HOW many times
have you looked into a casket, seen the face of the deceased, and listened to
the following statements: “He sure has suffered, but he is better off now,” or
“She is at peace, never to suffer anymore.” ?
Dear reader, if the deceased had
accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour and had been born again, these are correct
statements. The Apostle Paul said this of Christians: “Therefore we are always confident, knowing
that, whlist we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we
walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be
absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8).
However, if the deceased died in a
lost spiritual condition, his troubles have just began. The instant his soul
leaves his body, it goes directly to hell to burn for ever and ever. “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and
all the nations that forget God.” (Psalm 9:17). The Bible states that hell is a place
“Where their worm dieth not,
and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:44). Listen to the voice of the rich man crying out from
hell: “And it came to pass, that the
beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bossom: the rich man
also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments,
and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bossom. And he cried and said,
Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of
his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.”
(Luke 16:22-14)
Perhaps someone looked at the face of
this rich man as he was prepared for burial, and remarked that he was at peace
now, never to suffer anymore. How wrong their statement would have been! As
they were saying beautiful words over his body, his soul was screaming from the
pits of hell. Suffering does not end at death for a loss person. After ten
million years of eternity, he will still be burning. If you are spiritually
lost and die in that condition, then you too will be doomed to a burning hell.
You might wonder what you must do to
escape this torment in hell. The answer is the same one that Jesus gave to
Nicodemus. “Jesus answered and said
unto him, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see
the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3). Just as you were born physically, you must be born
spiritually to reach the portals of heaven. “Jesus
saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me.” (John 14:6).
You are not promised another day on
this earth. Tomorrow might be too late. Now is the time to do something about
your lost condition.”…For he
saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I
succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of
salvation…” (2 Corinthians 6:2). Right now, while there is still life in your body, will you
repent of your sins and call upon Jesus Christ to come into your heart and save
your soul?” “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…For whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:9,13). “But as
many as received him, to them he gave the power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:12). The decision is yours. Where will
your soul be when they are preaching your funeral? Your life might end before
another hour passes and your soul will be somewhere for eternity. Will you
receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour and be confident of everlasting
life in heaven?
If you will accept Jesus Christ as
your Lord and Saviour, please pray this prayer with all of your heart: Dear God, I admit I am a sinner, going to
hell. I know that I cannot save myself. I repent of my sins and put my faith in
the blood you shed for me on the cross to pay for all my sins. I now accept you
as my Saviour and trust you to take me to heaven. Thank you for saving me.
Amen.
(taken from www.fellowshiptractleague.org)
