Better Get It Right

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. - 1 John 5:11

Why wife and I served as missionaries in West Africa. While there, we met missionaries from a number of differing agencies. The stories of how they arrived were all different, but the destination was the same. Differing paths, same destination. Unfortunately, many in this world are deceived into believing that there are also similar paths to eternity with God.

Most people believe that they are going to live forever. Some believe they will live in an alternate state of consciousness; some believe that they will inherit their own planet; and some just aren't sure, but most people believe that they will live forever, somewhere. If pressed, I believe that most would also say they want to live forever in a place called heaven (as they define it).

Here is the question that every person must answer about the afterlife: "Do you want to live with God (as defined within the 66 canonical books of the Bible) forever?" Because if you want to live with Him, then there is only one way a person can do that. Jesus Christ is the source of life with God. There is no other. So, the aim and the means must both be right or eternity will be hell, not heaven.

The awful importance of this life is that it determines eternity. - William Barclay