Sometimes a little, ordinary sentence can change everything. It’s hard to push past the clouds of a billion different perspectives, and the multitude of voices that ring with heartfelt emotion as they reason their stand for or against one thing or another.

And then..one sentence can bring truth home to take its place in our hearts.

“The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”-1 Corinthians 6:9

That’s pretty straightforward. It leaves no room for argument, really.

The kingdom of God is a place of love, beauty, and relationship eternally with our Creator who loves us deeply. It’s life as we know it in the most amazing, amplified existence possible. No death, no sin, no pain, no sickness, no Wal-Mart. There’s food, and friends, and most importantly, there’s walking around arm in arm with Jesus. I want that inheritance.

Ok. so if the unrighteous will NOT be in heaven, then who are the unrighteous? Every single person on earth.  How do you get to a place of righteousness, or literally, “right-ness” with God? No one is more deserving than another. It’s only through coming under the authority of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus (God in the flesh), came to earth to show God’s love toward us and also God’s grief over the sin that destroys people and pulls them away. Both were demonstrated in his death on the cross. Someone had to suffer the consequences for our sin. Jesus volunteered. Anyone who decides that he is the real deal can get a clean slate and stand as “righteous” before the throne of God. No matter what you’ve done, if you are still breathing, it’s not too late. It requires everything you’ve got, but I promise, what he replaces it with will be a source of unending joy.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” -John 3:16

Let’s talk about the alternative. I have to be honest. There’s a lot of people who are not going to choose God over doing life their way. A lot of them fill church pews every Sunday. If your conscience hasn’t changed since you’ve become a Christian, you’re not a Christian. If you don’t love and help people, how can the Spirit of God be in you?  It’s not always overnight, and we all fall down at times. However, if you don’t feel any different, or act any different, you’re probably not. Wearing a cross necklace doesn’t hide who you really are. Change is inevitable in a changed heart. Duh.
“Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine”. -2 Corinthians 13:5.

The alternative is eternity apart from God and his good gifts. It’s a choice. Maybe you don’t understand why God doesn’t want you to do certain things. For me, I see the incredible love God has for us, and I know I can trust him. God’s word is his love letter to us. Look into it. Ask him to show you who he is.

“They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.”- 2 Thessalonians 2:10

Maybe you don’t believe in life after death, or you think you’ve got plenty of time to figure it out later. What if you’re wrong?  You are dying.

When someone hands you the cure, take it.

Ang

This photo made me catch my breath because shortly after my miscarriage when I was 23, I asked God to give me a dream of my daughter and I saw her in different stages of her life, always with Jesus. This picture looks exactly like what he showed me, down to the up-do and white dress.