The promise of God's Word is absolutely glorious, and it is worth anything it takes to obtain it, even if it means selling everything you own and giving your life away.
Sadly, in a universe where God is the main thing, humans act as if He doesn't even exist. Consider, for a moment, the magnitude and the depth of God according to the Bible: He is infinite in knowledge, wisdom, and power. He is holy, perfect, and just. He hates evil and loves kindness. He is absolutely glorious in all of His perfections and in everything He does.
Isaiah 43:6-7 says, "Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who is called my my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."
When you consider that we were created by God for God, and that God fills the universe by His infinite presence and power, it makes perfect sense that we should live to display his glory (another word for glory here could be "beauty"). This should be the aim of every endeavor, every pursuit, and every passion.
Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Whether by active rejection or passive indifference, all of us have failed to show God the love, respect, and honor that He infinitely deserves. This is called sin, and it is a serious offense. By choosing to pursue money, jobs, or human relationships as the all-satisfying treasure of our lives we trample God's holiness and belittle His glory. Money, jobs, and human relationships are all good things, but they are not intended to be the ultimate pursuit of our lives.
Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death..."
To belittle God's glory is a crime worthy of total destruction: eternal torment in the lake of fire, or hell. Even if you only committed one sin, you would still merit never-ending punishment. If this sounds harsh, remember that God is just: the punishment fits the crime. What hell shows us is that God must be infinitely glorious if the just punishment for sin is eternal conscious torment!
Revelation 21:8 says, "...the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
We're here to proclaim God's infinite value and to tell you how you can avoid His wrath. If you think you are without sin, here is a way to double check. You can click here to see the 10 Commandments, and ask yourself if you've kept them perfectly.
Proverbs 11:21 says, "Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free."
That's bad news! That's really really bad news! Who could stand before God and avoid His wrath? No one!
Many people think that their good deeds will outweigh their bad deeds, so they can go to heaven. Try that next time you break the law and see if the judge lets you go free. If you killed a person, and then the next minute saved someone else from drowning, would the judge let you off the hook because it balanced out? I think not!
You cannot earn your way to heaven.
Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
This is the good news. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth, lived a sinless life, and died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins. On the third day, He rose again, proving that He overcame death, and later ascended into heaven.
But there remains one last step.
Acts 2:38 says, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Acts 16:31 says, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved..."
Salvation is not automatic. If you want to avoid God's wrath, you must turn from sin and believe in Jesus. This doesn't mean you have to be perfect from this day forth, but you must believe in Christ and begin to pursue Him as your all-satisfying treasure. He alone can satisfy your soul. Forsake your love for lesser things and pursue the God of glory, showing Him the love and respect He deserves. Don't try to earn His love... Just accept it!
God has filled us with longings that cannot be satisfied this side of heaven. We were made to walk with Him in perfection. If you have believed, then your spirit is made alive, but your body won't catch up for awhile. One day Christ will return to judge the earth and to raise believers from the dead (just as He rose from the dead) to receive a perfect body that will never die. And then we will know Him much more fully. Let your hope be in this!
If you have placed your faith in Jesus for the first time, please let me know!