If you were to die today, would you go to heaven?
No one likes the thought of dying.
But everyday a lot of
people do die. The Bible puts it this way, "It is appointed unto
men once to die, but after this the judgment." Heb. 9:27
(yes, it's in the new covenant, but it is still true:)
IF YOU WERE TO DIE TONIGHT DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU WOULD GO TO
HEAVEN?
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Well, let me think about this for a second - I hope I would -
it's better than the alternative! Can I ask you one more question?
Yes
LET'S SAY YOU DID DIE AND STOOD BEFORE GOD, AND HE ASKED YOU,
"WHY SHOULD I LET YOU INTO MY HEAVEN", WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
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Well, I've never done anything really bad , like kill someone
or steal something.
I have tried to do the best I can and to help as many people as
possible.
OK - YOU NEVER KILLED ANYONE, TRIED TO DO THE BEST YOU COULD,
AND HELPED AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE - IS THAT RIGHT? LET'S SEE
WHAT THE TENACH SAYS ABOUT THIS.
THE LORD LOOKS DOWN FROM HEAVEN ON MANKIND TO FIND A MAN OF
UNDERSTANDING, A MAN MINDFUL OF GOD. ALL HAVE TURNED BAD,
ALTOGETHER FOUL; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, NOT EVEN ONE.
(Psalm 14:2-3 JPS)
AND THE TORAH
THOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS (an untruth?)
THOU SHALL NOT COVET (your neighbors car/house/wife?)
THOU SHALL NOT TAKE GODS NAME IN VAIN (even on the golf course?)
THOU SHALL OBEY THE LAW OF THE LAND (ever gone over the speed
limit?)
IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE ALL GUILTY AND NONE OF US WILL GO TO
HEAVEN BASED ON THE STANDARDS OF THE TORAH AND TENACH.
(ACTUALLY, SINCE WE WERE BORN INTO SIN THANKS TO ADAM & EVE, WE
WERE GOING THERE ANYWAY! BUT GOD PROVIDED 2 WAYS OF ESCAPE:
- The blood of an unblemished lamb poured on the altar in
the temple in Jerusalem on the Day of Atonement. BUT the
temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. so that can't be it.
- SURELY HE HATH BORNE OUR GRIEFS, AND CARRIED OUR SORROWS:
YET WE DID ESTEEM HIM STRICKEN, SMITTEN OF GOD, AND AFFLICTED.
BUT HE WAS WOUNDED FOR OUR TRANSGRESSIONS, HE WAS BRUISED FOR
OUR INIQUITIES: THE CHASTISEMENT OF OUR PEACE WAS UPON HIM;
AND WITH HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED. ALL WE LIKE SHEEP HAVE
GONE ASTRAY; WE HAVE TURNED EVERY ONE TO HIS OWN WAY; AND THE
LORD HATH LAID ON HIM THE INIQUITY OF US ALL. Isaiah 53:4-6
"For God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten Son so that none should perish but all
would have EVERLASTING LIFE." John 3:16
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