OPEN HEAVENS
Devotional – Saturday April 2nd 2016
TOPIC: ETERNAL
DAMNATION
Memorize: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16:16
Read:
Mark 16:15-18,
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all
the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall
they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing,
it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall
recover.
Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 6:1-8:18, Proverbs 3:28-4:9
MESSAGE
Eternal damnation is the worst thing that can happen to
anyone, it is damnation for a lifetime here on earth and in eternity. Our Lord
Jesus Christ said:
“And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that
kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will
forewarn whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to
cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”
Luke 12:4-5
Jesus Christ in the above passage is taking about eternal
damnation for sinners and the ungodly. Many people choose eternal damnation
indirectly by escaping the cost that godly living poses to them. In the midst
of trials and tribulations, some children of God deny their Lord. Jesus Christ
in Matthew 6:25-34 said we should not be anxious for what to eat or drink
because our Father in heaven knows we will need them and so will provide them
for us. We should not bow to the enticement of the devil. Rather, we should
heed the Words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, even if this exposes us to
some challenges that are, as a matter of fact, temporary. This is the reason
Jesus admonished His disciples saying:
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might
have peace in the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world.”
John 16:33
To escape eternal damnation, therefore, we must accept the
gospel of Jesus Christ wholeheartedly. It is unfortunate that there are many
people in the Church today who do not believe the gospel. Some see the gospel
as outdated; they believe that Christ came to redeem man from eternal damnation
but they refused to keep to the terms and conditions of salvation. According to
the text of our reading for today, accepting the gospel entails accepting the
Lordship of Jesus Christ over our lives. We cannot do what pleases us anymore;
we cannot afford to follow the whims and caprices of the world anymore (1st John 2:15-17). Moreover, we must learn His ways and imbibe His
ideals (Matthew 11:28-30). Failure to keep to these principles of Christian
living makes our profession of Christianity a mere exercise. Jesus Christ asked
His audience:
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things
which I say?” Luke 6:46
May the Lord give us hearing ears and obedient hearts to
do according to His perfect will.
Prayer Point
Father, drench me with new anointing, and remove every hindrance to its
flow in my life in Jesus’ name.
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