Our Hope

 

Often people say something like, “A loving God wouldn’t send one of His children to an eternal hell.”  Actually, they are correct.  God would never send one of HIS children to hell.  But God would condemn a sinner masquerading as one of his children to hell.  The same people say, “God is love and God will let us all into heaven.”  What they fail to realize is that God is not only a God of love, but also a God of justice.  Most folk think that they are not that bad.  Hell is reserved for really bad people like Hitler and Stalin.  Again, they fail to see the pure holiness of God.  Habakkuk said in 1:13, “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity…”  Paul said in Romans 3:10, “…There is none righteous, no, not one.”  And in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”  Some people sin more than others and some people sin less than others, but we are ALL sinners and guilty before a holy God.  It sounds hopeless, doesn’t it?  Well, actually, it is.  We can’t do anything to earn our way into heaven.  But God the Father sent His dear Son Jesus to pay for our sins and to offer to us the gift of salvation.  Again, in Romans 6:23 Paul said, “For the wages of sin is death (that’s the bad news); but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (that’s the good news).”  We can’t make it to heaven on our own.  None of us!  We are all hopelessly lost.  But Jesus offers us the gift of salvation through His sacrificial death on the cross of Calvary.  Hey, trust in Jesus and you’ll make it to heaven!  Reject Jesus and you will face God as your judge someday.  And make no mistake, you will be judged guilty.  Any questions?  Refer to the verses above.