Will your Judgment Day end badly?
America in many ways is like Disneyland, especially if you compare our nation to countries like North Korea, Syria, Saudi Arabia and China. Freedom abounds in the United States, and materialistic distractions are everywhere. We are a land of lattes, live streaming and liposuction. And it is extremely easy to get lost in the glitter and lose sight of what really matters.
If it was all taken away and you were left with nothing, you would still have your immortal soul. The “real you” consists of your thoughts, decisions, hopes, fears, dreams, desires, emotions, experiences and cognitive ability. Even if you were to lose an arm or a leg in an accident, your soul would remain fully intact.
Right now, you might be completely absorbed in a career, or health concerns, or the pursuit of more material possessions. But what is your endgame? That is to say, are you prepared to meet your Maker when you die? You might respond, “I have no plans to die anytime soon.” Fair enough. But what if God’s timeline for your life on Earth is different than your own?
When a young person dies, it catches everyone completely off guard. Life is fragile and can be snuffed out in a moment without any advance notice. The Bible describes it this way: “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). You see, your brief tour of America is just a layover before catching your flight to your eternal destination. When your body expires, your soul is transported to one of two places.
Bestselling author John Burke wrote, Imagine Heaven, in which he compares over 100 stories of near-death experiences to what Scripture teaches on the subject. “Doctors, college professors, bank presidents, people of all ages and cultures, and even blind people — point to the exhilarating picture of Heaven promised in the Bible.” And of course, some of their experiences were hellish rather than heavenly.
If you are not willing to take God at His Word concerning Heaven and Hell, will you at least consider what some people have experienced when coming within a whisker of permanently leaving their earthly body? If you have no interest in what happens to your soul when you die, then I am sorry to say that your American dream is going to suffer a violent collision one of these days.
You can still avoid this cataclysmic collision. But you will need to repent. Jesus said, “But unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:3). Right now, you might feel like there is safety in numbers. Perhaps you assume that just because most of your friends are unbelievers, you are safely tucked away deep within their ranks. After all, the numbers are on your side, right?
But what if those numbers do not provide you with safety after all? Imagine standing in a line of 100 people waiting to meet the Judge of the living and the dead. Do you honestly think God is going to allow you into Heaven simply because the majority of those in line also chose to reject Jesus? A numbers advantage will do nothing to save your soul.
When you stand before God on Judgment Day, you will either be forgiven or unforgiven. Forgiven sinners enter Heaven, and unforgiven sinners are thrown into Hell (see Daniel 12:2; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:15). Why should you believe it? Because “it is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18). Repentance and faith in Jesus is the only way to escape Hell and enter Heaven.
Perhaps you assume that if you keep yourself busy enough and don’t think about Judgment Day, it won’t ever reach you. Nothing could be further from the truth my friend. You have a divine appointment with your Creator, just like everyone else. Your appointment in God’s courtroom is an absolute certainty. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).
Unless you repent, you will receive the punishment you deserve for all the sins you have committed against God. Therefore, turn from your sins and ask Jesus to forgive you. He will gladly do so. After all, this is why Christ suffered and died on the cross in the first place. The Lord wants to forgive you so that you can live with Him forever in Heaven. But if you refuse to come to Christ in repentance and faith, your appointment in God’s courtroom will not go well for you.
Will you take God at His Word, or will you charge down the path that results in you being punished for your sins? You don’t have to let the American dream turn into a never-ending nightmare. The clock is ticking. Will you repent before your tour of America concludes? One of these days you will board the flight to your final destination. Your brief layover in the United States will soon be nothing more than a memory.
So, will your layover in America end badly, or will you be welcomed into Paradise when you die? (see Luke 23:32-43). Laughing it off or ignoring this issue is the biggest mistake you could ever make. Multitudes of people now know from firsthand experience that Hell is real. But there is nothing they can do to change their situation. There are no planes, trains, helicopters or transportation of any kind leaving Hell. The only flights to Heaven and Hell are one way.
Can you imagine Heaven? Can you imagine Hell? Don’t make the tragic mistake so many others have made. Come to Christ in this holy moment. God’s desire for you to be saved is a million times greater (see 1 Timothy 2:4-6; John 3:16-18; 2 Peter 3:9). As much as I would love for you to know Jesus personally, God wants it much more.
Dan Delzell is the pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Papillion, Nebraska.
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