June 18, 2019 Devin (see HERE)
If you were mistaken about your eternal destiny, how soon
would you want to know?
It can be kind of a shocking question, but when I asked it
of a man named Devin, he was honest and pragmatic in his answer: “Oh, right
now, definitely.”
I try to be fairly logical in telling people how they might
possibly be mistaken or deceived when it comes to eternity. My outreach conversations have helped me see that
the vast majority of people – well over 99% in my experience – believe that if
there are indeed only two options for eternity, heaven or hell, then they are among
those who will be heaven bound.
In fact, many, possibly most people reading this far
probably won’t read any further because they are so secure about their own
destiny. Many claim not to believe in
God or an afterlife, but on the chance that there is a Judge and a Day of Reckoning,
they reckon they are one of the good guys.
Yet Jesus said “For wide is the gate and broad is the road
that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and
narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matt. 7)
That doesn’t sound like 99% to me. Sounds like a lot of people are mistaken or
deceived, probably just taking salvation for granted. Maybe we need to double check what kind of foundation
we are building our assumptions on, sooner rather than later.
That’s what I tried to help Devin with. He based his belief about salvation on his
personal level of righteousness. Not
that he saw himself as a perfect person, but he believed he was good enough.
But if any of us could be “good enough” for heaven, why would
we need Jesus? Did Jesus die for good
people like us, or those sinners out there?
When Jesus described the way to life as passing through a “small
gate” and a “narrow road”, he wasn’t referring to all the different routes
devised by man that promise a better afterlife.
He was referring to just one way – Himself – whereby we can be saved
from the consequences of our sins, and saved for a loving relationship with our
Heavenly Father for eternity.
I hope Devin passes through the small gate and the narrow
road of repentance and faith in Christ that leads to life. He may have been deceived by a false trust in
his self-righteousness, but he was wise enough to know he would rather know the
truth sooner rather than later, before its too late.
Thanks, Devin, for allowing me to record our
conversation. It can be seen at HERE at https://youtu.be/18PZYSOiqgU
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