What Would You Say?

“Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.” (Romans 14:10b NLT)

In order to get an understanding of what someone believes about whether or not they are going to heaven, I will sometimes ask: “If you were to die today and stand before God and He were to ask you: ‘Why should I let you into My perfect heaven?’ what would you say?” What do you think the most common response is? “Because I’m a good person.”

The truth is, when that day comes, the Lord will already know who’s going to heaven and who isn’t. Matthew records Jesus’ words in 24:31: “And He will send out His angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather His chosen ones from all over the world – from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.”

So why would I even raise the question? Because the trumpet hasn’t yet sounded, and I don’t want anyone to miss heaven because they don’t understand what God expects of them. Today Satan has so many deceived into believing that if they say a prayer and “ask Jesus into their heart,” they’re good. Grace will cover the rest. They can live their lives unchanged, believing they are “saved.”

Grace is a wonderful gift from God, but it doesn’t give salvation to unrepentant sinners.

We tend to treat sin like rolling through a stop sign. We get in the habit of making a quick glance and if the coast is clear, we don’t come to a complete stop. I heard about a police officer who stopped a guy who rolled through a stop sign. The guy said: “But I slowed down.” So, the officer pulled him out of his car and started beating him with a stick, then asked: “Do you want me to slow down or stop?” Do I need to tell you that’s a joke? 😊

What’s my point? God takes our sin a lot more seriously than we do. Our “rolling stops” cost Jesus His life and that’s not a small matter. Our “white lies,” casual flirtations, gossip, dishonesty, dwelling on evil thoughts, ungodly lifestyles, and on and on it goes. “But I can’t stop!”

Years ago that was the cry of my heart! Lust was eating me alive, and I hated myself for it. I understand the power of addiction and it’s gut wrenching, but at some point, I had to allow the Lord to do in and on my behalf what I couldn’t do for myself. How so?

We think it’s a “secret.” We want to believe we’re not hurting anyone, but what we don’t realize is that every second we commit to whatever our “secret sin” of choice is, is a second we’re not committing to the fulfillment of God’s purposes in our life. It’s precious time we’re pushing away those we’re wanting to be closest to; it’s time we’re redirecting our mind, heart, and energy into something destructive and unhealthy. With God’s help we could be pouring the same effort into allowing our relationships with those we love the most to become richer, more fulfilling, and more God-honoring.

Do you want to know my “wake up call?” I was preparing to leave on a mission’s trip with my then 15-year-old daughter, and my wife said to me: “I’ll let you know when you return whether or not I’m leaving you.” For me it was too late. She chose to leave. But now, by God’s grace and with His powerful presence with me every second, I’ve learned to train my eyes and ears to let the Lord direct them. Does that mean I never have another lustful thought? On occasion, but I don’t permit my mind to dwell on them.

Martin Luther wisely said: “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair”

Food for thought!

Blessings, Ed 😊