One Eternity, Two Destinations

August 12, 2020

Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few (Matthew 7:13-14).

The narrow gate is Jesus Christ. The wide gate is everyone and everything else that promises salvation. The narrow gate opens up to the path that is hard. The wide gate opens up to the path that is easy. The hard way is the way of holiness and righteousness. The easy way is the way of ungodliness and worldliness. Both gates and paths lead to eternity, but the narrow gate and hard path leads to eternal life, whereas the wide gate and easy path leads to eternal damnation.

The old saying, “No one lives forever,” is absolutely wrong. Every human being is a soul created in the image of God. Part of that image has the stamp of eternity on it. Everyone will live forever, but not everyone will live in the same place forever. In fact, one destination in eternity is far from what anyone would call ‘living’.

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:12-15).

On the other hand, eternal life is fellowship with God in His Kingdom forever. It is more than quantity of life, it is also quality of life. Fellowship with God, eternal rest. It is everything David wrote about in Psalm 23 - and infinitely more!

The world would have us believe that all roads lead to heaven. They do not. The world would have us believe that God does not send a person to hell. He does not. If a person spends eternity in hell it is because he/she chose to enter the gate of worldliness and ungodliness, and to walk down the pathway of life without Jesus, without salvation, without holiness of character and righteousness of conduct. It’s a choice - Jesus or self, the Kingdom or the world, heaven or hell.

“Father, thank You for revealing in Your Word the wonderful gift of eternal life. Thank You for providing the means whereby that life can be obtained through Jesus Christ. Never let me lose sight of the fact that the prospects of heaven bring great joy to those who are saved, while the prospects of hell bring great sorrow and heartbreak to those who remain lost. Continue to move me to tell the good news of Jesus Christ to those who do not know Him. In Jesus’ name I ask, Amen."

Pastor

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