When you enter a public building where someone is checking people in or assisting them, they may ask, “Do you know where you are going?” to help you get to the right place and save precious time. What a wonderful question to ask any person you meet.
So let me ask you: “Do you know where you are going?”
You see, God created you in His image, Genesis 1:27. And one day your eternity will start. Your soul and spirit will leave your body and live forever. The question is where?
You see, sin separates us from God. In Isaish 59:2 we learn, “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”
The Bible Broadcasting Network is celebrating 50 years in ministry this year, and they have a wonderful way to ask the same question. They have an ITL card. ITL stands for Invitation to Listen (or in the case of the BBN Bible Institute, Invitation to Learn www.bbnradio.org). Each card is about the size of a standard business card. You can request a group of 10 cards together in one packet, called a seed packet. On the front it has the call sign of the local station 88.1 WYFY, and on the back it asks, “If I die tonight, my soul will be in h________ tomorrow morning?
When you ask someone about their eternity, many people think everyone goes to Heaven. Unfortunately, that is not true. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. The God of the Bible is a gracious and loving God. However, He is also just. His justice means He cannot let any unrepentant sin go unpunished.
The scriptures teach God sent His only son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment and pay the penalty that was meant for us. Through this selfless sacrifice, we are given forgiveness when we pray and confess, and repent of our sin. This provides us with the opportunity to spend eternity in heaven. Everyone has the opportunity to accept this gift by repenting and admitting your need for a Savior then you are given eternal life.
Upon your earthly passing, you will go to Heaven. If you believe and repent of your sins and put your trust in Jesus Christ, you will spend eternity with Him. If you choose to reject or deny the Savior, you will not receive the great gift of eternal life in heaven.
Jesus answered and said unto him, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. So there you have it. You do not automatically go to Heaven when you die. We cannot earn our salvation; we are only saved by God’s grace when we have faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ knows you and loves you. If you choose to, you can pray and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and believe in his name, and believe that He died for your sins. Read the Bible and follow Him as the Lord of your life, from this day forward. God bless you and keep you in Jesus’ name.
Jeff Eschbaugh is the pastor of the Bethel Church, Mt. Zion Church and Salem Baptist churches. He also serves as the chaplain of the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Jeff Eschbaugh: Do you know where you will go upon your earthly passing?
Reporting by Jeff Eschbaugh, Special to the Daily Jeffersonian / The Daily Jeffersonian
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