J.C. Ryle

"When a man’s heart is cold and unconcerned about religion – when his hands are never employed in doing God’s work – when his feet are not familiar with God’s ways – when his tongue is seldom or never used in prayer and praise – when his eyes are blind to the beauty of the kingdom of heaven – when his mind is full of the world, and has no room for spiritual things – when these marks are to be found in a man the word of the Bible is the right word to use about him, and that word is, ‘Dead.’”

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Can You Handle the Truth?

Dear Friends --

If I had asked you two years ago if I had died would I have gone to heaven or hell what would you have said? How about one year ago? More than likely you would have said without a doubt I would have gone to heaven. You would have thought there is no way that me a good person who doesn’t say bad words or drink and goes to church would have gone anywhere else. How would you know for sure?

How much would it have mattered to you really?

Would it alarm you if I told you that without a doubt for a time I was not living for the Lord with all my heart? The fact is I am not a good person. “God looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Psalm 53:2-3).

I was not living the born again life that is required to receive the kingdom of God (John 3:3). I was not consistently repenting of my sins and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who gave me life. I was floating along with good intentions but not really following Him. I was lying, I was putting other things before the Lord, I was an adulterer at heart, and I wasn’t keeping the Sabbath holy. Most of all, I wasn’t fighting to keep these things that the Lord commands we must if we love Him out of my life.

To inherit everlasting life you must fully surrender to the Lord. “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) You might think wow that’s great for you….but I’m fine. How do you know you are fine? That’s what I thought too. You might say, “I know in my heart that everything is okay.” How can you trust your heart when the Lord says the heart is deceitfully wicked? Do you think you are a good person? Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever taken God’s name in vain? Have you looked with lust at another person? Is the Lord the most important thing in your life? Have you kept the Sabbath holy? The Bible says all liars will have their part in the lake of fire and that all fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, drunkards, thieves, greedy, slanderers and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God.

How much does it matter to you? Your eternal salvation and mine matters to me. I care about it greatly and know that it is my duty out of love and concern to speak the truth. Our Lord and Savior cares even more. He wants you to love Him. He wants you with Him for eternity. This is why He died a bloody death on the cross to forgive us of our sins. He forgives anything we have done no matter how large or small. Our choice is whether we are we going to turn away from sin completely and not look back and to put our trust in the Lord. That is the difference between life and death.

Would you sell one of your eyes for a million dollars? I wouldn’t. My sight is precious to me. How much more important then is your soul that looks out of those eyes? Today is the day of true repentance. Today is the day of salvation.

See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? (Hebrews 12:25)

Have you turned your life over to Him with the full knowledge that you are going to heaven when you die?

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

Repent. Trust and believe.

Need help regarding true Christianity? Read the book of 1 John in the Bible. Also, if you need some help on where to start with repentance read and pray Psalm 51.



I love and care for each one of you. To Him be the glory.

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