My friend, the Rev. David Wesley Gould, pastor of Nashville First Wesleyan Church, made an interesting statement a few months ago on Facebook. He correctly said, "It is unrealistic to think that you could live your brief life on Earth without a deep relationship with God, and still expect to spend eternity with Him." Yet, many people do exactly that. They live a life without any real connection to God. They do pretty much whatever they want to. Often they say things like, "I am spiritual but not into organized religion." But when they die, their end of life plans almost always include a Christian funeral with the hope that someone to "pray them into heaven." If a person does not cultivate a relationship with Christ while they are on earth, why in the world would they want to spend eternity with Him in heaven?
Some of my Christians friends are feeling a bit uneasy right now reading this because they think I am suggesting we can earn our way into heaven through religious deeds. I am not saying that at all. We can only gain salvation by the grace of God. The point I am trying to make is that many people want to live outside that grace but somehow expect to get in when it is all said and done. That is just unrealistic. If we truly know the Lord, then our lives will demonstrate that. Though no one is perfect, the thrust of a life that is lived for God is clearly different than a life lived for self.
Those who live for self can pretend all they want to about eternity, but deep inside, they know that what awaits them on the other side are not streets of gold. Fortunately, if we are still alive, we can change what awaits us on the other side of death. We can accept the grace of God into our lives that was made possible by the death of Christ on the cross. We can repent of our sins and start living for Jesus. Whether we have a month, a year, a decade or a lifetime left to live, we can live that life in relationship with God. In doing so, we will find a great peace when we consider eternity, because we will have the confidence that we really are going to heaven when we die.
Great read!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, that everyone would want to go to heaven and have a relationship with God now! May it be so.
ReplyDeleteWell written, sir. Couldn't have said it better myself. And the way you wrote it, people will actually read and consider it.
ReplyDeleteI encourage all of my friends to take three minutes to read this article... and not just because I am quoted in it.
Good article. I've shared it on Facebook and Twitter. Quite a few of my friends are responding to it on Facebook. Thank you for sharing it here.
ReplyDeleteEveryone wants to go to heaven, but no ones wants the responsibility that goes with the trip.
ReplyDeletethere's a decline in Christianity due to education and knowledge of the universe,as D.N.A. is a fact and Evolution is a fact, religion is a belief and not a fact, don't let that black book stop your thought process, do the research and find the truth and not hearsay'
ReplyDeleteYet, those same people who want to deny Christianity still look for hope at the last moment, just in case. Which means the "facts" they are clinging to must not answer their deepest questions after all. Evolution does not mean a lot when your grandmother is dying of cancer. DNA is not very motivational when you have been out of work for a year. But Jesus Christ brings comfort, hope and help in all situations.
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