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Then death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. -
Revelation 20:14-15
At Christmas, Christians celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus. Christmas lights, candles, cookies, songs, plays, services and gifts given. As the well-known secular Christmas song will declare: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” It is. But we need to know why it is for all the right reasons, not just so we can pass gifts to one another under a Christmas tree somewhere. For the Christian soldier who labors in the harvest fields of the world, we focus on the spiritual reasons for why it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Jesus said it best Himself in Luke 19:10:
“for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Why did He come? Because Romans 6:23 tells us the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Eternal life verses eternal death – the second death. This is what every person’s life on earth is all about. Jesus came into this world to pay the debt for our sins that we could never pay ourselves, and thereby save us from the eternal wages of sin.
Unbelievers who die lost will spend eternity in a lake of fire. Forever. This is the second death. This year and every year from now on, let’s continue to sing Christmas songs of praise and worship to Jesus for all He has done to come to earth, take upon Himself flesh and blood, die as our sin substitute and deliver us from the Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation chapter 20. But simultaneously,
let’s remember the lost all around us.
With each passing day, they’re one day closer to an eternity of torment, starting with the flames of Hell (Hades), and then the lake of fire, with no hope of getting out – ever.
Let’s share our gifts, sing our songs, enjoy our lights, candles and cookies. Absolutely! Let’s lift up our hands and our voices in worship and praise to our heavenly Father, and to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But let’s also decide that as we enter into 2020, we do so with a fresh awareness of why Jesus came, and why our participation in the Great Commission of Mark 16:15-18 is so important. Let’s decide to be more active in evangelism. No matter what it takes, let’s purpose to give the lost the best gift on earth – the gift of the gospel - the message of eternal life.
In Christ We Are,
Mike & Ethel
