There Are Answers

But nobody is asking the right questions. What should I study in school to have a good career? Where should I live? What kind of car should I buy? These are all good questions. But in the big picture, they’re not important.

The value of these questions is dependent on your worldview. If you’re one who believes things like “there is no God” or “I’m in control of my life” or the worst one, “I’ll think about God when I’m settled in a career, married, and have a family,” then this post is especially for you.

So what is the right question?

The most important question you need to answer is, “Where will I spend eternity?” I know many don’t believe there is anything after death. And there are those who believe all religions lead to God. And still others believe that because they’ve led a “good” life, God will have to let them into heaven.

If you’ve read any of my other posts, you know that the only “proof text” I use is the Bible. If you don’t accept this book as the inspired, infallible, inerrant word of God, then you won’t buy any of my arguments. But if you’re openly searching for truth, then you’re in the right place. Keep reading.

The first step

on this path is to accept the fact that there is a God. The Bible says, “In the beginning, God…” (Gen. 1:1) The beginning of what? Time. Hours, days, years, etc. It’s hard to wrap our minds around anything that transcends time because it’s all we know. We’re born. We live so many years. We die. The first step of faith is to believe in the right God. But that step is not blind. You just have to look around to see God either in or behind everything.

The rest of the first verse of the Bible says, “…created the heavens and the earth.” Belief in the statistically impossible rather than belief in the living God, doesn’t seem to make sense; that something as intricate and marvelous as our universe evolved from slime. Even if that was true, where did the slime come from? And isn’t it a lot more reasonable to believe in an all-powerful, all-knowing God who designed creation then spoke it into existence, than that everything that lives plants, animals and especially humans evolved from the same slime?

The Bible says,

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” (Rom. 1:18-20)

You don’t have to look any farther than your bathroom mirror. The crowning glory of God’s creation is staring back at you. Take any part of your body: eyes, nose, hands, you pick. Now consider the anatomical functions of the body, all controlled by the brain. And what about the body’s self-healing properties? Evolution? It takes a lot of denial of the obvious to believe in some of the presuppositions of the theory of evolution..

The next step

is to embrace His Word, the Bible. Using men to actually pen the words inspired by the Holy Spirit, it took about 1,500 years to complete from the first book (Genesis) to the last book (Revelation). Every word was inspired by God the Holy Spirit. It is the only book (actually a collection of 66 books) written by around 40 men over many centuries, that never contradicts itself. The Bible says, “Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” (Prov. 30:5)

Every prophecy made in Scripture that has already been fulfilled, was fulfilled exactly. The measure of a prophet of God is 100% accuracy 100% of the time. That’s why we can believe the prophecies made but not yet fulfilled. And there are many dealing with the final days of earth.

Let’s move on.

The Bible is very clear about life after death. It says, “it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27) And another, “now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).

The Bible also confirms that there are only two destinations: heaven and hell. Just the descriptions of both should be enough to make our decision as to where we want to spend eternity. But, unfortunately, they don’t. Why? Because heaven requires sacrifice, obedience, humility, and trust. Hell is our default and doesn’t require anything. In fact, Satan would have you not ever think about heaven and hell.

Heaven requires

that we trust the work of someone else to get our name on the list of attendees. This requires humility to agree that I’m not good enough to do it on my own. But more than that, just admitting that I’m not good enough is not good enough. We have to understand our plight as a sinner, repent, and plead our case to the Judge of the universe, Jesus Christ. He’s the one who “did the work” that allows us into heaven. And that “work” was dying on a cross in our place. The Bible says, “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.” (Heb. 9:22)

Why is that important? God is holy and cannot tolerate sin. We sin. It separates us from God. Heaven is where God is. As sinful beings (we are, regardless of how good we think we are), there’s no way—on our own—to make it to heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6). There is only one way to heaven. Good deeds aren’t it. Big donations aren’t either. Religions that teach Jesus plus anything are heresy. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph. 2:8,9)

Fortunately, God is a God of love and mercy.

He designed a plan to allow us to be with Him forever. That plan was the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The good news is that we have options. We can accept and believe that Jesus died for my sin and submit our lives to His substitutionary payment for it. Or we can reject that truth, go on our merry way, and end up in hell, regretting for eternity that we didn’t take the free gift of life when available. Don’t wait. When you breathe your last breath, it’s over. Drop the curtain. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to anybody.

If anything you’ve just read

strikes a chord with you and you want to know more, visit our Steps to Salvation section in the back of this book. Or find a friend who knows Jesus or a Bible-believing church in your area and talk to the pastor. As always, thanks for reading.