Sunday, March 22, 2009

Hell Insurance, Part I of II

Hell Insurance, Part I of II
Nov 24, 2008
Romans 10:9 "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord"..."

Many people think they are going to Heaven and who am I to argue. Entrance to Heaven is very easy to attain but it is not based on what you might think. Getting to Heaven is not based on your behavior as a person. It doesn't matter what you did in life or whether you were a good person. It doesn't matter how much you volunteered or how much money you gave. There is a simple, yet not-so-simple, formula for getting into Heaven.

If you want to insure you stay away from the gates of Hell, the formula is this: "...confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Sounds simple, right? In fact, many people make this their prayer on their death bed and make it to Heaven. Anyone, anywhere, anytime, can make this their prayer and be saved from Hell. If it is so easy, then what's the catch?

The catch is this. You are confessing that "Jesus is Lord." This does not mean you are confessing He is Lord over this earth or Lord up in Heaven. When you confess this, you are saying He is Lord over YOUR life. You are confessing who is now in charge and control of your life; it is not you. If you say the right words yet retain control over your life, you will be going to Hell!

How can this be so? The Bible says very clearly that Satan knows exactly who Jesus is. Satan knows that God raised Jesus from the dead and knows He is Lord over everything. But Satan will never confess that Jesus is Lord over his own life. If you were to question the demons, they could testify that Jesus was raised from the dead and they know for a fact Jesus is Lord over everything, but Jesus is not Lord over their lives. Satan and his demons will not be going to Heaven.

The issue of lordship over your life is so important that you could be standing before God someday and Jesus might say, "I never knew you." This is not because He didn't know your name but because He didn't know you wanted Him to be Lord of your life. You can perform miracles in the name of Jesus, but if He is not Lord of your life, you will be going to Hell. It is estimated that more than 60% of people who call themselves a Christian will not make it to Heaven--all because they never made Jesus Lord over their lives.

If you have spent your whole life in church and never understood this, then it is time to give Jesus control over your life. You must let Him be Lord of EVERY area of your life. If you have been a Christian all your life but are taking back control, then it is time to get your life right. If Jesus is not Lord over your entire life, you will be going to Hell. If this devotional has given you doubt of your eternal salvation, you owe it to yourself to make sure Jesus is Lord over your life. Please, please, read the additional scriptures for study at the bottom of this page. I'd like to see you in Heaven someday.

1. Have you said the words but never given Jesus control over your life?
2. Have you been a Christian but are taking back control over your life?
3. Do you make Him Lord of your life, EVERYDAY?

Additional Scriptures for Study: Matt 7:22-24, Luke 9:23, Ephesians 2:9, Romans 10:10, Philippians 2:11, James 2:9, 2 Tim 1:9

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