Four Weeks of Wonder: Week Four
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 NLT
In the spirit of Christmas, 20 The Countdown Magazine has themed the month of December a month of “wonder.” Our team has created a devotional each week of the month in which we will study a short passage of Scripture and uncover the wonder of God to honor the upcoming celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ!
Last week we talked about the most incredible thing that Jesus did that had never been done before: Jesus rose from the dead. It was the ultimate, show-stopping event that forever changed the meaning of life and death.
Billions of people have speculated what happens after we die, but it’s a mystery that won’t be solved until we face it ourselves. So, how do we understand “eternity” if we can’t see it or experience it from this side? Thankfully, there are four key points made about eternity in scripture!
1. Eternity is a gift that cannot be earned by your actions.
The greatest gift we can ever receive doesn’t fit under our Christmas tree. Our eternity was bought at the highest price: the death of the Son of God.
“Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing…’
The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘let
him save himself if he really is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.’
One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, ‘So you’re the Messiah,
are you? Prove it by saving yourself — and us, too, while you’re at it!’
But the other criminal protested, ‘Don’t you fear God even when you
have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but
this man hasn’t done anything wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus,
remember me when you come into your Kingdom.’
And Jesus replied, ‘I assure you, today you will be with me
in paradise.'”
Luke 23: 34 -35, 39-43
This passage is so powerful because it shows the mercy of Jesus on a criminal who knew that he deserved to be sentenced to death and chose to respect Jesus for what he was enduring. Despite the wrongdoing that the apologetic criminal had done, Jesus gave his life for that man, too. What he witnessed, and what you’ve witnessed as well if you’re a Christian, was the the dumb-founding grace of God. Years later, Paul would pen these beautiful words in Ephesians: “But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead…God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God” (Ephesians 2:4, 8-9).
2. Jesus allows you a choice in your eternity.
When God created man in Genesis, he gave us a very important gift: free will. Without it, we would just be puppets acting according to the whims of God. But God didn’t want his creations to live like that so he graciously allowed us freedom to make our own decisions, knowing that our flawed nature would permanently keep us separated from his divinity. Because of free will, we also have the choice in where we spend our eternity.
“‘I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe
in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned
for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.”
John 5:24
Our choice is a permanent one, so we must choose wisely! In Matthew 7, Jesus tells us that this is not an easy choice. He says, “‘You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it'” (Matthew 7:13-14). Because eternity is a gift, God doesn’t want to force it on us. All people have to choose if they will live for Christ or for the world.
3. When you do choose, you have two options.
No one likes to talk about hell, but it is a very real place. In fact, you can’t believe in heaven as a Christian and not believe there is a hell. Just like everything in nature has its opposite, so does eternity.
“‘That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come
and separate the wicked people from the righteous, throwing the
wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.'”
Matthew 13:49-50
“…He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment
on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the
Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction,
forever separated from the Lord and his glorious power.”
2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
If it seems like a scary place — you’re right! But as we said, it is good to know what we do not want so that we can chase what we do want! Jesus offers us the gift of eternity in heaven so that we might live forever with God and his people. In the book of Revelation, heaven is described as having “the river of the water of life,” “the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit,” not needing “light of lamp or sun.” We will be at peace — no tears, sadness, or pain. Paradise is a gift made by our Creator that we might enjoy it forever in his presence!
4. Heaven can only be accessed through Jesus Christ.
A very important distinction has to be made when we talk about eternity in heaven: you can only enter heaven if you have committed your life to Jesus. There are a lot of wonderful people who do wonderful things, but because it is not our good deeds that get us into heaven, we must surrender and submit to Jesus Christ in order to access heaven.
“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe
in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will
be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified,
and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the
Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the
same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call
on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'”
Romans 10:9-13
It’s a wonder that God knew our need for the sacrifice of Jesus from the very beginning. Knowing the cost, he sent his one and only Son to die for us so that we might all know the paradise he dwells in! Through his gift of free will and the resurrection of Christ, we can choose where we will spend eternity and it all began with a baby boy born to a virgin teenage woman in the town of Bethlehem.
We hope you’ve enjoyed the study of “wonder” this month as we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of our Savior. We’re praying many blessings on you and your family this year, and we hope that you use 20 The Countdown Magazine to share with your friends, family, and community the good news of Jesus Christ!
