If you change your language, your lifestyle, your habits, your attitude,…..if you change anything to please me,….you will still die and go to hell.

Someone has said probably more than once: One of these days I’m going to stop drinking, and cussing, and chasing women. Well, that would be a fine thing if you were to clean up your life, but cleaning up your life without first having faith in Christ will still end in hell.

You see it’s not about anything that you do. It’s about what Jesus Christ has already done. This is God’s grace.

Without faith it is impossible to please Him (God).* Faith is the gangplank used to board the ship of grace.**

Faith is a firm persuasion or conviction brought about by hearing the Word of God.***

Do you have a Bible? Do you read it? Why not?

…let the word of Christ dwell (take up its life) in you richly…

*Hebrews 11:6

**Author Unknown – Faith can be used to board the wrong ship. Faith in Christ’s merit alone is saving faith.

***W.E. Vines Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words – Copyright 1984, 1996, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN.

The Apostle Paul writing to the Corinthians:

For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it—for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while – I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us. 

For the sorrow* that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow* of the world produces death.  For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow*, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter. 

II Corinthians 7:8-11

*Sorrow – grief, pain, heaviness of mind.

*W.E. Vines Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words – Copyright 1984, 1996, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN.

The question to be asked is not: How can a loving God send anyone to hell? The question that should be asked is: How can a holy God let anyone into heaven?

There is a way.

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey. Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Matthew 3:1-17