As an evangelist, I take sharing the Word of God and the hope of Jesus Christ very seriously. The way I look at it, eternity is at stake every time I stand up at the podium.
When eternity is on the line—the difference between Heaven and hell—I don’t pull punches. People need to know that both are real, literal places, and surrendering one’s life to Jesus is the difference.
If you look at Hebrews 3:7-15, you’ll see four serious consequences of turning your back on Christ. Each consequence is a step in a progression leading you further from God.
“Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, “They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.” So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’
“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion’” (Hebrews 3:7-15).
Step one is separation from God. God is truth, and when we fail to believe truth, we follow a lie that by its nature is separate from the truth.
Step two, as we allow sin to separate us from God, we begin to fall victim to the “deceitfulness of sin.” Sin never presents itself as it truly is. Separated from Christ, our hearts become cold and we allow ourselves to be deceived by sin.
Step three, our hearts grow hard. When we allow ourselves to be deceived by sin over and over again, we are no longer able to sense His prompting or guidance in our lives. Our hearts—which may have once been tender—become spiritually calloused, like hard, dead skin.
Step four, we become rebellious against God. When we allow our calloused hearts to go unchecked, we are in rebellion against God. This rebellious heart causes us to further sin against God, who will not tolerate it. The result is spiritual death.
There are consequences for disobedience to Christ, both in this world and in eternity. But there’s Good News! You don’t have to live a life of callousness and rebellion. We serve the God of second chances, and today your heart can be softened. Regardless of where you’ve been or what you’ve done, you can surrender your life to Him and begin a relationship with Jesus. He’s ready to welcome you with open arms!
