WHERE AM I GOING?

Back in the Vietnam war when a soldier travels from one army base to another the recieving sargent would ask him/her three questions: 1) Where are you coming from? Why are you here? And, where are you going?

These three essential questions define one thing - purpose. Everyone sometime in their lives have allow themselves to be challenged by one or more of these questions. The answers, in a spiritual sense, can unlock the rewards of eternal and abundant life.

Ask yourself, Where am I going?

Now allow this excert from the book "The Voice..." to answer this perplexing question.

SO WHAT IF I'M NOT SAVED?

How does an eternal lake of fire sounds?

God’s words are very clear, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire,” (Rev. 20:15). As blunt and as harsh as that sounds, it is true.

Why should we pamper the truth; it has been watered down so much that there is hardly any dread of doing wrong. Even worse, a theory of one’s own perception, which determines what is wrong and what is right, has lately been developed; similar to the initial US constitution, Article 1 section 8, which relates that if the end and the means can be justified the said piece of legislature is constitutional.

In other words, if I can justify my anti-biblical act or unrighteousness then it is not sin. The bible clearly outlines what is sin. All unrighteousness is sin (I John 5:17), even if a believer does anything out of faith it is sin (Rom. 14:23). We were born in sin and shaped in iniquity (Psalm 51:5); to the extent that everyday one commits a multitude of sins. So regardless of how ‘good’ one may be, one sins everyday. That’s the reason we need a savior and salvation. For the bible clearly states that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23) and “the sting of death is sin”(1 Cor. 15:56).

Death here refers to a spiritual death. Nevertheless, if one dies spiritually it will consequently lead to all other deaths, which includes the physical and the second death.

What is the second death?

“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”( Rev 21:8).

We can understand how some very bad people like Hitler and Stalin should spend time in the lake of fire. On the other hand, though it seems harsh, even Aunt Marie (who never darkened the door of a church but was generally a pretty good-hearted woman, even talked about God) is also destined for ‘that place’ without salvation.

Of course, it's mind boggling, trying to justify burning Marie in the lake of fire forever. But the bible said even the “fearful and unbelieving… have their part in the lake.” We still have to depict this with a God who is patient, quick to forgive, slow to anger, gentle, kind, and loving. Nevertheless, Justice demands satisfaction, that is the reason through Jesus an escape was made to all those who would only believe it and consequently receive it.

Jesus went through all the trouble of leaving eternal splendor, suffered and died on the cross for you and I. He went through all the trouble of making atonement for our sins before God so that you and I might escape judgment.

Then “how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation” (Heb. 2:3)? Not only that, “but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement” (Romans 5:11).

What is the atonement?

The Oxford dictionary states, "to make amends for wrongs." In other words, you and I are destined for the lake of fire if there was no atonement.

One might even say, “no I am not baptize, nor ‘in so deep’, but I do go to church occasionally and I don’t do anything wrong, really; I’m going to heaven.” In that respect, Christ said, if one’s righteousness (good hearted-man-disposition) does not exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, they shall not enter the kingdom of Heaven (Math. 5:20).

The scribes and the Pharisees were considered the strictest sect of religious Jews. I mean these guys walk the commandments to the teeth; some weren’t married and rarely mingled with the public. In today’s translation, they would abstain from T.V, entertainment, public outing, do not violate any of the commandments that we take so lightly, pray and fast four days of the week, wear only certain clothes, probably even make it themselves, make sure everyone around them is following the bible and they would go as far as to kill anyone who doesn’t. Most of us would be dead by them.

Indirectly, Christ was then saying it was impossible for anyone to surpass the self-righteousness of the Pharisees or human limitations. So then, it is imperative that we need a savior.

In essence, no one can be saved or enter heavenly paradise unless he or she follows the savior’s principles laid down for salvation. No man alive can meet up to God’s standard for salvation. So, he did us a favor and placed the emphasis on what he did at the cross and his resurrection.

To learn more download, print or purchase the featured book, "The Voice..." or "You believe...Now Receive..."

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