Navarre Messenger

January 25, 2009

In this issue:  You Don't Have to go to Heaven  by Nathan Brewer

A Call to Morality by Rod Halliburton

No God, No Wories? by Steve Higginbotham

Tragic! by Kevin Cauley

A booklet version in PDF format is available by clicking here.

You Don't Have to go to Heaven

No one can make you go to heaven. You won't be dragged into heaven against your will kicking and screaming. No matter how hard people try to get you to go, God won't let it happen if you don't want it to. Many of you would rather sleep an extra hour or two on Sunday morning than worship God. You're an adult. No one can make you acknowledge God's existence against your will. So if you'd rather not get involved in spiritual matters — if you'd rather not worship your Creator — God won't make you.

If you'd rather ignore the sacrifice that Jesus made for you when He died for your sins, you can. No one is stopping you. If you're one of those who likes to drink alcohol or have sexual relations outside of marriage, God isn't going to make you stop. He'll let you behave the way you want to while you're alive. Maybe you had to live by your parents' strict rules when you were younger, but not now. No, no one can make you stop living a sinful life. That's the thing about serving God — it's completely up to us. It's a choice we're allowed to make. We don't have to do it. God doesn't force anyone to serve Him. In fact, God doesn't force anyone to do anything. He gave humans free will. He allows us to choose what to do with our lives. So if you like cussing, God will let you do it. If you like telling dirty jokes and ripping out vulgar words, God won't stop you from doing it, even though He hates filthy speech.

Your mother may have tried to teach you the Bible when you were young, but you don't have to listen to her anymore. Maybe a preacher has talked to you about your soul, but now that you're grown, you can ignore him. Besides, you probably think it's none of his business what you do with your life. Maybe your spouse has begged you to attend Bible study and worship, or to give up sinful activities. But, hey, you're your own person now. No one can tell you what to do. Now I know what you might be thinking. You think, "Well maybe I do some of those things, but I'll still make it to heaven." First of all, if you don't want to worship God, if you don't care much for Bible study, and if you like dabbling in sin, why would you want to go to heaven? Heaven is a spiritual place with spiritual activities. Those who go to heaven will spend their time praising God, and that sounds a lot like worship. And there certainly won't be any drinking, womanizing, and carousing in heaven. No filthy language will be allowed. That doesn't sound like your kind of place.

And, second, you can't have your cake and eat it too. God lets you choose to live the way you want in this life, and He lets you choose to spend eternity in hell. How you live while you're alive determines your soul's destiny. God demands total devotion to Him in this life if we want to spend the next life with Him. In Luke 9:23 Jesus says that anyone who follows Him must deny himself every day. That means we have to suppress fleshly desires that keep us from doing what He says. It means we have to follow Him completely — not when it's convenient or when we feel like it. It means we can't pick and choose which parts of His word to obey. It means total devotion.

In Luke 9:24, Jesus sums it up. He says that if we follow our own desires, we'll lose our soul. But if we live completely for Him in this life, we'll gain eternal life. And the choice is up to you. It's up to each of us. Jesus paid the price. The way of salvation has been revealed. Now we have to decide whether we'll live for Him in this life, or whether we'll live for ourselves. No one can make you serve God, and no one can make you go to heaven. But on Judgment Day, will those who tried to get you to live right enter into eternal rest and joy while you descend into everlasting torment and sorrow? Don't let that happen. Choose to serve God now. ~

Nathan Brewer, Elk City, OK
via Gospel Preceptor
 

A Call to Morality

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth in order to issue a call to morality. Whenever we read the book of I Corinthians, it becomes readily apparent that the church at Corinth was experiencing a number of problems. One of which was the immoral behavior of many of the members there. Let’s examine the following, from I Corinthians 6:9-11.

First, consider the pollution of sin. Fornicators - a person who indulges in illicit sexual intercourse, idolaters – those who turn from God to the sin of idolatry, particularly as it relates to the sins of the flesh, adulterers – person who has sexual intercourse with another person’s spouse (notice the distinction between fornicator and adulterer; although either sin will keep a person out of heaven, there is a sense in which adultery is the worse sin because it is through adultery that families are broken up and a third party is irretrievably injured; when a man commits adultery he is telling his children their father is a liar and a cheat, his own pleasure means more to him than his children’s welfare, and his own satisfaction means more to him than their mother), effeminate – meaning soft or soft to the touch, used metaphorically in a bad sense to refer to those who make self indulgence the object of their life, abusers of themselves with mankind –homosexuals, thieves, covetous – those persons who are eager to have more, to have what belongs to others, greedy of gain, drunkards – habitually intoxicated, revilers - railers, extortioners – rapacious, given to robbery and extortion. When a place is heavily polluted, it cannot support life. Likewise, those who dwell in the pollution of sin cannot expect to have eternal life.

