Do you know Jesus Christ?

I'm glad you chose to check out my blog. If you don't know Jesus Christ, I hope you take time to read this because it could change your life. If you have already accepted Jesus Christ, I hope you read it anyway and then let me know what you think. 

How much time do we have left on this earth?

While most people choose not to talk about it, or even think about it, we all die. In many cases death comes suddenly and without warning. If you walk through any cemetery in the world and look at the dates on the stones, it won't take long to notice that many of the people under the stones died when they were still young. Most of them had no idea that they were going to die that day. They went about their regular routine thinking that they had all the time in the world. They were just like you are right now.


Are you prepared?


Even though our bodies die, our souls (the part of us that makes us who we are) live forever. Unfortunately, many people prepare for death as if it is the end. They buy life insurance so their families are taken care of financially, they prepare a Last Will and Testament so their earthly possessions will get passed on to whomever they choose, and they take care of the funeral arrangements so those left behind don't have to be burdened with it. But because they haven't given much thought to what happens after they die, they aren't prepared for eternity. They don't know where they're going to be once this very brief worldly existence comes to an end. Have you thought about what will happen to you when your time on this earth is over? 

Hell

Hell exists because God can't tolerate sin, and those who sin must be separated from Him. The Bible says that hell is a horrible place, a place of complete darkness and pain, where there is "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 8:12) and that it is a "lake of fire" and a "furnace" (Matthew 13:42, Revelation 20:15). While these descriptions may very well be literal, many (including me) believe that it is more likely that they are figurative. It is likely that the absence of God is so terrible that we can't comprehend it, so God described the most horrible pain and fear we know... fire and complete darkness. Hell is a place where there is no good, no comfort, and no hope. Those in Hell are tormented by regret, shame, and guilt for all eternity.

Heaven

Heaven exists because God loves us and wants us to be with Him forever. The Bible says that heaven is a wonderful place, a city made of pure gold and decorated with pearl and every type of precious stone, where there is only light, and where there will be no pain, tears, or death (Revelation 21). This description of heaven may be literal, but, like hell, many believe that it is God trying to describe how amazing and good heaven is in the only manner we can comprehend... by using the most beautiful and precious elements we know here on earth. Heaven is a place where we are in the presence of God all the time, a place where we are happy, complete, and at peace for all eternity.

God's Judgment

The Bible warns us that the Holy God of Creation hates sin and there will come a day when we are all judged (Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 20:11-14). If our name is written in the book of life, we will enter heaven to be with God and Jesus. However, if our name is not found written in the book of life, we will be thrown into the "lake of fire" (Revelation 20: 15). Is your name written in the book of life?

The Book of Life

God writes your name in the Book of Life when you give your life to Jesus Christ. If you haven't yet accepted Jesus Christ, you probably fall into one of three categories. 1) you know that you need to accept Jesus Christ, but you believe you have plenty of time, 2) you believe that you are so bad that God doesn't love you and can't forgive you, or 3) you believe that you're a good person who doesn't need to be forgiven because you haven't done anything bad enough to go to hell.

For those of you in the first category... go back and read the first paragraph of this post. If you are still comfortable gambling with your salvation, I pray that God will open your heart and your mind to just how dangerous and foolish that is. I pray that God will be patient with you and will allow you to live until you come to your senses.

For those of you who believe that God cannot possibly love and forgive you... He loves you so much that he allowed His son, Jesus, to be tortured to death so that your sins can be forgiven (John 3:16), He wants everyone to be with him in heaven (2 Peter 3:9), and while on earth Jesus spent most of his time with people who were not "good" people (Matthew 9:9-13, Luke 19: 1-10). If that is not enough to convince you, consider the fact that many of the most amazing people in the Bible committed what the world would consider terrible sins. Abraham gave his wife away to protect himself (Genesis 20), Rahab was a prostitute (Joshua 2 and 6), David committed adultery and murder (2nd Samuel 11), Paul (also called Saul) persecuted Christians (Acts 9), and Peter denied Christ (John 18)... just to list a few. But God still loved, forgave, and used all of them in great ways. No matter what you have done, God loves you and wants to forgive you.

For those who believe that being "good enough" is all it takes, the Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3:23), that there is no one who does what is right and never sins (Ecclesiastes 7:20), that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), that all sin (from lying to murder) separates us from God (Revelation 21:8), that what we fantasize about doing is just as wrong as what we actually do (Matthew 5:28), and that many "good" people will be surprised on the day of judgement (Matthew 7: 21-23). If you have ever told a lie, or taken something that did not belong to you, or had a sinful thought... you are as guilty and lost as the most evil person you can think of. 

So... how does someone give their life to Jesus Christ?


What must I do to be saved?

You must believe that Jesus is God's son (Luke 3:22), that Jesus died for your sins (2 Corinthians 5:21), that God raised Jesus from the dead (John 20), and that Jesus is the only way to connect with God and reach heaven (John 14:6, Romans 10:9-10, Acts 4:12);
You must repent of your sins (Act 2:38). Repenting means that you are not just sorry that you have sinned, but that you are going to turn away from your sinful life and live for Jesus instead;
You must confess (openly admit) your belief in Jesus Christ (Matthew 10: 32-33);
And you must be Baptized (immersed in water) (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:12, Romans 6:3-7, 1Peter 3:18-22).

Once you have given your life to Christ, the next step is to grow spiritually (2 Peter 3:17-18, Colossians 1:10-12) and to do your best to live a life pleasing to God (Romans 12:1, Hebrews 12:1). Growing spiritually comes from reading the Bible (Matthew 22:29, Acts 17:11), Praying (Romans 12:12), and spending time with other Christians (Acts 2: 42-47).

I have tried to be brief while making what I believe to be the main points of coming to know Christ. However, if you are interested I would be glad to discuss any of them in more detail, or if you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them... or at least help you find the answer. If you don't have a Bible, let me know... I will be happy to send you a New Testament at no cost. Finally, I would love and appreciate your comments. Thank you for taking time to read this, and may God bless.


In Christ,
Mark