Are you burdened and feel pressed down by your everyday life? Is the responsibilities and load of your life, work, family, home, and money seem to weigh you down and even drag you down into despair? Are the pains, sorrows, and suffering just too much to bear? I am here to tell you that you are not alone in these hardships.
You may be asking yourself if there is a way out or if there could be a purpose in pain. Will there be an end to it all? Will good come through all of this? Is there anyone who can help me? You may have heard the saying, “all things work together for good?” Good things are waiting for those who follow the right path. This is the path that leads to Heaven.
But I realize that you may have doubt if you will ever make it or if there is really a Heaven waiting at the end of this long tunnel of life. There is also a reward for enduring everything and following the one sent to save you from all the suffering you have endured.
The next question might be, “have I been good enough, done enough, or am I worthy of going to Heaven?” Since this is the most popular view of what it takes to get to Heaven. But is that the way it works? Let’s see if you are good enough. Since there can not be anything evil in Heaven, would God allow you in? Take an honest look at the following questions and find out if you are good.
How many lies have you told in your life? If it is not true, even a little bit, it is a lie. Have you stolen anything that was not yours? It doesn’t matter how big or small. If you steal one dollar, you have stolen. If you have lied or stolen, that will make you a liar and a thief. Have you ever cursed God (God da**it) or used His name as a cuss word (Oh My God or Jesus Christ)? That is called blasphemy and is very serious in God’s eyes, and that would make you a blasphemer.
Have you ever hated someone? Have you lusted after someone? Hatred is equal to murder, and lust is equal to adultery in God’s eyes. If you have, you would be at least a murderer and adulterer at heart if not in the flesh.
Jesus said, “If you look upon someone to lust after them you have committed adultery in your heart already.” – Matthew 5:27-30.“If you hate someone you have committed murder in your heart already.” – Matthew 5:21-26.
Have you coveted someone’s possessions? This is desiring someone else’s things or even their position. Coveting comes with feelings of jealousy or envy for what someone else has. All these things come from God’s Law, the Ten Commandments, and not honoring your father and mother and worshiping anything other than God. If you are honest, you are like everyone else in the world. You have broken every one of them to some extent.
“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23 “For there is no one righteous, no not one.” Romans 3:10 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
We are not “good.” We are all criminals in God’s eyes. The thought of it is hard to take, but this includes you. You deserve to receive your just punishment. But most of us think we should be allowed to get away with it. In the courtroom of Heaven, you will not get away with it. You will be found guilty. Even the good you try to do to please God would be like trying to bribe the judge.
We know right and wrong and decide to do what is wrong anyway. Which makes us lawless. This is because God has given us a conscience that bears witness against us. It is the pull within that tells us something is wrong. Conscience literally means “with knowledge.” No wonder you feel this massive weight upon you daily because of the immense weight of your sin. This is the pressure you are feeling. It has been piling up over the days, months, and years of your life. Are you starting to realize it now?
“But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed.” Romans 2:5
“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ having been offered once to bear the sin of many,” Hebrews 9:27 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is Eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 6:23
But there is Hope! God did something extraordinary for you. Though you are guilty, He sent His Son to take your punishment because He loves you so much. God sent Jesus to the earth 2000 years ago to be born as a baby and grow and live as a man. He lived a perfect, sinless life. He never displeased His Father in Heaven.
“But God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life” John 3:16
He intentionally; for you and me, went to the cross, was beaten, suffered, died, and took the complete Wrath of God upon Himself for your sins and mine. Then He rose again on the third day, defeating sin and death that you may live.
Someday you will die, and you will stand before the Judge who is God. You will be found guilty and sentenced to Hell, where the fire does not go out, and the worm does not die for all eternity. Hell is God’s prison for guilty sinners, where there is anguish, crying, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. I don’t want you to go there.
How will we escape such torment? The answer is Jesus Christ. He took God’s wrath so you wouldn’t have to. He took your punishment so that you could be free and forgiven. Right now, God offers you forgiveness, and right now, God offers you life and salvation. He is offering you salvation and relief from the weight of all of your sins that are weighing you down.
He offers it to you like a free gift. But what you must do is confess your many sins and turn from your wicked ways. Repent of them, turning completely away from them and turning to follow Jesus Christ. He is your only hope. Put your trust and faith in Him, who can save you from Hell. God will hear your cry and answer from heaven. He will forgive your many sins, removing the weight of sin. He will fill you with His Holy Spirit, changing your heart and mind. This will make you a new person with new desires to do what is right instead of wrong.
What is more important than your eternal soul? These fleeting pleasures and earthly possessions of this earth do not and will not last. How they drift away and are blown like the dust of the air. How they wither so quickly like the flower in the sun’s heat. If you have read this far, maybe it is for a purpose. I plead with you to consider your life carefully and how short it is and Eternity and how long it is.
In a moment, you could be gone. For over 150,000 people, today will be their last. What will you do? Come to the Savior Jesus Christ, who is the only one who can cast away the heavy burden of sin. The burdensome weights of this life and the fear of death. He is the only one who can save you from eternal punishment in Hell. He can give you new life and joy that will bubble up within you like a spring of life. Then you can build up treasures in Heaven instead of sorrows in Hell. Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ today, repent, and be saved.
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” Mark 8:34-38
The Soul Sower 