Heaven or Hell, Your Choice
We make many choices during our lives. We choose whether we obey our parents as we grow up. We choose whether we study in school. We choose the college that we attend. We choose our hopefully lifelong spouse. We choose our occupation. This is just a few of the choices that we make. We actually make many choices daily. We choose what we will eat, what we will do that day, what we will watch on TV and when we will go to bed. Our lives seem to be nothing but choices. For most of these choices we put little thought into them, but there is one choice that everyone must make. It is a choice that will affect our lives forever, even after death. That choice is whether we will accept Jesus Christ, God’s one and only Son, as our Savior and Lord.
John 3:14-18
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
(NIV)
We have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God. Jesus allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross and while hanging there, He took upon Himself all of our sins. This is a free gift that God gave us, but it is a gift that we must choose to accept. It comes down to whether we choose Heaven or we choose hell.
Do you choose eternality with God in a perfect place called Heaven or do you choose eternality with Satan in a place of constant suffering called hell? This is the most important choice that you will ever make.
I want us to look at what happens when we die. Will everyone go through judgment? Actually the Bible tells us that there are two different judgments. One is for all believers and the other for all unbelievers. If Christians are no longer under condemnation, why is there a judgment for us? Let’s look at that judgment first.
Immediately after the Rapture, every Christian will stand before Christ to be judged. This judgment has nothing to do with salvation since all Christians are saved. Paul calls this judgment “The Judgment Seat of Christ.” Let’s read about it.
The Judgment Seat of Christ:
2 Cor 5:8-11
8 We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.
9 So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.
(NIV)
Rom 14:10-12
10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.
11 It is written: "’As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ’every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’"
12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
(NIV)
Paul tells us that all Christians will stand before our Lord and we will have to give an account of what we did to serve Him. We may fool each other about our walk with our Lord, but there is no fooling Christ. He knows our hearts and our thoughts. He knows our motives. In this Judgment Seat of Christ we will not be punished, but we will be rewarded for our service to Christ.
The Judgment Seat will be a time of testing.
1 Cor 3:11-15
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
13 his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work.
14 If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward.
15 If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
(NIV)
Salvation does not come from good works; it is through accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior, that we are saved. There will be many Christians that will enter Heaven with smoke coming from their pants, because the quality of their works were poor. They either had no good works or their motives were wrong.
Eph 2:8-10
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
(NIV)
We are not saved by works, but we are created to do good works. This is what the Judgment Seat of Christ is about. We will be judged according to our good works and be given rewards of crowns for the work that God had prepared for us to do.
What rewards can we expect?
Crown of Life.
James 1:12
12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
(NIV)
When we accepted Christ as our Savior and let Him be the Lord of our lives, He told us that we would be persecuted and would undergo trials of many kinds because of our faith and love for Him. Knowing this we still accepted Christ as our Savior, thus receiving the Crown of Eternal Life. All Christians will receive this crown. This may be the only reward or crown that many of us may receive.
The Crown of Righteousness.
2 Tim 4:7-8
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
(NIV)
There are two schools of thoughts here. Some theologians believe since no one is entirely righteous, that this crown is awarded to everyone once we are in heaven, because we all will be righteous in God’s eyes by the blood of Jesus.
The other group of theologians believe as I do, that this crown is given to those that have remained true to the teachings of Christ, repenting of our sins and have longed and prayed for His return.
The incorruptible Crown.
1 Cor 9:24-27
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.
27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
(NIV)
We are to be like athletes that train for a race. As Christians we too are to train. Our training consists of studying the Word of God. In doing so, we will be trained to fulfill the great commission. Not everyone is called to preach, but all are called to witness. This crown will be awarded to those that fulfill the great commission.
The Crown of Glory.
1 Pet 5:1-4
1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed:
2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers-- not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve;
3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
(NIV)
I believe that these verses refers to the individual leaders of the local church whether directors, elders, deacons, teachers or pastors. A person that serves should do so from their heart and not for personal recognition. A person that serves should do so by setting the example for others to follow and not by ruling over them. The crown of Glory will be given to honor your service to the Lord.
The Martyr’s Crown.
Rev 2:10
10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
(NIV)
Christians in other countries are being persecuted, imprisoned and even put to death for their beliefs in Jesus Christ. We see Christians even in our nation being persecuted and we will see it get worse. We have the assurance of eternal life in Christ Jesus, so don’t be afraid of what Satan may bring your way. Keep the faith and always stand up for Christ even though you may be imprisoned or even killed because of your faith. If you are willing to lay down your life for Christ, you will receive eternal life and the crown of life.
The Crown of Rejoicing or Soul Winner’s Crown.
1Thes 2:18-20
18 Therefore we wanted to come to you-- even I, Paul, time and again-- but Satan hindered us.
19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?
20 For you are our glory and joy.
(NKJ)
Our desire and joy should be winning the lost to Christ. This is our sole purpose in life. We are to witness to the lost and rejoice when they accept Christ. How many people have you led to Christ? It is everyone’s responsibility. Think what this world would be like if every Christian would lead just one person to Christ. The population of Christians would double.
How many crowns will you receive?
Now let’s look at the judgment for the unbeliever.
The unsaved at the Great White Throne Judgment.
Rev 20:11-15
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.
13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.
14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.
15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
(NIV)
Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years after the tribulation. At the end of this Millennium is the Great White Throne Judgment. This judgment is for all those who never accepted Christ as their Savior. As Christians we look forward for the return of Jesus Christ. It will be a time of rejoicing. It will be beautiful. What will be the reaction of the unbeliever when they see Christ returning? We are all created by God and in God’s image. I believe when Christ returns, even the unbelievers will instantly know Him and they will bow to their knees pleading for mercy, but it will be too late for them. Can you imagine what will be going through their thoughts at that time? Many will be pleading for mercy, others will be making excuses and some will be blaming others. The Bible is clear. If you name is not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you will be condemned to an eternity of constant suffering and pain.
Many people and even some Christians claim that we are now living in Hell. Some says that hell really doesn’t exist or hell is just a figment of our imagination. Won’t they be surprised! There are several places in the Bible that describes hell. Let’s look at just one reference.
Matt 13:49-50
49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous
50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(NIV)
We are told that it will be extremely hot, because it is a fiery furnace. It will be like standing in the middle of a great forest fire. Everything around you is burning and probably you flesh also. There is one difference. You do not burn up and you do not die again. You will feel this intense heat of these flames forever. There will be no relief. Your pain will be so great that you will be screaming for mercy. The pain will be so great that you are grinding your teeth together. Your worse day here on earth will seem like a day of enjoyment compared to an instant in hell.
It’s your choice, Heaven or Hell.
Invitation:
