Answers to Some of Life’s Most Pressing Questions – Part I

While I fully expect our loving God to pour out His Spirit on all flesh in a way we have never seen in our lifetime before He returns resulting in many people across the globe being powerfully saved and transformed by His grace, we need to know that concurrent with that hope and expectation - darkness in our world is going to get ever darker and lawlessness is going to ever increase. Indeed in our nation in the last few weeks, we are seeing signs of this especially regarding the absolute disdain of life and this murderous spirit that causes people to kill an innocent person without blinking an eye, or to congratulate those who did so.

Jesus warned us of such when speaking to His disciples about what will characterize the last days before His return as is recorded in Matthew 24:10, 12, “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another…..Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.”   The apostle Paul also spoke to this when he wrote some of his last words before he was martyred, “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self,….unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous…” II Timothy 3:1-4

In no way am I trying to scare my readers. But I do want to say without reservation that this is not a time to be unclear or fuzzy about where you stand with God. This is not a time to ignore the fact that you could die at any moment and find yourself face to face with your Creator who created you with purpose and with expectations.

So I submit to you the following questions that our God in His goodness and lovingkindness has provided very clear answers to in His word. Please do not go another day without being able to answer these questions. Your eternal destiny, joy and/or untold misery is at stake.

1.        When I die is it all over?  Will I just decay and that’s it?

·      “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,” Hebrews 9:27    

·       “So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.” Romans 14:12

2.        Are there many ways to God?

·      “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 14:12                          

·      “I even I, am the Lord, And there is no Savior besides Me.” Isaiah  43:11

·       “Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:2      

·        “….For there is no Savior besides Me.” Hosea 13:4        

·      “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13,14 

·      “Jesus said to him, “ I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” John 14:6                   

·       “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” I Timothy 2:5

3.        What is sin and how pervasive and serious is it? How does God feel about it?

• "For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You. The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes..." Psalm 5:4,5

·      “And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous.” Psalm 143:2   

·       “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God,” They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; There is no one who does good. God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there is anyone who understands, who seeks after God. Every one of them has turned aside; together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one.” Psa. 53:1-3  

·      “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick, who can understand it?” Jeremiah 17:9

• "But because of your stubborness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:" Romans 2:5,6

·       “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

• "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spreads to all men, because all sinned." Romans 5:12

·      “For the wages of sin is death,…” Romans 6:23

·      “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.”  I John 1:8

·      “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.” I John 3:4

4.        How can I get saved/delivered from my sin and be made right with God?  What is my responsibility?               

·      “I tell you no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” Luke 13:3, 

·       “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,” John 1:12;    

·       “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My Word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” John 5:24

·      “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”   John 10:9

·      “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;” Acts 3:19

·      “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;” Romans 10:9

5.        What has to happen to a person (by God) to be assured of eternal life or of right standing with God?                                                                                                                                                          

·       “…Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3                 

·       “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3                       

·       “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.” Romans 8:16

6.        What will God look for or expect when each of us has to stand before Him?  And will we be able to negotiate if we are found wanting?            

·      “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless.” Matthew 22:11,12

·      “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” I John 5:12

Dear Reader: I have intentionally not commented on the above questions because each of us needs the faith and personal conviction that can only come when we personally grapple with and respond to what God Himself has said in His word. More questions and answers are coming. May the Holy Spirit open your heart and mind to the glorious good news of our Lord Jesus Christ and may you cling to Him for the rest of your days in Jesus’s name, Amen!