Scripture gives us a perfect example of those who realize God’s Truths a little too late. In Luke 16:19-50 we read of a rich man who lived his life fully and abundantly, and another poor man named Lazarus who was a beggar filled with sores. Both died, the rich man went to Hell and the poor man to Heaven. In Hell, the rich man begged Abraham in Heaven to send the poor man Lazarus to comfort him in his agony, Abraham said he couldn’t. He then asked if Lazarus could go to his brothers and warn them so they too would not end up in Hell, Abraham responded with: “they have the Prophets, if they can’t listen to them then how will they be convinced if someone rises from the dead?”
Now of course that was a quick version of the story, you can read it in its entirety here. But the concept is not that every rich person is deserving of Hell, or every poor person will go to Heaven…rather it illustrates the idea that HELL is nothing but a place for those who realized the TRUTH a little TOO LATE.
JC Ryle once wrote: “If you show me a man DELIBERATELY living an UNHOLY and LICENTIOUS life, and yet boasting that his sins are forgiven, I answer, ‘He is under a ruinous DELUSION, and is NOT FORGIVEN at all.’ I would not believe he is forgiven if an angel from heaven affirmed it, and I charge YOU NOT TO BELIEVE IT TOO. Pardon of sin and love of sin are like oil and water…they will NEVER GO TOGETHER. All who are washed in the blood of Christ are also sanctified by the Spirit of Christ.” (Emphasis added)
We all sin Scripture confirms that, however “deliberate and intentional” sin is what separates Christian from Non-Christian, True Believer from Delusional, and the Wheat from the Tares.
So many people today are under the delusion that they can ignore God’s warnings and teachings without any consequences. They have such a misinterpretation of God’s Word that they truly see themselves “forgiven” without any changes to their lifestyles. They go on sincerely believing that God is good and will never send them to Hell, somehow convinced their “sin” is insignificant and unimportant. This reminds me of another quote from Ryle: “To say that we are sorry for our sins is mere HYPOCRISY, unless we show that we are really sorry for them by GIVING THEM UP. DOING is the very life of REPENTANCE.” ~ J.C. Ryle
We can’t say “I’m Forgiven” then place Christ second to everything else, go get drunk over the weekend, live immorally with our girlfriend or boyfriend, and support False Teachers and Leaders…Basically, when we say “I’m Forgiven” yet our lives display “SIN” we are living in an illusion created by our own religious and superficial traditions.
Let’s not wait until it’s too late, REPENT and TURN from your sins today. Like the rich man who only realized his non-Christian and disobedient lifestyle was wrong while sitting in Hell…we have the Prophets (God’s Word) NOW; we can run to Jesus Christ and heed and obey His Teachings, or deny Him and ignore His teachings and end up in Hell—a place Scripture teaches us is TOO LATE for repentance.
Think About It.
1 Thess. 5:21 