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*What shall the end be ..???"
The Gospel of God?
1Pet.4:17).
We have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son (the Lord Jesus) to be the Saviour of the world" (1Jn.4:10).
If God "spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all" (Rm. 8:32), then "How shall we escape, if we neglect so Great Salvation?" (Heb.2:3)
The Son of the Living God, Jesus Christ, "God manifest in the flesh" (1Tim. 3:16) shed His own precious, sinless blood to save your sinful lost soul from a real Hell to a real Heaven. Those who respond to "the grace of God that bringeth salvation" (Titus 2:11) by turning to Christ from unbelief and receive Him as Lord and Savior receive God's forgiveness of all their sins, the life-giving reception of His Holy Spirit and the Gift of Eternal Life.
This great and necessary salvation was wrought solely on Christ's righteousness, not yours, as "we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness is as filthy rags" (Is.64:4). Those who so believe in Christ follow Him out of love and reverence for God. And even though "it is through much tribulation that we (actually) enter into the Kingdom of God" (Acts 15:23), those who have truly believed on the Lord Jesus Christ shall eternally realize the blessings of Heaven.
And blessed they are, as Heaven is a real place wherein "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be NO MORE death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. A place wherein God Himself is the main "attraction," and in whose "presence there is fulness of JOY" (Ps. 16:11), even "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 14:17).
In tragic and eternal contrast however, are those who love sin and who die in their sins - away from Christ, who cannot and will not enjoy Heaven. For such, only the opposite of Heaven - the Lake of Fire (which those in Hell are cast into) - is reserved. A real place of interminable "weeping," wailing," "and gnashing of teeth. A place apart from the presence of the Lord and the saved souls rejoicing forever up in Heaven!
Of which sure reality the Lord Jesus expressly warned of, even Him came to “seek and to save that which was lost” from sin and Hell to righteousness and Heaven.(See Matthew. 8:12; 13:42; Luke. 16:19-34; 19:10; Revelation. 20:20-15; 21:8, 27).
If you are one of those who refuse to yield to the Lord Jesus, then you are choosing to continue on the broad way "which leadeth unto (everlasting) destruction" (Mt.7:14), and thus will awaken to the of eternal realities of Hell!
Once there, you will realize, too late, how you trifled with God and lost.
You will see how little you actually cared for God and the things of God and how much He really cared for you.
You will realize how often the Lord was drawing you to seek Him and how you hardened your heart to His call.
And now that you have missed your day of grace, the only thing you have look to forward to is an eternity of torment.
Torment of body from the flames of Hell which burn your senses, and cause you to thirst and call out for even one drop of water, water which will never come (cf. Lk.16:19-31).
Torment of mind as you wallow in remorse at how you, in your own way, spurned God and His message of salvation through His Son - who His saints up in Heaven are now rejoicing in and will do so forever; rejoicing which you will never know; The realization of which only adds to your torment and despair.
Despair of heart as you realize that there will be no more tomorrows of hope; no hope of relief or reprieve; only suffering and remorse, as you recall how you spurned your day of grace, ignored or rationalized away God's Truth, and arrogantly, or in a more refined self - righteous manner refused the Holy Spirit's means of dealing with you for your eternal good.
There, in Hell, you will lament every instance in which you chose to resist conscience and the conviction of the Holy Ghost, testifying to what was right; Every time you choose to avoid or avert seeing or hearing the Word of God, the Bible, even via gospel literature, or a preacher, etc.; as you chose the immediate over the eternal, and the false gods of dead religion instead of Christ.
Thus, by innumerable choices in your time on earth, you showed how you truly preferred Darkness over Light; Your spiritual understanding becoming increasingly darkened as you resisted truth that would have led you to The Truth, even Jesus Christ the Righteous!
Instead you essentially chose to die in your sins.
In the darkness of your despair and in the literal yet mysterious darkness of Hell, where death would be be welcomed as an angel of God, and in your agony and utter loneliness (you will have no friends), your thoughts will turn toward those with whom you were familiar with on earth, and your hope will be that they will not suffer the same end as you are now experiencing, and will so forever!
Your hope will be that they will not refuse the Lord's call to repentance and His sacrificial offer of mercy through His own Dear Son.
If you could, you would passionately urge them to consider their eternal souls and sincerely seek the Lord (who yet calls them), "lest they come into this Place of Torment” (Lk.16:28).
You would fervently pray, if it would avail, that they might realize that God, who could just as easily have let us go on our own way without hindrance and cast us all into Hell for our stubbornness and sin, instead "sent His Only Begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him" (1Jn. 4:9): How that Jesus Christ, "who did no sin," yet "became sin for us," taking all the blame for all we did wrong on the cross of His death. And having gave all and done all, this same Jesus rose to glory by Spirit of God as present Savior and future Judge (See 1Pet. 2::22,24; 3:18,22; 2Cor. 5:21; Is.53).
But now, you, having forfeited such gracious provision, and in your own stark and sober realization that those that reject "so great salvation," "shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth upon them," then your earnest desire will be that others whom you once cared for will avail themselves of the mercy of God found uniquely in Christ; And in repentance cast themselves by faith on Him Who promised, "He that believeth on Me, I will in no wise cast out" (Heb.2:3; Jn.3:36; Lk.16:28; Jn.3:37; 1Jn.2:15-17).
Lost soul, our sincere prayer is that you will realize your desperate need for the salvation of God. While your breath is still in your body it still may be your day of grace. Repentance is a gift from God, and it is He who gives you the grace to respond. Yet it is likewise true that His “Spirit will not always strive with flesh" (Gn.6:3). Wherefore it is written, "To day if ye will hear His voice, harden not your heart" (Ps. 95:7,8).
Listen! God has provided everything necessary for the salvation of your eternal soul at His own expense, that of His own Son! You have no standing with God based upon your goodness or merit. You will never enter into His good and Holy Heaven with your sins and sinful heart or by any "righteousness" of your own. And on the Day of Judgment when every motive and deed is revealed in the pure light of Christ's righteous eyes, you will surely agree with Him that His judgment is just and that you surely deserve your punishment in Hell.
Take heed to the Lord's exhortation - it may be your last! "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2Cor .6:2)."Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." "For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved" (Is.5:6,7; Rm.10:13).
Here is an example of a salvation-seeking prayer, for the totally sincere:
Dear GOD, have mercy on me. I admit that I am a sinner and I need to be saved.
I know that I cannot save myself, but I believe that you sent Your Own Son Jesus to save me, that He died for my sins and You rose Him up. He is Lord.
So I am asking you, Lord Jesus, to please save me. Wash away all my sins, come into my life, which I give to you; Amen!.
If you did indeed trust and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will find yourself thanking the Father for saving you because of His Son, and serving Him in love - response to "so great a God and Savior!”
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: And they continued stedfastly.. (Act 2:40,41).
“Go and do thou likewise.”
Be baptized under water in identification with JESUS. Go on your way rejoicing, worshiping GOD, and prayerfully depending wholly on Him Be faithful to a church that earnestly seeks to live by GOD's Word, the Bible, walking in the SPIRIT, abiding in JESUS. Study His Word, love the brethren, and reach out to the lost, who were once in your former condition. Thanks be to God!
JESUS is Lord ministry, 105 Library St. 02150
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