of lies who was a murderer from the beginning. And that only leads  those who follow, to  perish in eternal flames and everlasting destruction  from the presence of God and the glory of His power.     

(Scripture to consult: Is. 45:18; Acts 4:12;John 14:6; Gen 1:1-5; 2:7;  Ps. 115:1-8; 1 Cor 10:14;19-20; Gen. 3:1-24; Is. 7:14; 9:6; 53; Micah 5:2; John 1:1-5; 14:23-24; 1 Cor 6:9-11; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 John 4:10; Gal. 2:8-10; Titus 3:5; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; John 8:44; Matt. 10:28; 7:13-14; Rev. 20:11-15; 21:1-4; )    

The Glory of God In Creation

     

An Infinite universe? One on a panel observing this picture said what we are seeing is like a grain of sand. A grain of sand of all the beaches in all the world? That can rattle the brain. But the thought that just prehaps our material universe is infinite. Well that can literally blow your mind.  We simply can't fathom something without an end. To coin a phrase "it does not compute." 

     We live in a world of endings.  Novels, stories, films, tv shows, they all have an end. All life on this tiny small speck in a vast universe has an end. They say one day (about 4 billion years or so) the sun will have an end and cease to exist. And if still  around all life will perish on this tiny speck called earth. Whew, I am getting a head ache.

     As a believer that the God of Scripture created everything, literally spoke it out.  I believe the Word who was in the beginning with God and was God, is the One by whom all things were created that we see in that Webb telescope picture. All the stars, all the galaxies,  with billions upon billions of stars, like our sun. Even dark matter that can not be seen (things invisible  Col 1) And seeing in that picture, though ever so tiny, more galaxies, with even more billions upon billions of stars. We then begin to realize that the God of Scripture,  is far more glorious than our tiny pea brains can fathom. 

     But God has allowed us all to see more of that Glory. And think, that's just the material universe. I believe in a spiriutal realm (for scripture speaks of it)  a place called heaven, where  God is enthroned, ruling over all His material and spiritual realm. All of creation,  things visible and invisible,whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. And in Him, in Jesus the Christ,  all things hold together.(Col 1:15-17)  Heaven is where his redeemed glorify God and enjoy Him forever. 

    The Bible also speaks of a place where the wicked are sent, called Gehenna and translated as Hell in our english bibles. Jesus speaks about this more than anyone in the New Testament. Not a trip anyone wants to take.  Jesus speaks of it as a place of the weeping and gnashing of teeth. Kind of strange terms to us today. I believe its an eternal weeping knowing you heard the truth and thus denied it because "people loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil." So said Christ. Gnashing of teeth denotes anger. I believe anger at God for an eternity. Hatred of God in fact for your perdictiment.

     I cringe at those who think they would rather be in hell, believing it to be  some kind of big party. Sorry, that is not what Scripture says. It's described as eternal torment. A furnace  of fire.  Everlasting destruction and eternal punishment. Worse, if that's possible, it's being absent from the presense of God and the glory of His power. No more grace. I believe in hell,  God gives people sent there over to their own evil hearts. Which are much worse than anyone can imagine. No grace. No mercy.   Worse yet, No Hope. 

     Yes everything has an ending in this world view of ours, including we ourselves. Our lives will end. But do they really? For Gods people, those saved by grace through faith and not of themselves,  eternal life awaits in the presense of God.  For as Isaiah the prophet said "all our righeous acts, so called,  are to God filthy rags." Jesus the Christ himself said, Without Me you can do nothing. Nothing of eternal significance, value and worth. That is why Jesus Christ was sent by the Father into the world and is absolutely essential for anyone to have the righteousness that God accepts. (2 Cor. 5:21) 

    So God, being sovereign before time began, saw what the perdictament of the human race would be. They would fail the test in the garden, and all things would be subject to futility ; to vanity. That there is no one righteous, no not one.  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And you must be perfect as the Father in heaven to enter into everlasting life. 

     So God provided a way. The Word who was in the beginning with God and was God. The Holy One of God. The Way, the Truth and the Life.  His beloved eternal Son of whom God said, "Listen to Him. For in Him I am well pleased."  The One, who while in a body of flesh, blood and bones was tempted as we are, yet without sin. Who being in very nature God, humbled himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross. For God made Him who had NO SIN to be sin for us. So that in Him we might become the righeousness of God. For you must have His Righteousnes to have everlasting life. (John 1:1-3; Heb. 4:15; Phil. 2:5-11; 2 Cor. 5:21;)

     It is by grace through faith and not of yourselves. Not by anything we have done or will ever do. It's not by doing, but by knowing, that God so loved the world, He gave His only Son,  not because we loved God, but because He loved us and sent His Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins. For our transgressions, our sins, the sin of the world is that bad, that repugnant to a Holy and Righteous God. All those Old Testament sacrifices demonstrate that. And pointed to the One  sacrifice of eternal signifcance for His people. The giving by God the Father of His only begotten Son on that cross. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.  

     A sinless human being, untouched by humankinds transgression and subsequent sinful nature. A perfect sinless human being, foretold of in the Old Testament--a child born, a Son Given;  Only God's Son  could pay that price, that every single human being owes God. For this Son of God   was pierced for our transgressions,  He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him,  and by his wounds we are healed. (Is. 53:5)

     That Webb telescope picture showing the vast endlessness of the universe is breathtaking indeed and might I add quite humbling. And though the endless array of stars and galaxies boggle the  minds of all mankind. Ponder this thought. That wonderous divine being,  God--Father, Son and Holy Spirit--cared enough to create, give, send, reveal, forgive and save a people for Himself,  zealous for good works, not because of the things we have done, but because of His mercy, by grace through faith--a gift of the One True ,Holy, Righteous and Everlasting God. Who values lives enough to offer the one sinless life, an acceptable redeemer, in whom is no sin, and in whom God the Father is well pleased. As an offering for sin. As God said to His apostles, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased,  Listen to Him." 

   Jesus said "I AM the Way, The Truth and The Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me"                (John 14:6 NT)      

“Then Jesus took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.” (Luke 18:31 NT)

 

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,

Yet out of you shall come forth to Me

The One to be Ruler in Israel,

Whose goings forth are from of old,

From everlasting.” (Micah 5:2 OT)

Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel {meaning God with Us} (Is. 7:14 OT.)

He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” (John 1:23 NT)

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. (Is. 53:5-6 OT)

For I know that my Redeemer lives,

And He shall stand at last on the earth;

And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,

That in my flesh I shall see God,

Whom I shall see for myself,

And my eyes shall behold, and not another.

How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:25-27 OT)

Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”