Have you ever stopped to consider who exactly gets to decide whether you spend eternity in Heaven or in Hell? For some, their answer will quickly be “God does.” But, did you know that God is not the one determining your ultimate destiny? In Matthew 7:13-14, we learn that everyone has a choice of two roads: either the straight and narrow (or difficult) way or the broad way. The narrow road leads to life (Heaven) and the broad road leads to death (that is, eternal separation from God in Hell). Notice that this choice is not made by God, nor by your fellow man, it is made completely and solely by you. Later in Matthew 7:21-23, we see that not everyone who calls out, “Lord Lord,” will enter Heaven, but rather those who do the will of the Father in Heaven. There are a couple of points to consider here. First, salvation depends on doing, not solely by our thoughts or speech (although those play a part as well). Second, we must do the will of the Father. The only rules that matter for reaching Heaven or missing it is the will of God, brought to us by Jesus (John 12:48-50 and John 14:6), and recorded in the Bible (John 17:8 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17). This news can either encourage you or discourage you. If you neglect to heed the words of God in the Bible, then you face eternal separation from God. However, we know that God will not forget or overlook our righteous deeds (Hebrews 6:10). So, if you do what God commands of you, then you have a firm hope based upon your faith (Hebrews 11:1). - Author Unknown
