Heaven or Hell? It’s your choice to make…

Heaven or Hell? It’s your choice to make…

By Clayton Adams According to Jesus' own words, hell “… has been prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41) Hell was not intended for humans but humans will end up there. Why?

Because God loves us so much He has given us the ability to choose for ourselves how to live our lives; to accept Christ or not; to live for our own selfish desires or to live for Christ. Living in heaven or hell is a choice we make.

Which are you choosing?

From the beginning, the choice has always been available to us. Adam and Eve had a choice and they chose to take the forbidden fruit. God lays out the same opportunity and ability for us to choose in Deuteronomy 30:15 & 19, “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity. … I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.”

God does not want us to go to hell. The apostle Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) God said; “I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways…” (Ezekiel 33:11) This is why God sent His only Begotten Son to this earth – to provide a way of salvation to heaven and an escape from the eternal fire of hell. (John 3:16-17) You do not have to go to hell there is another choice available.

Reading Matthew 25:3146 helps us understand the judgment of people, those who follow Christ and those who do not follow Him. On Judgment Day Jesus divides all people into two groups. The first group is moved to the right and the second group is moved to the left. Jesus speaks to the first group, recognizes and rewards them for their actions.

Jesus speaks to the second group, sentencing them for their actions. Folks in both groups are surprised by the words and actions of Jesus towards them.

We have always had choices available to us. We will not have a choice on Judgment Day. It is on that day we will be recognized, rewarded or sentenced for our choices and actions.

I wonder if any of us will be surprised as to which group we will be in on judgment day? Heaven or hell, it's always been our choice.

Clayton Adams is pastor at Earle First Assembly of God. You can e- mail him at cpalaa@ yahoo. com, or find Earle First Assembly on Facebook.

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