December 4
Daniel 11:36-12:13 | PS 123:1-4 | Prov 29:2-4 | 1 John 4:1-21
Are you secure in your salvation? Do you know that when your life comes to an end on earth, you will be embraced in heaven? This is the most important question any of us faces. Yet, most leave the answer to tradition, to human wisdom, etc. Some will state, of course I'm going to heaven, after all I was baptized as an infant, received Communion and was confirmed. For those who want to place their hope in that, realize these decisions to go through these rites and rituals, were determined by your parents, not yourself. Your parents might be able to choose your college, but they have no ability to choose your eternal destination. And if that still doesn't resonate, just remember Adolph Hitler was baptized and confirmed. There are those who state that they are God's chosen people. The Jewish people preserved the Bible meticulously. The Messiah, Jesus Christ, came from their lineage, and when Jesus walked on the earth, He preached largely to the Jewish people. Yet, sadly, the preponderance of His chosen people have rejected their Savior. Genealogy does not get you into heaven. There are many "good" family people, husbands, fathers, etc. who later are found to have led dark lives. But, besides this there are plenty of people who live basic moral lives, and would be seen as "good" people. They are patriotic, support good causes, etc. But unless they have humbled themselves and acknowledge the sinners that they are (for we are all indeed sinners) repent of their sins, and acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior they are not written in the Lamb's Book of Life,
We read in Daniel 12:1-2, "“At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time. And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt." Again, are you written in that book? There is no shortage of opinions and so-called extra-biblical "facts" as to how one enters heaven, as we read in 12:4, "“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” We come to the end of the book of Revelation, and we read the absolute nature of this book in Revelation 20:11-12, 15, "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books...And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."
You can acknowledge the Savior or you can reject Him. He doesn't force His salvation on anyone. But it does come down to a choice. When you come before Him it will be by yourself. You can't blame anyone else for the choice you have made. We read in Philippians 2:9-11, "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." The truth is eventually everyone will understand just who Jesus is. For those who have acknowledged Him during their time on earth, they will hear, "well done, thy good and faithful servant" and having been written in His book will get to spend eternity in heaven. But for those, unfortunately the majority, who chose a different philosophy, a different "ism", and who rejected Him, their only hope for salvation during their time on earth, they will hear, "depart from me, I never knew you", and the lake of fire will be their final place of unrest. Meditate on this and then reconsider if now is the time to reach out to all of those we know in our spheres of influence with the gospel truth. We never know when we or anyone else breathes their last.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: