Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; Matthew 25:41 WEB
The choices we make in life determine the outcomes we receive. The essential scientific idea of cause and effect, called the principle of causation, is based on the relationship between two or more events in which at least one thing is the direct result of another. This is something that secular and spiritual people can easily agree upon. There is no effect without a cause. Our choices and actions have consequences.
This understanding is used as the basis of the reasonable argument that the original cause of the material universe or creation is an uncaused, immaterial source that we call God. The prime mover, the cause, or source of all things created must be timeless and immaterial. In other words, to have the material creation, there must therefore be an immaterial Creator and that Creator must be uncaused or else there is an infinite regress of causes with no definable beginning.
Eternal Life Through Jesus Christ
A discussion of the cosmological argument for God would take many pages and there is a lot of information available for those who are interested in the origin of the universe and the argument that God is its source. What is clear is that there is no effect without a cause. For those who believe in God, the cause of condemnation and separation from the Creator is sin. As we read in Romans 6:23, ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. KJV”
We serve a holy God. Our Creator will not allow corruption to go eternally unpunished. As our righteous and just Creator, God created a way for sinful man to be redeemed through the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ, who knew no sin. We read in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. WEB”
Jesus Took on Our Sins
That we might avoid the eternal fire of condemnation, Jesus took on the sins of the world on the cross, paying the price for our sin and reconciling us to holy God. Jesus’ words from Matthew 25:41 about the eternal fire of hell come from a lesson the Lord teaches about loving others in obedience to the will of God or failing to do so.
Like all other things, the decision we make to either follow or reject salvation and service to the kingdom of heaven comes with consequences. If by faith we choose to repent from sin, live in obedience to God, and love as commanded by the Lord, our reward is heaven. If we reject this offer, the natural consequence of rejecting God is separation from the Lord in the eternal fire prepared for those who live in rebellion to our Creator.
Prayer: “Father God, thank you for convicting me of my sin. Thank you for my conscious understanding of right and wrong and the counsel of your Holy Spirit. Guide me to do your will here on earth. Help me to live my life in a way that is pleasing to you. In Jesus name – Amen”
Yesterday’s Devotional: The Will of My Father
