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Simply from the Scripturesfrom the Church of Christ in Richmond
Indiana
Do you want to go to heaven?I ask the question and desire an
honest answer, do youwant to go to heaven? It is my hope you
answered, yes.To answer anything else would lead a person to
eternaltorment. The Bible teaches there are only two eternalabodes:
heaven and hell. Heaven offers everythingpeople desire. John
writes: And I heard a great voiceout of heaven saying, Behold, the
tabernacle of God is withmen, and he will dwell with them, and they
shall be hispeople, and God himself shall be with them, and be
theirGod. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;and
there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, norcrying, neither
shall there be any more pain: for the formerthings are passed away.
And he that sat upon the thronesaid, Behold, I make all things new.
And he said unto me,Write: for these words are true and faithful.
And he saidunto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginningand the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of
thefountain of the water of life freely. He that overcomethshall
inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shallbe my son.
(Rev. 21:3-7 (KJV)
Hell offers nothing but sorrow and pain. John writes abouthell:
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and theabominable, and murderers,
and whoremongers, andsorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall
have their partin the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:
which isthe second death.(Rev. 21:8 (KJV)
The horrific part about hell is it too is an eternal abodewhere
souls will continue to suffer, wishing to die, butnever allowed to.
Jesus described this place as being aplace of outer darkness where
there shall be weepingand gnashing of teeth (Matthew 22:13
(KJV)
Unfortunately, because people endure some momentaryproblems on
earth, they believe they will get used to livingin hell. This will
not happen. Hell is not like our prisons. It isnot like a disease.
It is the most undesirable place everknown and those unfortunately
to enter its gates will neverfind comfort.
So which is it?So I ask, which is it? Do you desire to go to
heaven, whereyou will be blessed with eternal comfort and
happiness, orhell that offers the complete opposite. If heaven, I
ask,what are you doing about it? Too many people find falsesecurity
in the corners of their own mind. This is becausethey can break
minor laws on earth without ending ingreat harm and feel God will
allow them entrance toheaven because they are basically good
people. It is notbecause they obeyed the gospel, but that they have
donemore good deeds than evil deeds. Couple that with thethought
that they believe their evil deeds actually onlyhurt themselves so
there is no real consequence to theirsins. All of these thoughts
are exactly what Satan wantsthem to believe.
Being good is not enoughMany believe since they are good people,
and they maybe, God will grant them entrance to heaven. This
meansGod will forgo all the commandments and conditions notedin the
New Testament. If we really consider this doctrine,then the New
Testament, Jesus dying on the cross and thecommandments were a
waste of time. However, beinggood is not enough.
Romans 15:4, gives us insight to why we should study ourOld
Testament: For whatsoever things were writtenaforetime were written
for our learning, that we throughpatience and comfort of the
scriptures might have hope.(Romans 15:4 (KJV)
We look to the time of the divided kingdom, specificallythe
nation of Judah. King Josiah is ruling and trying to undo
all the evil done by his father (beginning text: 2 Kings
22).
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While restoring the temple the Law was found. That isthe Law of
Moses. Obviously this means that his fathercared so little about
the Law of God, that he allowed theLaw to be lost. The scriptures
note what happened whenthe law was read: And it came to pass, when
the king hadheard the words of the book of the law, that he rent
his
clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, andAhikam
the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son ofMichaiah, and Shaphan the
scribe, and Asahiah a servantof the king's, saying, Go ye, enquire
of the Lord for me,and for the people, and for all Judah,
concerning the wordsof this book that is found: for great is the
wrath of the Lordthat is kindled against us, because our fathers
have nothearkened unto the words of this book, to do accordingunto
all that which is written concerning us. (2 Kings22:11-13 (KJV)
Because he was diligent to do Gods will, he was sparedthe evil
that awaited the evil kings to come. This alsoreminds us of what
Ezekiel wrote: The soul that sinneth, itshall die. The son shall
not bear the iniquity of the father,neither shall the father bear
the iniquity of the son: therighteousness of the righteous shall be
upon him, and thewickedness of the wicked shall be upon him
(Ezekiel18:20 (KJV)
Note the actions of King Josiah: And the king went up intothe
house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah and all theinhabitants
of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the
prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and heread
in their ears all the words of the book of the covenantwhich was
found in the house of the Lord. And the kingstood by a pillar, and
made a covenant before the Lord, towalk after the Lord, and to keep
his commandments andhis testimonies and his statutes with all their
heart and alltheir soul, to perform the words of this covenant that
werewritten in this book. And all the people stood to thecovenant.
(2 Kings 23:2-3 (KJV)
I ask you to read 2 Kings 23, to note the diligence KingJosiah
took to restore Judah to God. He knew it was notenough just to be
good, but to be good in the ways of theLord. This is the lesson to
us.
In Pauls time, Israel was still trying to establish their
ownrighteousness. Paul was concerned about this: Brethren,
my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that
theymight be saved. For I bear them record that they have azeal of
God, but not according to knowledge. For theybeing ignorant of
God's righteousness, and going about toestablish their own
righteousness, have not submittedthemselves unto the righteousness
of God. For Christ is theend of the law for righteousness to every
one thatbelieveth. (Rom. 10:1-4 (KJV)
Simply being good was not enough in the Old Testamentand it is
not enough to secure a home in heaven in the
New Testament. We must submit to Gods commandments.We must obey
as much as we believe. To do one withoutthe other is death. James
wrote: Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew
me thy faithwithout thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by
myworks. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doestwell: the
devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thouknow, O vain man,
that faith without works is dead?(James 2:18-20 (KJV)
Do you want to go to heaven? Then what are you doing
about it?Douglas R. Clark
Schedule of Services:Sunday Morning: Classes: 9:30 am
Worship Service: 10:30 amSunday Evening: Worship Service: 6:00
pmWednesday Evening: Classes & Invitation 7:00 pmQuestions,
Comments call or write. 765-935-2911
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