God wants us all to be with Him in His paradise (2 Peter 3:9) but not everyone will go there (Matthew 7:21) because God is Holy (perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character). We are not (Romans 3:23 and 5:12). God can not allow anyone that is not as holy as He is into His paradise because we are contaminated with sin (John 3:3). Sin is self-willed and rebellious thoughts, attitudes and actions against a Holy God (1 Samuel 15:23 † Galatians 5:19-21). Sin is in all of us and leads many to the depths of depravity (Jeremiah 17:9). That is why we see so much violence world wide against men, women and children including rape, robbery, murder just to name a few. Sin is also why we have wars, famine, disease and death (Genesis 6:5, 6). These are just some of the things we must be “saved” from (Matthew 24:22). It is no wonder that God can not allow any sin in His paradise or even in His presence.
History has proven that we can not save ourselves from self destruction so we must have someone who is able to do it for us (Matthew 24:22); a Savior if you will and since sinful mankind is the problem we must have a sinless Savior or it won’t work.
For those who believe they have no sin (1 John 1:8) and do not need saving, let’s take a little test. If God were to judge whether or not to let you into His paradise based only on your ability to keep His Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) would you be found innocent or guilty?
1) Thou (you) shalt have no other gods before me (example: money, career, education, people, children, or self, false gods and religions, etc.)
2) Thou shalt not make unto thee (yourself) any graven image (example: idols, opinions of what you think God is like, etc.)
3) Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy (your) God in vain (example: using God or Jesus' name as a curse word, falsely professing to be Christian, etc.)
4) Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy (New Testament example: being part of the body of Christ in a local Bible believing church, not thinking our own thoughts or doing our own pleasure on the sabbath, etc.)
5) Honor thy father and thy mother (example: respecting, loving, blessing, obeying your parents; including step and adoptive parents, etc.)
6) Thou shalt not kill (example: murder, abortion, hating others, etc.)
7) Thou shalt not commit adultery (example: sex with someone other than your spouse, sex outside of marriage, looking with lust at someone else, etc.)
8) Thou shalt not steal (example: robbery, taking anything that is not yours - even a paperclip, stealing time from an employer, etc.)
9) Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor (example: telling a lie no matter how small, etc.)
10) Thou shalt not covet (example: to desire that which belongs to someone else, etc.)
God said that if we violate any one of these then we are guilty of them all (James 2:10). Honest people readily admit that they have failed in at least one of these.
So what does this mean? It means that we are all guilty of sin and deserve to be punished. The only just and right punishment for crimes against a Holy God is death (Ezekiel 18:20 † Romans 6:23). God warned the first man what the consequence would be if he sinned (Genesis 2:17). That first sin has since been passed on to every human (Romans 5:12) and has become our very nature.
Some would say that the punishment does not fit the crime but to a Holy God it does. God does not want His perfect paradise infected or contaminated with sin (go back and read what sin is).
So I have sinned…now what? God said that the judgment of death will be executed by casting you into an eternal hell and then later into the lake of fire at the Great White Throne Judgment Day of Almighty God where all will give an account of their life (Revelation 20:11-15).
Some say hell won’t be so bad…after all most of their friends will be there, too. Hey man, it will be a great party…woo-hoo! Not so fast, friend, you have been lied to and made fool of. The devil is laughing at you, too.
God said that hell will be horrible with unbearable heat and thirst and torment (Luke 16:19-31). There will be weeping (uncontrolled crying), wailing (loud cries of sorrow), gnashing of teeth (striking the teeth together, as in anger, rage or pain).
The darkness will be so great that it will be felt (Exodus 10:21) and the cries and screams and the stench of the eternal burning flesh of others will be the only way you will know your friends are there. Hell was created for the devil and his angles (Matthew 25:41). People who hate God or just simply reject or ignore His free gift of eternal life will be sent there, too (John 3:18). There will be no second chance or way to change your mind — no amount of begging, crying or pleading with God will get you out of hell. It is a one-way ticket. God is giving you every opportunity to avoid Hell and go to paradise. Only God knows how many opportunities you have left so this is one decision that you do not want to ignore or get wrong.
How do I know any of this is true? After all, isn’t the Bible written by just a bunch of men that don’t have a clue? Aren’t there many ways to God? Not hardly (Matthew 7:13-14 † John 14:6 † Acts 4:10-12). There is more evidence to validate that the scripture is God’s Word to man than there are books to print it in but there is no room here for that (Romans 1). However, consider this, if scripture is wrong and you die, you have lost nothing but if you are wrong then you have lost everything and will suffer for it forever with no hope. Only a fool would say there is no God (Psalm 14:1 and 53:1). For Dying Testimonies Of Saved And Unsaved check this out: www.cuttingedge.org/shaw