First, let me tell you this. There is a God. And he is our heavenly Father who created us and loves us! Its true! But. There is always a but, isn't there? He's also a GOOD God, which means that He doesn't abide with evil. At all. Which is good, but its also a thing to be afraid of. Which is why we should fear God. Because God will also judge us.
Why? Doesn't he love us? Why should we fear him? Well...Do you think you are a good person? Because, based on God's law, I'm willing to bet, if I were a betting person, that you're not good in His eyes.
So lets go about this in the easiest way possible, are you "good enough" to go to heaven? Lets check with God's law, the 10 commandments...
1. You shall have no other Gods before me. Have you ever put anything above God? Has he always come first in your life? Do you love God more than anything else?
2. You shall not make for yourselves an idol. Who do you model yourself after? Do you worship anything in this world more than God (fashion, money, sex, etc.)?
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Ever used the phrase "OMG"? Ever used the name of the Lord as a casual whatever word and not afforded it proper respect and honor?
4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. How is your worship schedule? Ever skip out on church?
5. Honor you Father and your Mother. Yikes! Ever talked bad about Mom and Dad? Ever disrespected them, screamed at them, defied them, etc.?
6. You shall not murder. Ok, so maybe you haven't killed someone. But have you hated someone? Cause Jesus says you just committed murder in your heart.
7. You shall not commit adultery. Well, maybe you've been a faithful spouse, or you aren't married yet but have remained a virgin. Great! But have you looked lustfully at someone? Oops, cause Jesus said you've just committed adultery in your heart!
8. You shall not steal. Ever taken anything that wasn't yours? A pen from the office? A toy from a friend when you were little? A heart that wasn't yours for the taking?
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Ever told a lie? I won't ask anything further on this one.
10. You shall not covet. Ever been jealous of things others have that you don't? His material possessions, house, their spouse, anything?
So how'd you do? I didn't do very well. The fact is, none of us measures up. Even if we kept every single commandment above, but had broken just one of them at one moment in our lives, we still wouldn't be good enough! We are law breakers, and that's evil, and God can't abide with evil. Because of our lawlessness and the evil we have done and is in our hearts, we don't deserve heaven.
Here's the good news. All the punishment we deserve for our sins, has already been paid for by somebody else. God loves us in such a way that he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to take the sins of the whole world upon himself and pay the price of death that sin brings. He was nailed to a cross and bore all the sins that he being sinless did not deserve, and he did it for us! Not only did Jesus die for our sins, but then he overcame sin and death, and returned to life, and gave us the promise of everlasting life for those who repent and believe!
So what do you need to do? Well, believing in God and Jesus is great. However, the Bible tells us that belief isn't enough. Even the demons believe in God - and they shake with fear! We must repent of our sins, turn away from them, recognize the evil that we have done and that we are undeserving. Its not enough to see that what we've been doing is bad, but we have to turn from it, shun it, rely on God to help us overcome it! Repent! Ask God for forgiveness and his help and mercy. And then put your faith in him! Trust him, follow him, be obedient to his ways. He will help you. Will you continue to sin? Yes. We are sinners. And if we were capable, Jesus wouldn't have had to die. God knows this. But, the grace of God isn't an excuse for us to just believe and keep doing what we want. We must fully hand ourselves and our lives over to God in full repentance, love, and obedience. We are promised that if we do this, we will have eternal life, and that all of our stains of sin will be washed away, and God will remember our sins no more.
I encourage you, if you are ready to do this, pray to God. You don't have to say certain words. There isn't a magic spell you must go by to get to heaven. God knows your heart, just turn it over to him! And then, find a local church to get involved with, or a Christian friend to help guide you. There is a whole new way of living now, you are a new creation in Christ, and being in a community of believers to encourage you and walk with you on this journey is one of the ways that God helps us to grow in Him and in Christ-likeness. Read the Bible. If you don't have one, there are many places that can give you one. If nothing else, send me a note and I will send you a Bible! I'd consider it a privilege.
And, if you aren't ready. If you aren't sure about this God or this Jesus, or there is something holding you back, just know that you are loved. And that prayers are being said for you. And that if you seek after God, he will reveal himself to you. We may not always like what God has to say to us, or what his answer is, but its always the most loving. I know many people have been hurt by "Christians" or religion, but please know that that isn't God. He does love you. It doesn't mean he thinks your sin is ok, or that we as Christians can condone your sin (we can't even condone our own, and believe me, we're huge sinners us Christians). But, we do love you. We do want you to find the peace and love in Christ that we have found. And if you have any questions, I know a lot of people who would love to talk to you more.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make his face to shine upon you,
and be gracious to you.
and be gracious to you.
May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you,
and give you peace.
and give you peace.
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