Second, consider the punishment that awaits those who persist in their sin. The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God (regardless of family background, family ties to the church, membership in local congregation, etc.). Rather these persons will spend eternity in hell, a place of everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:31-46); a lake of fire (Revelation 20:14-15); where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12); where there is no hope (Luke 16:26); where the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:47-48); prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

Third, consider the purifying that is made possible by Jesus’ blood. Notice Paul’s use of the past tense – such were some of you. Ye are washed (Acts 22:16; Revelation 1:5; I Peter 1:22). Ye are sanctified (I Corinthians 1:2). Ye are justified (Romans 5:1; Titus 3:7). Friends, the gospel has the power to change people! But we must also notice the danger of returning (II Peter 2:20-22). ~

Rod Halliburton
 

by Steve Higginbotham
October 24, 2008

The British Humanist Association has begun a "Bus Campaign" today. On the sides of British busses, they have printed the following, "There's Probably No God. Now Stop Worrying And Enjoy Your Life."

Well, there are many things I might say about this, but I will confine my remarks to just this thought. Convincing one there is no God is not reason to stop worrying, but rather gives one reason to worry!

Without God, ethics and morals are independent and autonomous. "Right" and "wrong" are determined in the mind of every individual. What right would one have to impose his ethics on another person? If there is no objective, God given standard, then logically, one could do as he pleased. Now that's the kind of world in which I would worry about living!

The British Humanist Association claims to represent people who have ethical concerns, but are non-religious. But that is the Achilles heel of atheism. Atheism provides no values, no code of ethics, no standard by which to measure any human conduct. If there is no God; if one is nothing more than a biological accident; if one is accountable to no one; if one is here today and gone tomorrow; then why shouldn’t one live as he chooses? What possible reason would one have to deny himself gratification in order to demonstrate love, patience, and compassion for others?

Contrary to the campaign slogan, you better start worrying if there is no God! ~

 

By Kevin Cauley
(Originally written April 21, 2007)

“We regret to inform you . . ." are the words that no parent or loved one wants to hear. Often times such words are followed by tragic and terrible news such as the injury or death of someone who is dear to us. Thirty-two times like words were spoken this past week to parents and relatives of the students who died at Virginia Tech. Many more times have such words been spoken to the loved ones of our brave soldiers fighting terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan. More words still are spoken by police to families of those who have died in auto accidents. (Our prayers are with them all.) In an information driven society, those words echo around us 365 days a year.

As tragic as such words are, there are yet sadder and more tragic words. In Matthew 7:23 Jesus says to those who failed to honor His Lordship, "I never knew you; depart from me . . . ." How tragic will such words be for those expecting to be with Jesus in eternity when they will not. Here are those who supposed they were Christians, but they were not. They failed to adequately "prove all things" and "test the spirits" and ended up being deceived, and for their error, eternally lost! Tragic!

Matthew 25:41 records similar words. Jesus speaks to some who failed to serve him appropriately. His words: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels." When Jesus’ words are so readily available for us to follow, how sad that such will be said to those who failed to live according His standards! Tragic!

There is yet a more tragic situation. Consider Peter's words in 2 Peter 2:20: "For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first." Here is one who knew the truth, who lived according to it, who served the Lord and knew the blessings of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 6:4-6), yet chose to abandon these things and return to worldliness. Their last state will be worse than their first. If there is one thing more tragic than being lost, it is having been lost, saved, and returning to being lost yet again. Tragic!

Friends, such things don't have to be! Spiritual tragedy can be averted. We can do something to prevent such from happening. Sinners must accept the Lord's terms of pardon. How? Through hearing the gospel (Romans 10:17), believing it (Hebrews 11:6), repenting of sins (Acts 17:30), confessing Christ (1 Timothy 6:12), and being baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38, 22:16, Galatians 3:27, 1 Peter 3:21). The erring Christian must repent, pray to God and ask others to pray for him (Acts 8:22-24). The faithful Christian must take the word of God to others (Acts 8:4) and let them know of their hope (1 Peter 3:15). We may not be able to avoid a tragic ending in this life, but we CAN avoid one in the next. Let us do what we must to be right with God and live with Him forever. ~