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WE ARE FIREPROOF!!! -Pillar
Almost everyone thinks they are a good person...
But the question you should be asking is, "Am I good enough to go
to Heaven?"
How would you know?
The way to find out is to ask yourself if you have obeyed the Ten Commandments.
Most people say, "Well, I've broken one or two, but nothing too serious,
like murder, etc."
So let's go through them and see how you do...
1. "You shall have no other gods before Me."
Have you always put God first in your life? Jesus said to love God with
all your heart, mind, soul, and strength-- so much, that your love for
your parents, brothers and sisters, friends, and even your own life is
like hatred compared to your love and devotion for God. Have you ever
failed to put Him first in your life?
2. "You shall not make for yourself any idol."
Who is God to you? Is he only a god of love and mercy who would never
judge anyone and never cast anyone into Hell? If that's your god, then
you're right. Your god couldn't cast anyone into Hell because he doesn't
exist. He's a figment of your imagination. You've created a god in your
own mind that you're more comfortable with. You may call it your "personal
belief," but God calls it idolatry. It's the oldest sin in the Book,
and the Bible warns that idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of heaven.
3. "You shall not take the name of God in vain."
Have you ever used God's name as a curse word? If you have, you've taken
the holy name of God-- who gave you your life, your family, and everything
precious to you-- and used it as a filthy, four-letter word. Hitler's
name wasn't even despised enough to be used as a curse word! If you have
used God's holy name in that manner, you are a blasphemer and the Bible
says "God will not hold him guiltless who takes the name of the Lord
in vain."
4. "Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy."
God commands that we set aside one day in seven. Have you ever been guilty
of breaking this Commandment?
5. "Honor your father and your mother."
Have you always honored your parents in a way that's pleasing in the sight
of God? Ask Him to remind you of the sins of your youth. You may have
forgotten them, but God hasn't.
6. "You shall not murder."
Jesus warned "Whoever is angry with his brother without cause, is
in danger of judgment," (Matthew 5:22) and the Bible says, "He
who hates his brother is a murderer," (1 John 3:15). God sees hatred
in the heart to be as wicked as murder. We can violate His Law by attitude
and intent.
7. "You shall not commit adultery."
Jesus warned," You have heard...'You shall not commit adultery.'
But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already
committed adultery with her in his heart. Have you ever looked at another
person with lust? The Bible says that adulterers and fornicators (those
who have had sex before marriage) will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
8. "You shall not steal."
Have you ever stolen anything (even if it was something small)? The value
of the thing stolen doesn't matter; petty theft is still theft. Have you
ever taken anything that belonged to someone else (from the office, school,
parents, etc.)? If you have, that makes you a thief.
9. "You shall not lie."
Have you ever told a lie? Then you are a liar. How many murders do you
have to commit to be a murderer? Just one. If you have told even one lie,
that makes you a liar. The Bible warns that all liars will have their
part in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8). You may not think deceitfulness
is a serious sin, but God does.
10. "You shall not covet."
This means we should never desire anything that belongs to another person.
Not their house, nor their car, nor their money, nor their wife, nor their
lifestyle, nor anything that belongs to our neighbor.
Who of us can say we are not guilty of breaking these Commandments?
This is what the Bible means when it says, "All have sinned and fall
short of the Glory of God."
Can you see your predicament? You are guilty of sinning against God Himself,
and, because you have a conscience, (con-with, science-knowledge) you
have sinned "with knowledge."
Isn't it true that every time you lied, stole, or lusted, etc., you knew
it was wrong?
Does the fact that you have sinned against God scare you? It should.
You have actually angered Him by your sin.
The Bible says His wrath abides on you, that you are an "enemy of
God in your mind through wicked works."
Perhaps you think God is good and because of his goodness He will overlook
your sins?
But if you knew of a human judge who turned a blind eye to the crimes
of a guilty rapist... would you describe him as a "good" judge?
Perhaps you think God is good and because of his goodness He will overlook
your sins?
But if you knew of a human judge who turned a blind eye to the crimes
of a guilty rapist... would you describe him as a "good" judge?
God could never be a corrupt judge.
He will punish all the rapists, murderers, and thieves... But He won't
stop there. He will also punish all liars, the lustful, adulterers, idolaters,
and blasphemers.
The place of eternal punishment is Hell.
God does not want you to perish. He is rich in mercy and compassion, and
has provided a way for you to be forgiven. He has invited you to come
to Him for a full pardon and receive the free gift of Eternal Life. You
cannot earn it, and you do not deserve it, but God is offering it to you
as proof of His love for you.
Imagine you are standing in front of a judge, guilty of multiple serious
crimes. All the evidence has been presented and there is no doubt about
your guilt. Your apologies and good works cannot erase your crimes; therefore
you must be punished. The fine for your crime is $250,000 or imprisonment,
but you don’t have two pennies to rub together. The judge is about
to pass sentence when someone you don't even know steps in and pays your
fine for you! The court accepts the money and declares that you are free
to go. The law has been satisfied, your debt has been paid in full, and
the stranger’s sacrifice was a demonstration of his love for you.
That’s what God did for you 2000 years ago.
The Bible says that the God of the Universe became a man (Jesus Christ),
and suffered and died on the cross for your sins and mine so that we could
be set free. It's as simple as this—we broke the Law, and Jesus
paid our fine.
"God demonstrated His own love for us in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse
for us." (Galatians 3:13)
Do you see God’s great love for you? Do you see your need for His
forgiveness? Do what He commands and “Repent…that your sins
may be wiped out and times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”
(Acts 3:19) You must turn away from sin and turn to God. Desire to have
NOTHING to do with sin, and surrender your life to the One who can save
you. Jesus died to set you free, and then he rose from death to be your
Lord. Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one
comes to the Father except through me.” If you will confess and
forsake your sins (repent) and trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and
Lord, God will forgive you and you’ll pass from death to life.
If you are not sure how to pray, read Psalm 51 and make it your prayer.
What does it mean to "put your faith in Jesus Christ?" It means
to personally trust in Jesus the same way you’d trust in a parachute
if you had to jump 25,000 feet out of an airplane. You wouldn’t
just "believe" in the parachute; you would put it on! In the
same way, the Bible says, "Put on the Lord Jesus Christ..."
and you will be saved. There are millions of people who "believe"
Jesus exists . . . but they have not put on the Savior—there’s
a BIG difference. And the difference will be obvious when you “jump”
through the door of death.
Today, with all your heart—turn away from sin, and surrender your
life to Jesus Christ. Please don’t put it off till later. You may
die today and then it will be too late. You may not yet have all the answers
to your questions, but better to put on the parachute first and then ask
questions, then to pass through the door unprepared, grasping for the
parachute when it’s too late. You can pray something like this—"Dear
God, today I turn from all my sins (name them), and I put my trust in
Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Please forgive me, and grant me your
gift of everlasting life. Amen." There is nothing magic about these
words—it is the attitude of your heart that God cares about.
God will transform you from the inside out. You will think and feel differently
as you learn to trust and obey Him. God will give you new strength to
live right and love Him above all else. Read your Bible daily and obey
His Word. You can trust God—He loves you and will always be faithful.
To help you get started, you may also want to read “10 Steps for
a New Christian”
If you've decided to reject the gift of forgiveness and you die in your
sins, there is no hope for you. There is no purgatory. The wrath of God
abides on you and you will spend eternity in Hell.
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