by David Brenneman
It's honestly one of the things that causes me to shake my head the most in shopping. Children who obviously are way too old being in the basket portion of the shopping cart. Adults who aren't being the adult in teaching their children to be obedient. When one or more are whining out for no good reason my Wife knows that my reference to "The alarm is going off, it's time to go" means. Children not getting their way having tantrums become adults who don't get their way having tantrums.
In Jesus's day He gave an example of being a shepherd. Of how the Good Shepherd would leave the 99 on a hill together to go find the one that strayed. That one that left the others was intentionally taught obedience in order to stay with the others and with the Shepherd. The one who strayed was intentionally disciplined for it's own good. It didn't like it at first but did learn to obey the Shepherd.
In our day and age we have several generations of people being taught by way of bad example that whining wins out in getting your way. Everything from the spoken language to written language to actions has suffered because of people whining, griping, and complaining to get what they wanted. Being stubborn, hard-headed, you name it.
What's this got to do with anything Biblical? Plenty. People get angry at those who tell them that God's Word says that you must come to Christ for salvation. That you must or you won't see Heaven. You won't follow those whom you claim to love to Heaven that DID place their faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone to be saved. That's a hard truth. If those whom you loved DID do that, and you did NOT...you will NOT see them again. Your rejection of Jesus Christ as YOUR Savior is what will cause you not to see them again. No amount of shaking a fist at God, of cursing out Him, no tantrum big enough will cause God to change His mind.
The reality is this: Dying without Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior nets you a life in torment in Hell until such a time as the Final Judgement of Christ for all who refused Him and then are cast alive into the Lake of Fire for all eternity. No amount of "But God! I did this and this for you!" will get you anything. No amount of raging at God about your deeds in life amounting to nothing will get you anything.
The truth is what Jesus said: He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man or woman comes to the Father (that is to enter into His Heaven) but through Jesus.
Partial obedience isn't enough. Just believing that He is God isn't enough. Even Demons believe that He is God...and they at least shudder. Human's don't even do that when they revile God.
There's no other way to Heaven except through the only begotten Son of God: Jesus Christ.
What does the Bible say? "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," adn believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9.
The Bible says that every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. This will happen willingly and unwillingly to the entire human race.
A very keen reality is that in Hell there are no athiests. There are no people who do not know that the truth of God IS the truth of God. All beliefs are corrected upon death. Choosing to reject Jesus here and you will understand why after you die that rejection cost you more than you every imagined possible. The consequences will be with you for all eternity. Jesus gave a very powerful example of Hell that was not made up. People in torment over their own sins. Sins are real. Sins have consequences both in this life and the one to follow if they are not washed away by the Savior of the World.
Not a very appropriate post before Christmas huh? Actually quite the opposite. I heard a popular Christmas song "I'm Getting Nuttin for Christmas". In no way during the song is the child remorseful. In no way are most in Hell remorseful of their actions. Even the rich man in the example Jesus spoke of was remoreseful. He just didn't want anyone else he knew to join him. He didn't ask to be sent back to warn anyone, he wanted someone those he knew would listen to to go back.
All theology is corrected when we die. Even people of all the denominations of this world who are actually saved people, who enter into Heaven will have the finer points and the not so finer points of their theology corrected as well. Everyone who's been Christ's workmanship will see that work completed when they enter into Heaven.
There are no politics in Heaven, there's none of the baggage that has entrapped the minds of people in Heaven.
In our here, our now, we have been given 'choice' by the cross of Jesus Christ.
You choose to obey or not to obey.
You choose to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit or you don't.
Indescision is still a decision. "I didn't choose!" not choosing is still a choice. No excuses. No amount of whining about our supposed position before Christ will cause Him to allow you to go into Heaven without salvation received from Him. There's no loopholes. There's nothing. Nada, zip, nil.
I saw another political cartoon of Santa dumping a truckload of coal at a capitol building. Another poke at those who didn't deserve presents.
We don't deserve anything in this life. We are born in sin and have a death sentence upon us until we come to Christ and He takes our place. He is the only perfect sacrifice for our sin that we're born with. God the Father says to listen to Him. Have you?
Have you listened to Jesus? Have you come to Christ? The reason for this season isn't holiday spending. It's about Jesus Christ coming in the form of a baby to live a sinless life, to suffer and die on a cross for the sins of mankind that's celebrated at Easter. He who was without sin became sin so that we might have the righteousness of God.
The greatest gift you could give yourself...or if your are indeed saved, the greatest gift you could give others is to tell them how they too can be saved.
Even in the 7 year Great Tribulation people will SEE the works of God. Will SEE and FEEL the painful judgements and STILL rage at God! They STILL will not turn to Christ to be saved even though all the mounting evidence points to the truth that only in Him can people be saved. People will cry out to the Earth to have rocks fall upon them rather than face the truth of Jesus. If they can't get their way they would rather die and be eternally separated from God.
Presents this time of year were sort of meant to be somthing akin to what churches do with the bread and cup, with footwashing, with the Lord's Supper (which is NOT the same as the bread and cup). The giving of gifts was first noted in the book of Luke when we read of the first gifts given to Jesus were to honor HIM. They were given to honor why He came. Our giving presents to one another ought to remind us of this story in the book of Luke.
Why not give the greatest gift of all, either to yourself by coming to Christ to be saved, or to share how someone else might find Jesus on this day we celebrate as His birthday?
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