Why does no one like the fire and brim stone preaches? Because they're true. Does that mean that you're about to read one right now? No. I am not that type of preacher, but I will say that it is a scary image to be in Hell for a never ending amount of time. I do not like the scare tactic, but I like the truth.
When I was younger, I said that I would come to God when I was old and had more experience. Basically, without trying to admit it, I said that I'll make time for God when I'm old and can't do all of the fun things that I can do not. I was trying to push off God, and there are two problems with this idea. Anyone who says, "I will serve God or become a Christian later," these problems come for you too.
The first problem is that we do not know if we will live that long. James 4:13-17 says, "Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them."
We do not have all of the time in the world. That is a lie. We do not know about tomorrow. Who knows the day that they will die? We do not get a week's notice before we get cancer. We don't get a phone call by the drunk driver that is going to kill us as we are minding out own business. To think that you will live all the way to an old age is arrogance at it's finest. Nothing about you makes you so special that you cannot be killed before you want. You have to realize that when you say, "I'll become a Christian when I get old," you might just not make it to "old." To be honest, you might not make it to tomorrow. Plenty of people didn't make it to today.
The second problem is that we are lying to ourselves. We will not just magically fall in love with God simply because we are old or because we received even more proof of God. You may force yourself to remember the promise that you made to yourself; but if you are doing it out of keeping your word, you are doing it out of fear, and that is not what God wants. He wants a right relationship with out that comes out of humility and love. We are lying to ourselves if we are saying that we will just fall in love with God because we turned sixty. We are doing it out of fear, and that is why Matthew 7:22-23 says, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive our demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" Just because we say that we will serve the Lord does not mean we get out of Hell. If you have a right relationship with God our of humility and love, then He will give you the salvation that He gave freely at the cross.
It comes down to this. You may be able to fool yourself with your lies, but you cannot fool God. He knows your heart and how it is, and no explanation by you can change His mind when He sees the truth, because He already knows what you are about to say and what you are about to do. You cannot escape the truth with empty words and false promises. It comes down to this. If you do not Love the Lord with all your heart, mind, spirit, and body, it means nothing. That will not change for any amount of lies that you tell, for the truth is the only thing that matters.
-D
No comments:
Post a Comment