Are You In "The Way"?
What is "The Way"?
If you have found your way to this site, chances are you have recently received a gospel tract. This site exists to give additional answers to questions you may have about where you are going to spend eternity when you die. In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me." Jesus made it clear there is but one path by which man can find eternal life in Heaven and that is through Him. That is "The Way".
What does happen when we die?
The Bible tells us in the book of Hebrews "...it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." So when we die, we will appear before God in a time of judgment. But what are we being judged for? For our sins against God. What is sin? 1 John 3:4 tells us, "Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness." So sin is the breaking of God's law. God's law, which is His holy and perfect nature, are found in the form of the Ten Commandments (see Deuteronomy 20). Whenever we tell a lie, steal, use God's name as a curse word, or fail to make God the first and foremost affection in our lives, we have sinned against the very God who created us. Psalm 9:8 states, "He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness." So God, who is holy, perfect and righteous, will judge us against His own righteous standard.
So what happens to those who fail to meet God's standard? What happens to those who are guilty of sin? In Matthew 10:28, Jesus tells us "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Jesus teaches us that God can and does send people to Hell. In the book of Matthew, Jesus teaches the Sermon on the Mount where He explains the very nature of God's law and the consequences for failing to be perfect, as God is perfect (see Matthew 5:48). So when we break God's laws, we have sinned. God Himself judges that sin and, because He is a righteous judge, he will cast us into Hell.
So what can we do about this judgment? In a word, nothing. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23). As such, we are found guilty and are condemned already. A man found guilty in a Courtroom can do nothing to stop the sentence from the Judge that is about to be handed down. However, God, Himself has provided a way in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. Our sentence, our condemnation to Hell is deserved due to our sin. It is the right judgment for our sins against God. So God cannot simply "forgive and forget" them. The righteous mandate of the law must be fulfilled. So God took the judgment upon Himself in the form of Jesus Christ.
1 John 4:10 tells us, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." When Jesus came to earth, being fully God and fully man, he "...was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). He then voluntarily went to the cross (see John 10: 17-18) to suffer and die a brutal death on the cross. Since the wages of our sin is death and eternal punishment (see Romans 6: 23) Jesus' death on the cross satisified the legal requirement of God's law. Because Jesus was free from sin, yet received the penalty of death, he became the propitation for our sins, the one who bore the punishment we rightly deserve. What God requires of us is that we repent from our sins (turning from them and turning to God) and putting our faith in Jesus Christ. That is all we can do. There is no work by which we can satisfy the wrath of God, our sins have assured that. Therefore the only hope we have is in the one who paid the price for us. And there is yet more good news. Three days after His crucifixion, Jesus rose Himself from the grave, defeating death. His ressurection is the promise and hope of our eternal life with the Father in Heaven (see 1 Corinthians 15: 19-21). What we must do to receive this is to trust in the promises of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
So what happens when we die? Well, if we trust in ourselves and our abilities, we are condemned. We have all sinned against our creator and justice must be fulfilled. So we are bound for Hell. Yet, if we humble ourselves, repent from our sins and put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have the promise of eternal life in Heaven. The question now is, what are you going to do?
So what happens to those who fail to meet God's standard? What happens to those who are guilty of sin? In Matthew 10:28, Jesus tells us "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Jesus teaches us that God can and does send people to Hell. In the book of Matthew, Jesus teaches the Sermon on the Mount where He explains the very nature of God's law and the consequences for failing to be perfect, as God is perfect (see Matthew 5:48). So when we break God's laws, we have sinned. God Himself judges that sin and, because He is a righteous judge, he will cast us into Hell.
So what can we do about this judgment? In a word, nothing. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23). As such, we are found guilty and are condemned already. A man found guilty in a Courtroom can do nothing to stop the sentence from the Judge that is about to be handed down. However, God, Himself has provided a way in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. Our sentence, our condemnation to Hell is deserved due to our sin. It is the right judgment for our sins against God. So God cannot simply "forgive and forget" them. The righteous mandate of the law must be fulfilled. So God took the judgment upon Himself in the form of Jesus Christ.
1 John 4:10 tells us, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." When Jesus came to earth, being fully God and fully man, he "...was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). He then voluntarily went to the cross (see John 10: 17-18) to suffer and die a brutal death on the cross. Since the wages of our sin is death and eternal punishment (see Romans 6: 23) Jesus' death on the cross satisified the legal requirement of God's law. Because Jesus was free from sin, yet received the penalty of death, he became the propitation for our sins, the one who bore the punishment we rightly deserve. What God requires of us is that we repent from our sins (turning from them and turning to God) and putting our faith in Jesus Christ. That is all we can do. There is no work by which we can satisfy the wrath of God, our sins have assured that. Therefore the only hope we have is in the one who paid the price for us. And there is yet more good news. Three days after His crucifixion, Jesus rose Himself from the grave, defeating death. His ressurection is the promise and hope of our eternal life with the Father in Heaven (see 1 Corinthians 15: 19-21). What we must do to receive this is to trust in the promises of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
So what happens when we die? Well, if we trust in ourselves and our abilities, we are condemned. We have all sinned against our creator and justice must be fulfilled. So we are bound for Hell. Yet, if we humble ourselves, repent from our sins and put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we have the promise of eternal life in Heaven. The question now is, what are you going to do?
