June 13, 2023
More Incentive To Want To Go To Heaven
Over the years of pastoring, I have seen people suffer some horrible afflictions and pain with cancer and other terrible diseases. One such case recently got me thinking. I have seen people suffer and others would try to add words of comfort when that person passed away by saying things like, “Well at least their suffering is over with.” The problem is that this is not true if the person was not a Christian.
Christians and non-Christians all get sick with diseases like cancer. For the Christian their great hope is that when they die and leave this world ALL of their suffering, pain, disappointment, hurt, etc will be over with. The Bible promises that we will have a new perfect body and that there will be no suffering or sorrow in Heaven. So the torment of this world is the only Hell that we will experience. Heaven will be a pain free grand and glorious place for us for all eternity.
But for the non-Christian this world, with all of it suffering and sorrow is the only Heaven that you will know. When you die without accepting the mercy, grace, and love of God you will take ALL of the pain and suffering of this world with you. AND it will be intensified in Hell millions of times more than the worst that you have experienced here on Earth. When a non-Christian dies the pain and sorrow is not over but in reality, it is just beginning for all eternity.
This is not because God is mean or cruel and takes pleasure in seeing people suffer. It is exactly the opposite. God is loving, merciful, and gracious. He loves us so much that He gave His only Son to die on a cruel cross and take our Hell for us. He provides a way for us to live in Heaven and not suffer in Hell for all eternity. If a person goes to Hell, it is over the love of God and the blood of Jesus. It is that person’s rejection of the love of God.
So in thinking about this, having seen all of the suffering and pain that I have witnessed in ministering to people here on Earth, I choose to accept Jesus. I choose to have the blessed hope in the promise that all of my suffering here will be over when I die and go to Heaven. This is one of the greatest incentives there is to want to allow Jesus to be your Savior and Lord. In love with Jesus – Gary Mimbs