"For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, 'The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.' There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved." — Acts 4:11-12
The conventional wisdom about what happens when you die is that you will stand before God, and if you did enough good works that outweighed your bad works, then you get into heaven, because heaven is for good people. And good people go to heaven.
Then the other belief is that if you have done enough bad things that outweigh your good works, then you will go to hell, because hell is for bad people. Heaven is for good people who get in by good works, while hell is for bad people who do bad things.
But that is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels (see Matthew 25:41); its original purpose was not for bad people at all.
Heaven is the dwelling place of God, and the way you get into heaven is on the basis of what you did with Jesus. What God will want to know is did you believe in Jesus Christ?
Even if you have lived a wicked life and sinned throughout all of it, if on your deathbed you were to call out to the Lord Jesus Christ in genuine repentance, you would go to heaven. But if you lived a good life and have been a relatively moral person and have done good deeds, but you have never put your faith in Jesus Christ, then you would not go to heaven. And by the way, your good works never would outweigh your bad works. So be thankful that is not what you will be judged for. (I'm so glad!)
The assurance that we will go to heaven is not as our culture often sees it, but this is as the Bible teaches it. It is the Son question—not the sin question.
(Via Greg Laurie)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
Monday, July 23, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
The Danger of Drifting
15) The simpleton believes every word he hears, but the prudent man looks and considers well where he is going. 16) A wise man suspects danger and cautiously avoids evil, but the fool bears himself insolently ( rudeness, arrogance; lack of respect) and is [presumptuously] confident. ~ Proverbs 14:15-16
One fine afternoon, my best friend and I came upon an abandoned boat floating in the river. The paddles were broken, but that wasn't much deterrent for a pair of teenage boys. We shoved off and drifted down the river talking, joking, and carrying on. I'm not sure how much time passed as we floated aimlessly along, but we knew we were in trouble when a loud roar reached our ears. Up ahead, water was rushing over the dam. Panicked, we grabbed the broken paddles and pulled hard against the current. We managed to get close enough to the shore to safely jump out into shallow water, but the boat went over the edge. What started out as pure fun nearly ended in disaster.
That's exactly what is happening to a lot of people today. What begins as fun and pleasure ends in shipwreck because people drift along, neglecting to think ahead or notice how fast they're moving away from the safety of the Lord's plan. According to the prevailing attitude of modern society, God's not needed as long as the stream runs smoothly. In other words, when income is good, family is safe, and health is stable, going with the flow seems fine. But in reality, a drifting man is being swept along on dangerous anti-Christ and anti-church currents.
Today's passage reveals that the wise look to the future to avoid ruin. Let me put it another way: Drifting is foolish. In countless arenas of life--marriage, family, vocation, finances, etc.--we need a clear destination and navigation plan if we expect to be successful. God provides both (Prov. 3:6).
(Via Charles Stanley)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
One fine afternoon, my best friend and I came upon an abandoned boat floating in the river. The paddles were broken, but that wasn't much deterrent for a pair of teenage boys. We shoved off and drifted down the river talking, joking, and carrying on. I'm not sure how much time passed as we floated aimlessly along, but we knew we were in trouble when a loud roar reached our ears. Up ahead, water was rushing over the dam. Panicked, we grabbed the broken paddles and pulled hard against the current. We managed to get close enough to the shore to safely jump out into shallow water, but the boat went over the edge. What started out as pure fun nearly ended in disaster.
That's exactly what is happening to a lot of people today. What begins as fun and pleasure ends in shipwreck because people drift along, neglecting to think ahead or notice how fast they're moving away from the safety of the Lord's plan. According to the prevailing attitude of modern society, God's not needed as long as the stream runs smoothly. In other words, when income is good, family is safe, and health is stable, going with the flow seems fine. But in reality, a drifting man is being swept along on dangerous anti-Christ and anti-church currents.
Today's passage reveals that the wise look to the future to avoid ruin. Let me put it another way: Drifting is foolish. In countless arenas of life--marriage, family, vocation, finances, etc.--we need a clear destination and navigation plan if we expect to be successful. God provides both (Prov. 3:6).
(Via Charles Stanley)
Be Blessed!
Dawn
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