The Choice

The Choice

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him! John 14:6-7

There you have it—a positive and negative promise for all eternity. Jesus clearly laid out what would happen by choosing either direction—eternal heaven or eternal hell. Every human being will be going one way or the other. The key is which way. It is an essential foundational decision that must not be overlooked by anyone, something that needs to be discussed and built upon in families.

A family from Indianapolis recently lost their daughter, Tessa, a student at the University of Tampa, in a car accident. Lauren and I had a chance to visit with the family and watch how they handled their grief. When we finished talking, I walked away knowing that I was seeing the strength of the Lord in their response.

Tessa’s father spoke at the memorial service, and his comments were poignant yet blunt. He noted that while he and his family were grieving, they took solace in knowing they would see Tessa again. And then he said, “But for those who don’t believe in Jesus, you’ve seen Tessa for the last time.” He then urged each person there to enter into a relationship with Christ.

We need to stop for a moment and be certain of one essential matter in our lives. We can be the greatest man or woman, the best boss, the best tipper, the nicest customer. We can buy our spouse the most thoughtful presents or take time to affirm our friends whether they seem to need it or not. We can consistently be considered outstanding parents by our children and regularly encourage our children so they always know how loved and precious they are to us.

But if we don’t know Jesus Christ, we’re simply going through the motions for a few days out of eternity. We may be nice people, but we are still not going to spend our lives with Him forever. The only thing that matters to Him is how we answer the question, Are you a child of the living Lord or not? Have you shared, taught, and ingrained that within your family so that each of them is a child of the living Lord?

Make certain that you are. Make certain that you do.

Recognize you are a sinner and separated from God, thank Christ for what He did for you on the cross so that you can have an eternal relationship with God through Christ, and commit to follow Him as Lord in your life. In other words, put Him first.

If this is something you need to take care of, now’s the time for you and those whom you love.

Uncommon Key > Jesus is the one and only way to an everlasting life with God. Do you need to remind yourself or someone else of that truth?