Time to choose.

Last week we talked about taking the cheque from Jesus, which was analogous to us accepting the sacrifice of Jesus unto salvation. Does it matter what we believe? Yes. I have spoken to so many people who believe that as long as you believe in “god” and do good works you will live a good life and go to heaven.

I put “god” in quotes because sometimes I am unsure which god people are referring to as he seems to be some ethereal being afar way off. That can’t be our God. Easter was all about a God who came and lived life as a human being and died for our sins in our place. That’s not an aloof or far off God, that is Immanuel, God with us.

Is it good to do good works? 100%. Do good works buy our way into heaven? No. You can be as generous as Oprah, as loving as Mother Teresa, or as kind as the kindest person you know and still not make it to heaven. Good works mean your earth life is a little better because of the law of seed, time and harvest; you sow kindness you reap kindness. However, good works do not guarantee that you will have eternal life.

John 14:1-6 says, “Don’t worry or surrender to your fear. For you’ve believed in God, now trust and believe in me also. My Father’s house has many dwelling places. If it were otherwise, I would tell you plainly, because I go to prepare a place for you. And when everything is ready, I will come back and take you to myself so that you will be where I am. And you already know the way to the place where I’m going.”

Thomas said to him, “Master, we don’t know where you’re going, so how could we know the way there?” Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too.”

Jesus is clear that to know Him is to know the Father, meaning the opposite is true. If we don’t know Jesus, we do not know the Father. Also if we do not know Jesus, we cannot get next to the Father. You want to go to heaven? Jesus is the way. Not “a” way, the way. You feel overwhelmed with all the information and religions and stuff out there? Jesus is the truth. You want to have eternal life? Jesus is the life. You can’t believe in Father God and then not believe in Jesus Christ because then you don’t have a way to heaven, you miss out on truth and you lose your life to the second death.

We talked about the second death last week. It sounds terrible and that is because it is. The time for sugarcoating is gone. We are in a real life or death battle and God wants you to choose life. The choice is yours. Noone can make it for you but whatever choice you make, you have to live with it. When Jesus returns, it will be too late to try choosing otherwise.

2 Corinthians 6:1-2, “Now, since we are God’s coworkers, we beg you not to take God’s marvelous grace for granted, allowing it to have no effect on your lives. For he says, ‘I listened to you at the time of my favor. And the day when you needed salvation, I came to your aid.’ So can’t you see? Now is the time to respond to his favor! Now is the day of salvation!”

Love and blessings,

Melissa Tsingano.