Priceless Woman MinistriesPriceless Woman Ministries
Eternity. Do you ever wonder about what eternity is? Webster's dictionary defines it as: "the quality or state of being eternal (having infinite duration); infinite time; ages; the state after death; a seemingly endless or immeasurable time." Is it possible for man to even remotely comprehend eternity? I know that when I ponder "infinite time," it is nearly more than I can stand.
Take God for example. Did you know that God has not a beginning nor an end? Exodus 3:14: "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." Psalms 90:2: "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." Psalms 93:2: "Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting." God just IS. He always has been and always will be.
What does eternity mean to man though? Well, God gave man a soul, flesh, and a spirit. Now, when a man dies, this is what happens to his spirit and his flesh according to God's word: Ecclesiastes 12:7: "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."
That leaves the other part: a man's SOUL. My friend, the ETERNAL home of your soul is in YOUR hands.
You see, a man's life is very short. In fact, we are never promised a certain number of days or years to live upon this earth. Isaiah 40:7: "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass." Job 14:1 "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. 2: He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not." Psalms 103:15 "As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth." Psalms 90:10 "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." These are just a few examples of what God tells us of the days of man.
Why must man die? Because of Adam's sin. There is a curse upon this earth and all living things upon the earth. Genesis 2:17 "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." In case you don't know the story, Adam did indeed eat of that forbidden tree, and he died as must all men after him. Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"
But alas, your sinful and unrighteous soul cannot enter into the presence of God. Isaiah 59:1: "Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."
There is NOTHING you can do that will remove the stain of your sin my friend. Isaiah 64:6 says "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Romans 3:23: "For ALL have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
You see, God says that the price of your sinfulness is the death of your soul. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death;" Not just death of the body as we have already mentioned, but ETERNAL death of the soul. Now, that does not mean that your soul just vanishes, but it must suffer ETERNAL punishment in the lake of fire. John 3:16: "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." Notice that word "perish" in John 3:16. It means ETERNAL separation from a loving, merciful God.
Do you wonder WHERE? Matthew 25:41 tells us that "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:" EVERLASTING FIRE! Where worms will eat your flesh and the fire is NEVER quenched! Mark 9:44 "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Can you imagine INFINITE DURATION in a lake of fire that cannot be quenched? Not one single drop of water. You will be cut off from God, a God who takes not pleasure in a man who dies in his sin. Ezekiel 33:11 "Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" In fact, this verse very clearly states that God wants sinful, wicked man turn from his evil ways.
You may be asking now how that is possible. God says that there must be shedding of blood before forgiveness of sin is given: Hebrews 9:22: "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission." But, animal sacrifice never removed the burden of man's sin. Hebrews 10:4: "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
A long, long time ago a priest would enter into a very holy place called the Holy of Holies to offer a sacrifice to God on behalf of the people because of their sin. He had to do this very often. But the beautiful thing about Christ is that His sacrifice was so perfect that He only had to offer himself ONCE! Hebrews 9:25 "Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; 26: For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Praise God that by His sacrifice He put away sin.
He has made it possible for you to be reconciled to God. Romans 5:10: "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."
1 Peter 1:18: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19: But with the PRECIOUS BLOOD of Christ, as of a lamb WITHOUT BLEMISH and WITHOUT SPOT:"
Look back if you will to John 3:16 where it says "For God SO LOVED the world . . ." God loves man in spite of his wicked, sinful nature. And even though we don't naturally love Him, He, in His PERFECT love for us, sent His Son, Jesus, to take the punishment for our sins. 1 John 4:10 "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation (atoning sacrifice) for our sins." 1 John 2:2: "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
God wants to make your sins white as snow my friend. Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." How can He do that? There is only ONE way. John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." The ONLY way to be reconciled to God is by trusting in Jesus Christ.
Many, many verses tell us that by simply putting your faith in God's son, in the atoning sacrifice He made for man, that you can be made clean. Romans 3:22 "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:" Romans 3:28 "Therefore we conclude that a man is JUSTIFIED BY FAITH without the deeds of the law." Romans 5:1 "Therefore being JUSTIFIED BY FAITH, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" Galatians 3:26 "For ye are all the children of God BY FAITH IN Christ Jesus."
My friend, maybe you feel a nagging, a stirring, a terrible disturbance deep down in your soul. Could it be that God is calling you? Jesus promised that: John 12:32 "And I, if I be lifted up (crucified) from the earth, will draw all men unto me." Is the Holy Spirit doing His job of convicting you of your sin? John 16:8 "And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:"
Maybe you are as Lydia, and God is opening your understanding of the Gospel of Christ so that you might come to know Jesus. Acts 16:14 "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." I was once a follower of God, but, as Lydia, I didn't know Jesus.
The jailer asked Paul what he must do to be saved, and Paul told him: Acts 16:31 "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."
My friend, don't ignore God's calling. Down deep within your heart, do you believe that you are a sinner who can do nothing to rid yourself of the guilt of your sin? Do you believe that Jesus Christ left His home in Heaven, was born of a virgin upon this earth, shed His blood and died on a cross at Calvary, and was raised to life again after three days?
Romans 10:10 "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." God says in that verse that faith must come from the HEART. Do you believe with ALL your heart that the Lord Jesus Christ died for you so that you might be new? Do you now trust fully in Christ alone to remove completely the stain of your sin?
If you believed on Christ and have accepted the free gift of eternal life, won't you bow your head in prayer and confess this thing to God? The prayer does NOT save you, but God greatly desires for you to tell Him with your own mouth that you believe in the atoning sacrifice of His Son and that you have trusted in Him.
For those who are not quite sure, consider this. Romans 8:2: "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." The law of sin is that it brings death, and ALL have sinned. Friend, don't die in your sin. You are not promised tomorrow, not even the next minute. No man knows when he will die, only that he indeed WILL die. Hebrews 9:27: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Don't die and have to face God with the guilt of your sin. Won't you let Him make you free today?
If you have accepted God's free gift, please won't you send me email so that I can pray for you and help you get started in your new life?
Or, if you have any questions, please contact me by email.
P.S. Don't be fooled! All will either be judged for their sins (lost people) or for their works (born again people). Which category do you fit in?
© 1997 by Julia M. Faulkner