IGT

Choose Christ

While on a trip to an amusement park a few years ago, I was literally whisked out of my present reality and thrown headfirst into a whole another world. Through the technological wonder of a 360-degree movie screen, which stretched from floor to ceiling, I was able to experience a film that very nearly swept me off of my feet. Because my eyes had no other stimulation than what was appearing on the screen, my brain then reacted as if I were actually living the reality being presented to it by way of the projection. My body felt and moved in accordance with every given stimuli whether it was flying an airplane or racing a car. No matter which way I turned, I was still there living out my time in that world of virtual reality.

One moment I would be here and the next I would be somewhere else yet everywhere I was taken, I was very much – alive and living that reality. One fairly horrific scene had me driving headlong over a cliff only to have the lights go out at the last moment. Within a moment the lights came on with me immediately living in another scene in another place entirely different from where I had just been. Yet, I was very much alive with the feeling of this reality being just as real as the one before the accident. This present reality felt just as real since I was still myself with all of my prior thoughts and feelings available to me.

I once read that death to us is only feared because we just cannot grasp the reality of life after death. Those in Heaven, however, know that it is truly the beginning of life eternal. It is a life where we will never again need to be afraid of death because it will never ever end. Death will be much like being in the movie theater when the lights briefly went out then came back on with us in a different place but still being the same person with our same personalities, thoughts and feelings.

I really can’t minimize the fear of death, even for those of us that are Christians. However, the sting of death is greatly reduced when having the assurance of an eternal life in a place that is far greater than this one in every aspect. We are taught in the Bible of a life with no pain and suffering and no crying. We will be rewarded for the treasures that we have laid up for ourselves in heaven. In other words, how we lived our lives here on earth will be rewarded when we get to Heaven. We will eventually have responsibilities according to how we were rewarded. But most of all, we will be alive with the one who died for us and gave us the free gift of eternal life. Jesus Christ, Lord of all.

The Bible speaks of two deaths for those that believe. One is to die with Christ that you will live and the second is then our subsequent physical deaths on this earth. We have all sinned, some more and some less. Nevertheless, we have all fallen far short of being perfectly spotless individuals and these spots are permanent. There is absolutely no amount of good works that we could perform that will remove these sin stains from our record. There is nothing that we can say that will remove even one portion of the guilt from our charge. No one is able to work off his or her own sin debt. It just can’t be done. There is nothing that we can do to cover them up or to make them disappear.

So how can we ever hope to have an eternal life in Heaven? The Bible plainly says that no one guilty of sin can enter into that Kingdom. What then can we do? It's simple, let someone else pay for your sin debt. Let that person be found guilty and take your punishment for you. “Who on earth”, you say, “would or even could do that for me?” None other than the spotless, sinless Lamb of God who came to earth as flesh and blood to die in our places for the remission of our sins. We are made clean from the stains of sin by His blood. Our mediator Jesus Christ will proclaim us innocent before the Father in Heaven. The Bible says that though we die in Christ, yet we shall live. A Christian’s second death is merely leaving this present world to be with Christ forever.

The Bible also speaks of two deaths for those that have not received Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Remember, death is permanent, death is inevitable and death is life for eternity in Heaven or Hell. Once we die, nothing can change our destination. After a Christian’s first death, “To die in Christ,” our destination after the second death, “leaving this world,” was permanently fixed. A non-believer’s first death is upon leaving this world and I can assure you that their destination has then therefore been finalized.

They will awaken to a reality of complete utter despair, anguish and torture. A sinner’s life from then on will be more frightening then anyone could ever imagine. There are more descriptions of the horrors of Hell in the Bible than there are of Heaven. This, I believe, is because God wanted everyone to understand just how awful it would be. He does not want any person to ever arrive in this place, yet countless millions will reject his sin debt payment, which comes with a free ticket to Heaven. They instead will choose to pay for their own sins, which is a sure ticket to Hell.

This brings me to the matter of the second death for unbelievers. The first death was leaving this world, which finalized their destination after the second death. The Bible says in Revelation 20:13-15 that the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. Remember, no amount of good works can make you innocent of sin. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

This is the Great White Throne Judgment that will take place for all of those that have died without Christ as their personal Saviour. A person who has placed their trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ and has had their name permanently placed in the Book of Life will not take part in this trial. Make no mistake, every one of them will understand full well their guilt and will bow down and proclaim that Jesus is Lord, yet it will be too late.

Choose today your final destination of Heaven or Hell. Life never ends. It just changes from one reality to another, yet it is still real. It is just like being in that movie theater. No matter where we were taken, we were still very much alive and real at all times. We still felt and thought like normal because we were still our normal selves. There is just one very big difference. We will be ourselves in eternal bodies that will never die. For those that are in Hell the Bible says that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. There will be nothing that will ever quench the flames that will forever burn and yet not consume your very being. For those who choose life with Christ, there will be no more pain and no more suffering.

Choose to die with Christ that you will live.

...For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him (2 Timothy 2: 11).

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20).

Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh (2 Corinthians 4:10,11).

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:9,10).

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).

There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out (Luke 13:28).

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live (John 5:24,25).

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them (Revelation 14:13).

He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 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 (Revelation 21:7,8).

And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10-15).

Your Decision to Receive Christ as Your Savior:

Confess to God that you are a sinner. Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins on the cross and was raised for your justification. Receive and Confess Him as your personal Savior.

Assurance As a Believer:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (Romans 10:9).

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