Where Will You Spend Eternity? By Ron Boatwright

Our soul is worth more than the whole world and everything in it. Jesus says in Matthew 16:26, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Our soul is the part of us that is going to live on forever and ever throughout all eternity. Jesus says concerning the lost, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life" (Matthew 25:46). Everlasting punishment in Hell and eternal life in Heaven will both be forever and ever, without end. We cannot afford to lose our soul and be eternally punished in Hell.

If you were to die today do you know for certain, without a doubt, that you would go to Heaven? We will not accidentally go to Heaven. This is a question about which we cannot afford to be wrong, because eternity is very permanent. One day each of us will know the true answer to this question, "For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ" (Romans 14:10). Every one of us have two appointments that have already been made for us and that we will definitely keep. They are, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). These two appointments: death and judgment cannot be canceled; we will keep them.

The Bible says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Proverbs 14:12). Our feelings are not a safe guide, but only the Bible is. We must not make an error concerning our eternal salvation in following what "seems right" to us, or that we "feel in our hearts we are saved". We will not have a second chance on the Day of Judgment to make things right. We have to get it right in this life. We are told in Amos 4:12, "Prepare to meet your God". On Judgment Day we will be either prepared or unprepared. Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. We cannot hope or wish our way into Heaven.

The Lord doesn't want anyone to be lost. God "desires all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth" (2 Timothy 2:4). If one is lost in Hell, he will only have himself to blame, but the majority of people will be eternally lost. Jesus warns us in Matthew 7:13-1.4 to, "Enter by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." This gets my attention. Jesus says the vast majority of people will end up being eternally lost in Hell and only few saved. Sadly the majority of people are walking the wide road into eternal damnation and don't realize it. We must take this warning from God very seriously.

This earthly life is so short, but eternity is forever and ever without end. God's word says, "Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even as a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (James 4:14).