Are You Sure

Are You Sure

The Bible tells us that the path to destruction is wide and that the path to eternal life in Heaven is very narrow. Think about the gates at a popular major league sporting event. My wife and I were given tickets to go watch a Thunder basketball game in OKC. I had never been to anything like that. Thousands of people, standing in massive crowds with virtually no form or order. When the doors opened it was a mad house as people clamored and burrowed there way toward the front of the lines to get in as fast as they could. I have been to events where thousands of people are turned away because they are at seating capacity. Heaven is big and there is no seating capacity but the doors to Heaven are narrow and there is only one way in and the journey to get through is selective. God says that he wishes that none would perish but that all would have everlasting life with him. However, MOST WON'T! Not by his choice but by their own choice. There are church houses full of people who claim to be “christians” and they will be among the millions that approach the gates of Heaven thinking that they have an all expenses paid trip but when they get there, they will be turned away because their ticket never got validated. It is invalid and they will be rejected hearing Jesus say, “depart from me, I never knew you.” Don't let that be you! Remember, Jesus said that "not everyone who calls me Lord, Lord will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Like the old hymn states, "There is room at the cross for you..." However, you have to surrender your entire life to Jesus. The only way to validate your ticket that is given to you freely, is to come to Jesus and give your all to him. Every part of you must come under his Lordship be filled with his Holy Spirit, and lived according to his good and perfect will. That does not mean that we have to work for our salvation. We cannot earn it. But as Paul said in Philippians, we must work out our own salvation. We work it out not for God's grace but because of God's grace, not to get anything but because it has already been done. If a person has considered themselves a believer in Jesus their entire life or for just a short while but they have never fully surrendered to him, if they have never become obedient to him, then is clear that the Holy Spirit has not changed their heart and they process a false hope, holding invalid tickets. Jesus even said, "you believe? Good, you do well to do so but even the demons believe and shutter." Belief is NOT ENOUGH!!! Those who simply "believe" are holding invalid tickets and are clinging to a false hope. Belief, like talk, is cheap! We are saved by grace through faith. Faith is belief in action. Action is the evidence of our faith being demonstrated. According to the Apostle James, that kind of faith is dead. It is useless. It doesn't get you through the doors of Heaven. Again, Don't let that be you! Are you completely and totally sure of where you are headed? Maybe sit down and mark up your calendar and go through your check register or bank account and take an account of where you spend the bulk of your time and resources and then ask yourself again, are you sure?

You cannot do enough or pay enough to buy your way into Heaven. But, if your life is not marked by Jesus and the evidence is not there of obedience to him then you have to question whether or not you have a valid ticket. Are you sure?