February 20, 2021
Heaven Is For Real (Unfortunately, So Is Hell)
It was late one Friday night, when the telephone rang bringing devastating news. My young cousin had died in a car accident.
Even though we hadn’t seen each other in years, we were heartbroken. Knowing she wasn’t raised in a Christian or even a religious home, we were doubtful as to where she was spending eternity. The thought of such a beautiful, young girl spending eternity in Hell was heart-wrenching.
You can’t imagine how happy we were when we received the news that two years earlier, our cousin had accepted Jesus as her personal Savior! For two years before her accident, she was attending a Bible-believing church and growing in her faith. Even though we still grieved her loss, this news filled us with hope because we knew that she would spend her eternity in Heaven.
Her death reminded us that the few years that we spend on earth are really just Part 1 of our lives. Part 2 begins the moment we breath our last breath and enter into eternity. Where we spend eternity is determined by whether we accept or reject Jesus as our Savior while we are on earth.
Those who accept Jesus as their personal Savior spend a glorious eternity in Heaven with Him. Those who reject Him go to Hell.
I’ll admit, writing that last sentence is hard. As a friend of mine says, “You should never talk about Hell without a tear in your eye.” The thought of anyone spending eternity in Hell should break our hearts. It should also motivate us to fulfill the Great Commission and tell people about Jesus.
Because Heaven and Hell are both real places.
Good people go to Hell and bad people, who accept Jesus as their Savior, go to Heaven. Because it isn’t about what we “do” on earth—good or bad. It’s what we “do” with Jesus—accept or reject Him.
That’s why it’s essential that we share our faith and tell people about Jesus today. So that they spend their eternity in Heaven.
In the end, that is exactly what made the difference in my cousin’s eternity. A friend and his family told her about Jesus. They invited her to church. They nurtured her faith. Because they took the Great Commission seriously, she is in Heaven today. Recognizing the truth about Heaven and Hell, we all need to follow their example.
Memory Verse: Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelations 20:15, NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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