For
the past two days I have been thinking about this image. Probably,
because I really enjoy Gary Larson’s sense of humor, mixed with
irony or maybe its just THAT PICTURE!!!
I
have no idea how many times I have heard: “Dammed if you do and
Dammed if you don’t”- perhaps hundreds? But
this picture! First of
all it is a lie! Why? Well, for openers you don’t make a choice IN
HELL (where this picture appears to be located), you make it
right here, right where you live, right now! Along with this, no one
I know or have ever heard about makes an active, deliberate choice to
head for hell, most often, people just put off the things pertaining
to God and the instructions of the Bible. Second, Satan is not some
funny caricature who forces you to choose your choice of Damnation at
the point of a trident; he blinds you to the truth of what God has
said to all human being via the Bible!!!
The
Bible says…
2
Corinthians 4 (World
English
Bible)
2 But
we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in
craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the
manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s
conscience in the sight of God. 3 Even
if our Good News is veiled, it is veiled in those who perish; 4 in
whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving,
that the light of the Good News of the glory of Christ, who is the
image of God, should not dawn on them. (emphasis
added) 5 For
we don’t preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves
as your servants for Jesus’ sake; 6 seeing
it is God who said, “Light will shine out of darkness,”*who
has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians
2 (WEB)
1 You
were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, 2 in
which you once walked according to the course of this world,
according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now
works in the children of disobedience; 3 among
whom we also all once lived in the lust of our flesh, doing the
desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of
wrath, even as the rest. 4 But
God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved
us, 5 even
when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with
Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and
raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly
places in Christ Jesus, (emphasis added) 7 that
in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace
in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; 8 for
by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not
of works, that no one would boast. 10 For
we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which
God prepared before that we would walk in them.
Those who ultimately
wind up in HELL will have no option or choice; their fate was sealed
when they either rejected Jesus or his gospel. Further, they will be
in torment and face destruction.
Again,
turning to the Bible; it says…
2
Thessalonians 1 (WEB)
3
We
are bound to always give thanks to God for you, brothers,
even
as it is appropriate, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the
love of each and every one of you towards one another abounds; 4 so
that we ourselves boast about you in the assemblies of God for your
patience and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions
which you endure. 5 This
is an obvious sign of the righteous judgment of God, to the end that
you may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you also
suffer. 6 Since
it is a righteous thing with God to repay affliction to those who
afflict you, 7 and
to give relief to you who are afflicted with us, when the Lord Jesus
is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming
fire, 8 giving
vengeance to those who don’t know God, and to those who don’t
obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus, 9 who
will pay the penalty: eternal destruction from the face of the Lord
and from the glory of his might, (emphasis
added)
Turn
away from sin; turn now, tomorrow and the rest of your life. It will
kill you in this world and in the life to come. Turn towards God’s
word and the salvation from sin that only JESUS can provide.
Do
not be DAMMED by your sin, rather be SAVED from it!!!
Satan
wants you to be DAMMED, Jesus wants you to be SAVED!
Its
up to you who you choose; choose JESUS and LIVE !!!