Millions of people play the lottery every week as they hope to be the lucky winner of a grand prize. They will head on over to the convenience store, buy themselves a ticket or card, and hope to receive the promised amount of money.
They are hoping to win that prize, but in the event that they should win, what if they chose to refuse to believe that they actually had won, and never came forward to receive their prize? All of that money is right there, waiting for them to come and get it, but because of their unbelief they will never get it.
The promise of eternal life is a great thing indeed. Even ask someone who doesn’t believe in any kind of religion, and they will say that sure, the ability to live forever sounds amazing, but they still will refuse to believe in the things that will grant it to them.
Well, Jesus offers us the opportunity to receive eternal life. It is available to anyone and everyone, with the simple requirement that you believe in and have faith in Him. This should be incredible news to everyone! The chances that someone wins the Powerball lottery in the United States is 1 in 292 million, and those millions of people play to try to win that prize, but sadly they do not all have the same kind of seeking attitude to get the greatest prize in everlasting life. They have the ability to win, just like everyone else, yet because of their unbelieving and impenitent hearts they will never get it.
Hebrews 4:1-11 “Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.”
I certainly want to live forever, don’t you? People are always trying to discover new ways to increase the length of their life, through medicine, exercise, or healthy eating, but in actuality their life and the length that they live are not determined by anything they can do. It is God who created life, and it is He Who is in control of it, and He is in control of giving eternal life as well. In fact, He wants to give everyone eternal life, but they need to believe in His Son Jesus or they will not get it.
You can have eternal life. You can live forever, just not on this Earth, just not in your current body. You must believe, and when you do your chances are far better than one in 292 million.
In Christ,
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 