Most people go on vacation to escape the hardships of the world for a week, but once they return back home, they are consumed by all of the things that they had escaped. Revelation 21:4 says, "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." In Heaven, there will be no tears or sorrow for eternity. I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty amazing to me. The idea that I won't be hurt by anything anymore makes me want to go to Heaven all the more. Throughout Revelation 21 and 22, you can read wonderful things about Heaven that can motivate you to want to go there. Although, our motivation is not just "I don't want to go to hell" or "I want to go to heaven." It's wanting to do everything for Christ because He's given all for us. The description of heaven can't be our sole motivation for following Christ.
Christ sacrificed His life for us (Romans 5:8), but what are we sacrificing for Him? What are we doing? Some people sin and then think "oh well, God will forgive me" and then go and sin again and think the exact same thing. "Not everyone who says to Me 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' " (Matthew 7:21-23). God will forgive us if we sin, but if we continue to sin, God will say "...I never knew you; depart from Me..." (Matthew 7:23). We have to be willing to sacrifice everything we have for Christ. We have to plan in order to get to heaven. The plan of salvation is: hear (Romans 10:17), believe (Mark 16:16), repent (Acts 2:38), confess (Romans 10:9-10), be baptized (Mark 16:16), and live faithfully until death (Revelation 2:10). That plan has six simple steps, are you willing to follow that plan to gain an eternal reward? By: Jennifer Odom
2 Comments
Margaret Dunn
5/16/2015 03:11:18 am
Such a wonderful comparison and article, Jenny! So proud of you for your willingness to stand for Christ as a teenager, and for your talent of writing! God has some great blessings in store for you here on earth..... and at that greatest place NOT on earth! Can't wait to see what they are!! :) Keep up the good work!
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Jennifer Odom
5/17/2015 07:56:55 am
Thanks Margaret!! :)
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AuthorMy name is Jennifer Odom and I've been a Christian since October 2011. I'm a 20-year-old junior at Freed-Hardeman University. I hope to speak at several ladies days, become a music teacher, get involved with mission work, and bring as many people as I can with me to heaven. Stepping in Light is affiliated with the church of Christ. Archives
April 2020
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