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In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.”
Romans 8:10-11
This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
Everyone dies. Everyone lives forever.
These two truths are absolutely and infallibly true.
I don’t think anyone would dispute the first statement but the second is another story. For there’s millions of people in the world today who believe that death is the final act. You live until that day when your body stops functioning to support life and that’s it. The end.
Maybe this mindset is so pervasive in thought because the church has stopped preaching about Hell as a real outcome for sinners who choose to reject Jesus as Savior. And because we don’t talk about it, then it isn’t something a person even considers as being possible.
Today, I’m afraid the church is too busy trying to conform itself to the world instead of conforming the world to the Lord. In many places, the church dedicates itself solely to preaching and teaching about a prosperity giving God who will provide everyone the desires of their hearts. There is no talk about the other side of God, the side where He is the sovereign Ruler and Judge over all people, people who are sinners before a God who hates sin. This latter God will condemn and sentence any person who rejects His Son to a life in Hell, a life of eternal damnation and torment.
Don’t you think that should be something a person should know?
You see, there aren’t many people who don’t believe there’s a Heaven but poll those same people and you would probably get a much lower percentage who think Hell is real. Surely every good person will go to Heaven, right? This is a common belief that many people have, one that allows them to push any thoughts of Hell aside. Maybe if they would read the Bible, they would see the error in that line of thinking.
For as we see in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus paints this picture of what it will be like for anyone who chooses to reject Him as Savior:
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.”
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’”
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’”
“He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’”
“Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’”
“‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’”
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” Luke 16:19-31
Here we have a tale of two men.
One, the rich man, was blessed with much. He had everything the world could offer and I’m sure was viewed by the community at large as having it made.
There was only one problem and it was a major one.
You see, neither the rich man nor the people could see he was in a place of absolute spiritual poverty, obviously choosing to not accept Jesus as Savior. Seemingly unconcerned about his eternal destination, the rich man went about his daily business of living in lavish luxury.
This was strikingly different from the other man in Jesus’ story, a man named Lazarus. Afflicted by sores all over his body, an imagery that reminds us of the story of Job, Lazarus would beg for money every day just to be able to afford a little food to eat. On the surface, it appeared that Lazarus was in the less advantageous position when compared to the rich man but that was from a worldly perspective. For as we see, Lazarus was a lot wealthier than anyone could imagine, not rich because of the world but rather because of Jesus.
This drastic spiritual contrast came into full focus when the two men died at the same time with Lazarus rising to Heaven where he was at Abraham’s side while the rich man descended into Hell. No amount of wealth could purchase his way to Heaven. Only Jesus could do that.
So what is Hell like?
The scriptures tell us it was a place of torment, a place where someone spent eternity in agony within fire. The rich man was suffering so greatly that he now became the beggar, calling out to “Father Abraham” to show pity on him by sending Lazarus to cool his tongue with just a touch of water.
Unfortunately, this couldn’t happen because there is a vast chasm between Heaven and Hell, one that can’t be bridged. No one can travel from Heaven to Hell or vice versa. Once you die, your eternal destiny is immediately sealed, hinged on whether you accepted Jesus as Savior (Heaven) or rejected Him (Hell). The rich man chose the latter and found himself suffering the agonizing everlasting consequences.
Meanwhile, the beggar, made new and healed from his worldly afflictions, was enjoying the comforts of Heaven. All the hardship he had endured in his worldly life was in the past.
With this truth of eternal separation from Heaven and the non-stop torment and agony he was sentenced to through God’s judgment sinking in, the rich men again reverted to begging, this time not for himself but his family instead saying:
“I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.”
Abraham’s response only added to the distress and misery of the rich man. For essentially, Abraham let the rich man know that they would have to make up their own mind, just as he had. They had the words of Moses and the prophets, the words that foretold the coming Messiah. It was up to them to decide whether or not they would choose salvation or the world, to believe in Jesus as Savior or not. Not even someone resurrecting to provide them a message such as Lazarus would be able to sway them if they had already made up their minds as to what they would believe.
Through his words in Luke, Jesus made it very clear that there were two possible eternal destinations for any one person: Heaven or Hell.
Let’s go back to Paul’s words now in our scripture passage for today.
“But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.” Romans 8:10-11
Note here that everyone is destined to Hades (aka Hell) without Jesus. Because of sin, all people are destined to death and eternal damnation because of their sin.
Conversely, when someone sees their fallen state before God and receives Jesus as Savior, the same Holy Spirit that raised Him from the dead will make them right before God and resurrect the Christ believer, giving immortal life to what was once a mortal body. In the interim, the Spirit of Jesus will live and abide within the heart of a Christian until that day when they join Him in Heaven for all eternity.
Everyone will die. This we know.
We also know everyone will live forever, either in Heaven or Hell.
As you read this today, where are destined to spend eternity?
Will your fate be like the rich man or Lazarus?
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
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