"Rejection of Jesus Christ"

Victory Can Be Yours!

Article #44 – “Rejection of Jesus Christ”

            Last week we established that our eternal destiny would be with God if we believe in Jesus Christ.  This week we want to look at our eternal destiny if we do not believe in Jesus Christ.  The result of making the wrong decision will place us in a place of eternal torment.  Let’s explore briefly what that means for those who reject Jesus Christ.

            In the NASB, Hell is mentioned 13 times in 13 verses, ten of which are by Jesus Himself.  Hades, Sheol, and death are mentioned several times in the Old Testament but few times in the New Testament.  We will only deal with Hell because we are interested in the eternal destiny of unbelievers.  Hell is also described in the Bible as; unquenchable fire, the blackness of darkness, furnace of fire, torment in fire and brimstone, the smoke of their torment, the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, where their worm does not die, the place prepared for the devil and his angels.  Unger’s Bible Dictionary says, “There is no doubt that Holy Scripture requires us to believe in a properly so-called place of punishment.”  Hell is not only a place of punishment but of eternal, everlasting punishment.

            “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them.  And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.  Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire.  This is the second death, the lake of fire.  And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Rev. 20:11-15)  For those who chose to reject Jesus Christ, God will not find their name written in the book of life and their eternal destiny will be the lake of fire.

            There are many passages of Scripture that teach us about the decisions that we make.  The most important of all the decisions is the one leading to our eternal destiny.  If we choose to believe as Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life,” (John 6:47) our name will be written in the Lamb’s book of life and our eternal life will be with God.  If a person chooses to reject Jesus and continue in unbelief, his/her name will not be found in the Lamb’s book of life and their eternal destiny will be everlasting punishment in the lake of fire.  The time for that choice, if you have not already made it, is now before it is too late for tomorrow may never come.

            You too can have victory in Jesus!  More to follow.

Lowell Parrish