No Such Thing as In Between

If you are married or ever have been, you are familiar with those two little words that say volumes: "I Do". Those words don't mean "maybe" or "I'll think about it". They mean, Yes, I do. If you are at the altar and decide not to say them, you are making a choice to say "No, I don't". There isn't any in between. Do you realize that this is the same situation with God? If you don't say "I do" to God you are saying "I don't". It is a clear and concise rejection of Him. Yet most people don't understand or see this as rejection. They may say, "Well, I do believe in God, I just don't believe that He has control over my life", or "Yes, there is a God, but I am not a sinner and therefore I don't need to believe that Jesus lived, died and rose, for me". Unfortunately, these comments are a firm and flat out "No" to the offer that God has made to every person, for forgiveness and relationship with Him.

Where do you fit into this picture? Have you gladly accepted the gift of His love, grace, mercy and righteousness through the blood of Jesus? Or are you being deceived by the Father of Lies by thinking that you are a-okay right where you are: That you have never consciously denied Jesus, therefore you are in the middle, safe from hell, yet you get to live as you choose? Well, there is no such place. God makes it clear in His Word, you are either on the side of Jesus or against Him. I guess the example of wedded vows fails in this era because living together has become an acceptable lifestyle and in a way, it is middle ground. No firm "I do's" were cited yet in most daily situations, things flow along as if vows had been exchanged. That is of course until you want insurance as a married couple, you try to file joint taxes, you want to have a child with the same last name, etc. Then these things start to expose the true reality that there wasn't a joining as one, as God had originally planned. Maybe this example still fits, because as you live your life trying to be "in the middle" with God, things start to expose the true reality that you are not committed to Him and that you are living a lie, pretending to be on His side.

So again I ask you: Where do you stand? Are you choosing God by believing on Jesus as your righteousness before God, or denying God by denying this need to be cleansed from sin? There is no in between, no middle ground. It's either "I do" or you don't. I will leave you with this thought: If Jesus' blood was not necessary for our redemption and payment for our sin, why would an innocent Man, whom by the way Pilate agreed was innocent, have given His life for the very same people who tortured and crucified Him? No one in their right mind would do that unless it was necessary to fulfill God's ultimate plan. AND no one except God Himself has the power or authority to have victory over death and atone for our sin. Apathy is not an option with God!

Heaven...Guaranteed?

Heaven. Is it a real place or is it just a figment of our imaginations? If it is a real place, do all people go there and if not, who does? Do I get there by being "good" or by going to church? More importantly, can I have complete assurance that I will be going to heaven or is my place in eternity something that I'll discover when I die? These questions are on the minds of millions of people throughout the world. A recent news headline profiled Heaven and the possible answers to these questions. In fact I, myself, have asked them previously. So let me ask you: Do you know where you are going when you die? Do you understand that you CAN have complete assurance of your final destination?

With Easter being a few days away, I thought that I would join the many other groups and individuals who are pondering the life and death of Jesus. Even the secular television stations are examining His historical journey. It is a common thing both this time of year and around the Christmas season, for people to contemplate His existence. Why is He a curiosity during those times of the year but the rest of the year a forgotten and obscure historical figure? Obviously the two celebratory days are based on His life; however, commercialism and secular society have changed them into the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. But let us look right now, to the factual and truthful events that brought about Easter.

Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus but what does that truly mean and why did He have to die? Even though Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God in the Garden of Eden, God was not finished with mankind. He still desired to have a relationship with us and had the perfect plan for restoration. The only way for this to happen was for the proper payment to be made for their sin. Sadly enough death is the wage of sin and therefore someone had to die. Unfortunately the only way for redemption was through a perfect sacrifice; something no person could be due to the "sin DNA" we as a race acquired from our "original" parents. So in God's wisdom, sovereignty and love He became man in the flesh, aka Jesus, and was therefore a suitable sacrifice for the atonement of Man's sin. If Jesus had not chosen to die there would have been no payment made, and had He not risen from the grave, there would be victory over death and His crucifixion would have been in vain. It is only because He was God the Son who lived, died AND rose again that we have the opportunity for eternal life in heaven.

Now, as for the "How do I know that's where I am going" part: There is no trick, no test or even a difficult level of "goodness" that you have to reach to obtain a seat in the glorious Kingdom of Heaven. God knows our weaknesses and knows that there is no possible way that we could be good enough. Hence the role that Jesus played; our righteousness! It amazes me how many people understand that Jesus was God and died on the cross for their sins, yet they can't answer the question emphatically, "Yes, I am going to heaven when I die!" I suppose it feels too easy for some people. Maybe others out there don't think that they need God's righteousness because they have lived good lives. I know some who struggle with the idea their loved ones who have passed, to their knowledge, never believed in Jesus while they lived. This leads them to the cold, hard truth that those loved ones may be in hell. Whatever the reason, people have a hard time accepting this awesome and beautiful gift. Our God is the perfect Father who loves us beyond our comprehension. Why would He make it difficult for us to spend eternity with Him? Why would He make it too complicated to understand? He doesn't!

I truly find more joy in Resurrection Day, aka Easter, than I do in Christmas. Yes, Jesus had to be born to die, but there really isn't any doubt that He lived. On the other hand, He had to rise to be my propitiation and that is the foundation for my faith. So, if you are not one hundred percent certain that you are going to spend eternity in heaven with our Lord and Savior, Jesus, might I suggest that you seek God in prayer and ask Him to show you where you are mistaken. Either you haven't truly believed in His blood for your sins or you are being lied to by the Father of Lies and you need to hear the truth from God. It is a simple thing really, to know with a certainty like none other, that you are heaven bound. It is my prayer that each person reading this, will today, find the comfort and assurance of salvation that God offers. So, I ask you again: Do you know where you are going when you die?

Note: Please see the Prayer of Assurance at the bottom of this page if you have any doubts about where you are headed.