I've talked about so many different things over the life of my blog (including this topic a time or two). The reason why I repeat this one is because it is so important. All of the other things I blog about, purity, forgiveness, submission, attitudes, etc., are all secondary.
I want to talk a little bit about a man in the Bible. We read about him in Luke 16:19-31 and I believe he was a real man, not one of the parables Jesus tells. We first read about Lazarus who when he dies goes to Heaven, "And it came to pass, that the beggar (Lazarus) died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom..." Luke 16:22a But the one I really want to talk about is the other man, the Rich man, "..the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments..." Luke16:22-23 When the rich man gets to hell he looks up and sees Abraham, "..and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." First the rich man asks Abraham to have mercy and let Lazarus bring him just a drop of water to cool his tongue. That will tell you what pain and agony he was in, "...for I am tormented in this flame." But it's the second thing he asks Lazarus that I want to point out. The rich man said, "I pray thee therefore...that thou wouldest send him to my fathers house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment." The rich man was in hell, he knew now that it was real. He was in so much agony and torment that he wanted Lazarus to go back to the World and tell his father and brothers about Hell and Salvation.
Salvation, Hell, Heaven, and Jesus Christ are all real. And if you don't accept the Lord as your personal Saviour, one day you too will be in Hell wishing you could go back just for a second, not only to change your mind but to tell your loved ones the truth.
I know this seems like a gruesome subject but it is a very serious subject. One that too many people don't want to believe is real or don't want to think about right now but one day will have to. The Bible says, "...It is appointed unto men once to die..." Hebrews 9:27a We are all going to die someday. You can't change that. "O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" Deuteronomy 32:29 When you do die, what is your latter end? Where will you go when you die? Heaven to be with the Lord or Hell to be in eternal torment? The choice is yours and shouldn't be put off. Sure, you can say, "I'll do that tomorrow" but none of us knows if we will have a tomorrow. I've heard story after story of people who said, "Later" but their later never came and they died without accepting the Lord in salvation. The Bible says in II Corinthians 6:2b "...behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." If you put it off one day too late, you could be facing a eternity in Hell. Would you like to make this choice today? It is such a simple choice. It is choosing to see that you are a sinner and repenting of those sins, admitting that nothing you do could get you to Heaven; believing that Jesus came to earth and died, buried, and arose on the third day to pay for your sins; then accepting the gift of salvation that He offers freely. "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 with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:9-10 Nothing else truly matters until you have accepted the Lord in salvation. Please take a minute to think about this right now. Like I said before, I believe this story of Lazarus and the rich man is a true story, with that in mind, the Rich Man is even this very second in Hell right now. Don't join him. I would very much love to one day see you in Heaven.