“Each day we are becoming a creature 
of splendid glory or one of unthinkable horror.”

C.S. Lewis

I’d like to ask each of you to read what follows from beginning to end. It won’t take long, and it’s possibly the most important information I will ever share with you. And I believe with all my heart that it is the key to our eternity.
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I’ve had something on my mind for a long time now, and it won’t let go. How do I help my family and friends understand they must ask Jesus to take over their lives, or they’ll go to Hell when they die? That’s very hard to say, but I believe it completely.

There are people in my life who don’t love the Lord and haven’t asked Him to save them. Some have no interest in God. Others have rejected Him and now say they aren’t Christians, and they want me to leave them alone. “Stop talking about it,” they say. Some blame their lack of faith on the church, or a pastor, or their perceived intolerance of other Christians. The problem is, when we die, I won’t see them again. Ever. They will spend eternity, separated from the Lord, in the place where many of them believe a loving God wouldn’t condemn people to.

That haunts me. What do I say, and how do I convince them that there is a God and that He will punish those who don’t turn to Him? I’ve spent a lot of time praying that God changes their hearts and opens their eyes to the truth of the gospel. I pray that God persuades them to understand that He loves them and that they need salvation through Jesus.

I’ve often wondered how I can enjoy Heaven if some of my loved ones aren’t there? The decisions we make regarding where we spend eternity are ours and ours alone. It doesn’t matter what our church teaches, or what our parents believe, or what our friends say. This is an individual decision. 

The Bible is my source of information. It is the “good news” about Jesus. However, many reject its teachings. They argue that whatever is old and out of date can’t be relevant. It’s nothing more than a collection of propositional truths about God. It doesn’t speak to their culture using language that’s relevant to them. And when they hear talk about Jesus, the resurrection, and our belief in God and the Bible, this simply isn’t fact for them. It doesn’t fit their beliefs and convictions. They view Christians as narrow-minded and unethical. Christians are oppressors and haters, while non-Christians are on the side of love and justice.

The Bible claims to be the Word of God, the truth of God, and that it comes from Him. He is its ultimate author and source, though He used human authors to communicate that message. It explains why the world is the way it is and gives us insight into God’s character. It is a guide for how we should live. If you really want to know who God is, you must read his writings. Most importantly, it explains how we can spend eternity with Him through his son Jesus.

Let me share some of my key beliefs.
1. I believe God is:

• the creator and ruler of all that is, 
• just, loving, truthful, and holy, 
• the one who shows compassion, mercy, and grace,
• the one who offers forgiveness but also the judge of sin,
• the one who is actively sustaining the world,
• the one who draws people to His Son, Jesus, 
• the one who will judge the world.
  

2. There is life after death. Everyone has a soul that lives on forever after they die.

3. When people die, they either go to Heaven or Hell. There are no other options, and there are no second chances after death.

4. Heaven is:

• A beautiful, perfect place where there is no pain, suffering, or sorrow. 
• Where we will be reunited with our loved ones who are believers. 
• A place of great joy, where we will praise and worship God eternally. 
• A place with no suffering, so Christians will not see non-Christians who are suffering in the eternal Lake of Fire. God will remove them from our memory. If you are unsaved, I will never see you again, and I won’t even know you were once a hugely important part of my life.
  

5. Hell is:

• The place of the souls of those who have not repented.
• A place of unquenchable fire, like a fiery furnace and lake of burning sulfur.
• A place of crying, total darkness, condemnation, no rest, and gnashing of teeth.
• Where unbelievers will be eternally separated from God’s presence.
• Total and complete isolation. Individuals will not recognize or be with their friends or family. They will experience constant torment and eternal suffering without companionship.
• Talked about more by Jesus than anyone else in the Bible.
• The ultimate consequence of sin and rebellion against God.

You’ve each heard that age-old question that asks, “What happens to us when we die?” How do you answer this question? Deciding what happens when we die depends on personal beliefs, cultural influences, and religious teachings. You must decide for yourself. I really want to spend eternity with you.

How to get to Heaven.

Christianity is the only religion that teaches that people can do nothing to earn or buy their way into Heaven. The New Testament teaches that God’s standard for entrance into His presence is perfect righteousness, and that no human being other than Jesus has ever achieved this. Only those who come to God, through faith in Jesus, will spend eternity with Him.

We need to be saved because we have sinned. Our actions have shamed God. We rebel against Him and do not honor who He really is. Because God is holy and just, He cannot allow sin to go unpunished. The punishment for sin is death and eternal separation from Him.

God is the only one who can provide for our salvation. He became a human being in the Person of Jesus Christ and lived a sinless life. He died on a cross as a substitute for our sins.

The way to follow God’s plan of salvation is to believe. That is the only requirement. All we must do is receive it, by faith, fully trusting in Jesus alone as our Savior.

Please consider praying this prayer…

The Sinner’s Prayer (by Dr. Ray Pritchard)

Lord Jesus, for too long I’ve kept you out of my life. I know that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself. No longer will I close the door when I hear you knocking. By faith, I gratefully receive your gift of salvation. I am ready to trust you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for coming to earth. I believe you are the Son of God who died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. Thank you for bearing my sins and giving me the gift of eternal life. I believe your words are true. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus, and be my Savior. Amen.