Testimony

I grew up in a Baptist church and at the age of 7, after answering "yes" to a series of questions that I didn't understand, the Pastor "pope-ishly" declared me "saved" and shortly thereafter was baptized. In my late 20's I would be baptized again under very similar circumstances. It was an emotionally charged service, I went forward, repeated a prayer and asked Jesus to "come into my heart". One week later I was baptized... again. I thought I was doing everything right, but looking back, there was no evidence of God's changing presence in my life. None. Despite my "profession of faith" I continued to live in rebellion toward God, but believing (in my deceived mind) that I was going to heaven when I died. Throughout the years of drunkeness and riotous living, it was only the grace of God that kept me alive. Had I died, my soul would have been cast into hell for all of eternity. I would have received exactly what I deserved.

What happens when we die? Contrary to the teaching of Roman Catholicism, purgatory does not exist. The bible teaches there's a heaven and there's a hell. We all like to talk about heaven and think of its glorious splendor, but what about hell? Christ preached far more about hell than He did about heaven and there's not a person in this world who hasn't heard of it. Christ Himself warned us about it, He warned us!

In Matthew 13 Christ described hell as a fiery furnace.

Matt 13:41-42 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

In Matthew 18 hell is described by Christ as a place of fire. A place where there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth!

Matt 18:7-9 "Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! (8) And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. (9) And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.

Even still, you're no different than I was! Regardless all of the people God has placed in your path who have told you about sin, who have shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ with you... although you know what the Bible says about it, you remain unmoved, unchanged and unclean before a holy God.

Just like I had, you have bought into the false gospel of TOTAL love and TOTAL grace, completely lacking repentance and total submission to Christ. If you think you are good enough to be accepted by a God so holy sinful men die in His very presence, you are deceived... just like I was.

When God reached down and saved me, He opened my eyes to the sin in my life and I began to hate the very sin I used to love. A great many of you today cling closely to your sin. Christ warned us in Luke 13:3 that unless we repent, turn from our sin and turn to Him, that we will perish; YET you cannot bear the thought turning from the sin in your life and are therefore relying on your own self-righteousness to enter heaven. If that describes you, you must know there is no forgiveness of sins for you. Why? Because according to Romans 5:6, God only justifies the ungoldly. Until you see your need to repent and be forgiven by God, you will NEVER cry out to Him for mercy and forgiveness, never.

I would like to help you see that need.

The bible defines sin for us in 1 John 3:4 as "transgression of the law". Sin is breaking God's law, the 10 Commandments. Have YOU broken them? God's standard is absolute perfection in thought, word and deed. The Bible teaches that breaking just one of God's laws is enough to condemn a person to hell for eternity.

Gal 3:10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them."

You have broken God's law if you have ever lied, stolen, used God's name in vain, desired something that didn't belong to you, or disobeyed your parents... just to name a few. If you've done any of these things even once in your entire life, the Bible says in Galatians 3:10 you are "cursed"! You've missed your chance at perfection and there are no second changes because there is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of blood. On Judgment Day you will stand guilty of crimes against Almighty God and be found as an "unclean thing" (Isa 64:6) and cast into the lake of fire.

Isa 64:6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like filthy rags. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

But, you say that impossible, no one can live up to that standard! You're wrong, one man did.

The Gospel

2000 years ago, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, was born of a virgin, unstained by sin, lived the perfect life that YOU can't. He fulfilled the law that YOU continue to break and though He was hated by men, He laid down His life for His people.

Joh 10:18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again.

He was nailed to a tree, sacrificed to pay YOUR sin debt, God's wrath that kindled against YOU was poured out on HIM. He died on that cross, was buried and rose again 3 days later defeating death.

Listen closely. Today the message is "come to me". Christ says in Mat 11:28, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest". One day the message will be "depart from me, I never knew you". Christ says in Mat 7:22 that many will say to Him on that day, LORD, LORD... have we not done many good works in Your name... and He will say to them, "depart from me, you worker of lawlessness, I never knew you". Then from that great white throne the last words they will hear are these, "bind him and foot and cast him into outer darkeness! In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Mat 22:13)

If today you have seen your need for God's forgiveness like never before, I plead with you to cry out to Him for mercy. Today is the day of salvation. There is forgiveness of sins, but that forgiveness is found only in repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone.

John 3:16 says, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Repent of your sins and beg Him for forgiveness. The Bible says that God does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked, but wants all men everywhere to repent for He has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness. I plead with you today, repent, turn from your sin and put your faith in Jesus Christ. Put your trust in Him alone with your eternity. Get a Bible if you don't have one, read it daily, and obey it.