KEEPING THE FAITH: Two eternity: One with God and the other without God

Throughout time and space, everyone realizes that they are not yet in eternity, but in time. Consequently, there is a time for everything. As Solomon states in Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die.

After death we are automatically entering into eternity with God or eternity without God. Everyone has to choose which one of the two eternity they want to live in while they are alive on earth. Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame, to everlasting contempt.

We have in this passage the report of the young rich man claimed to be righteous for observing all the 10 Commandments and wanted to know what else to do to guarantee himself eternal life. “Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, `’Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?’ " Matthew 19:16. He thought the kingdom could be earned simply by observing the 10 Commandments. He forgot that no one can fully follow and apply all 10 Commandments within their lives. He also forgot when we violate one of the 10 Commandments, we violate all of them.

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. If the Mosaic Law could save only one person, Jesus would not come to offer himself as a sacrifice on the cross to save everyone who wants to be saved according to John 3:16.

Jesus’ response to that question did not please him. The advice to sell all that he had to give the money to the poor would diminish his wealth and make him a poor man. Here, the rich man valued his earthly wealth more than his heavenly hope.

The synoptic gospel does not give too much detail about that rich man. They don’t give his name. They simply present him as a teacher, a lawyer, and an overall wealthy man. He is not the only person who came up with this question, a prisoner asked to same question to Peter and Silas in Acts 16:31.

Have you ever asked yourself that important question? We found the answer to this question in the following Bibles passages: Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. Ro 10:9 if you confess the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved, and your household. We found faith in all these three passages. “Solus Christus, Sola Fide, Sola Gracia”. Eph 2:8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

There are two eternities, you are the only one to choose to which one you will be living in. Repent and choose to live the eternal life with God.

Rev. Jean G. Blaise is the pastor of Zion Baptist Church of Stoughton, 414 Sumner St. He may be reached at 781-971-0202 or at zionbaptistchurch1.org