Greetings,
I am a lowly beggar, a servant, a Knight-Prince of the Living God. I'd like to talk with you about where you will spend eternity for - I am concerned about your soul.
Allow me to ask you something. Would you consider yourself to be a good person - a righteous person? If you think so, that's not surprising, as, "Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness." (Proverbs 20:6a) Whether you do or not, please keep reading. There is a way we can find out if you are. "How?", you might ask? By comparing ourselves to God's Standard - the Ten Commandments.
1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image.
3. You shall not take the Name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His Name in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
10. You shall not covet.
See Exodus 20:1-17.
1.-2. The Bible says that God is a "jealous God" (Exodus 20:5b). Do you have anything in your life that is exalted above God? It could be sports, money, your spouse/(boy,girl)friend, or yourself. That would make you an idolater!
3. Have you ever used God's Name in vain - like, as a swear word? That would make you a blasphemer! Really, any sin is blasphemy against God. The Lord will "not hold him guiltless who takes His Name in vain."
4. Do you faithfully serve God and attend services on Sunday? Or do you maybe work, or just skip out? If so, then you're profaning the Lord's Day.
5. Have (Did) you ever dishonor(ed) your parents? That would be "rebellion", which is "as the sin of witchcraft" (1 Samuel 15:23).
6. "Ahh," you may say, "I've never broken this commandment!" Well, let's see what God's Word says:
(1 John 3:15a) - "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer."
"You have heard that it was said of them of old time, You shall not kill; and whoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whoever shall say, You fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." - Matthew 5:21-22.
Thus, if one hates without a cause, one is a murderer!
7. Another one of those commandments many might deny breaking. But, again, let's see what God's Word says...
"You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not commit adultery: 28 But I say to you, That whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart." - Matthew 5:27-28.
If you've lusted after a married woman or man, you are an adulterer; if they're unmarried, you would be a fornicator.
8. Have you ever stolen anything? It could be time from your employer, a literal physical object, etc. That would make you a thief. Listen to what God's Word says about thieves...
"Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." - 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.
9. Have you ever told a lie? That would make you a liar. Listen to what God's Word says about them.
"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 burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." - Revelation 21:8.
10. Have you ever wanted something that wasn't yours? It could be someone's house, car, anything. That would make you a coveter.
So, according to God's Standard, the Ten Commandments, you are an idolatrous, blasphemous, Sabbath-defiling, rebellious, murdering, adulterous, thieving, lying, coveter, and you're going to have to face this God, the One God, on Judgment Day. Based on this, what do you think your eternal destiny is going to be - Heaven, or Hell?
Perhaps you think they don't exist. You can deny it, but they do. Perhaps you still think you're a good person, or deny breaking some of the commands. However...
"Whoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." - 1 John 3:4.
"For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
"There is none righteous, no, not one." And, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Also, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 3:10;23;6:23).
Everyone is a sinner by nature and choice (Romans 3;5;7; etc.) - including you. God, Who is holy and just, the complete opposite of us (Jeremiah 17:9a - "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked"), must hate us, and His wrath abides on us, because we are standing before Him covered in filth. Even our "good" deeds are as "filthy rags" before Him...
"...All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." - Isaiah 64:6b.
"...And the plowing of the wicked is sin." - Proverbs 21:4c.
However, God is rich in grace and mercy ("but God ... is rich in mercy", Ephesians 2:4), and will save those who repent and trust in Him through the working of the Spirit. 2,000 years ago, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for the sins of His people (John 10; Ephesians 5), the Church, to save them. He rose again, conquering death, and purchasing our pardon. When He saves us, our sins are covered by the blood of His Son, the Lamb of God, and we are made pure in His Eyes!
"For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." - 2 Corinthians 5:21.
You cannot be "good enough"; you cannot earn this gift! You are utterly and totally sinful, a rebel against an Almighty Sovereign, Whose wrath abides on you unless you repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ - for salvation is through Him. As, "I [Jesus] am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes to the Father but by Me." (John 14:6) No man means no one!
"You hate all workers of iniquity. 6 You shall destroy them that speak falsehood: the LORD will abhor the bloodthirsty and deceitful man."
"He that believes on the Son has everlasting life; and he that believes not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." - John 3:36.
"The LORD tries the righteous: but the wicked and him that loves violence His soul hates." - Psalms 11:5.
"...unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." - Luke 13:3b.
"Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, and your house." - Acts 16:30-31.
"Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." - Acts 20:21.
"There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that does good, no, not one." - Romans 3:11-12.
"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." - Matthew 16:24b.
"Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believes in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No: but by the law of faith." - Romans 3:24-27.
"For by you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9.
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost..." - Titus 3:5.
"That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, you shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture says, Whoever believes on Him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. 13 For whoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved." - Romans 10:9-13.
"Jesus came ..., preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the Gospel." - Mark 1:14-15.
"No man can come to Me, except the Father which has sent Me draw him; and I will raise him up at the last day." - John 6:44.
God's command is clear: Repent, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, through the working of the Holy Spirit in you. For there is salvation in no other. No "church", no work(s), no rituals, nothing but the Lord Jesus!
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." - Acts 4:12.
I'm not trying to rush you, or anything such as that. I'm warning you that life is a vapor, and you could die within a minute, an hour, or even a second.
"For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." - James 4:14b.
Thank you for reading. If you are saved, I hope this will encourage you. If you are not...
May God show His mercy upon you, before it is too late.
In Christ,
Joel Garner.
