Do you know where is your eternal home?

This week I received a very sad news about one of my childhood friends that passed way, really young, full of life and opportunities, but a sickness came and she is no more. It was really a shock and difficult moment and for some time I was struggling in my heart and mind to process the grief feeling. I prayed to the Lord for the family and I talked to the Lord about how merciful and just He is and I was certain that she was presented the opportunity to know Him, to call for Him in her last moments. But the truth is that we don’t know, this is something between each person and the Lord, their relationship and their faith towards Him in the end.

Most of our lives we are just following the flow of the directions, instructions, recommendations, teachings that we are presented to us and we receive during our life when we are growing, it could be from our parents, schools, church, friends, society, media, and so on.

Unless you were raised in a family with strong faith beliefs, it’s possible that you didn’t pay much attention to the spiritual things. Some people probably just heard about it because they were persuaded to follow some religious conventions due to their parents’ traditions and it might be that all, it never made much sense for them, at least it’s what I noticed from most of the people I know. It’s even said that many people treats the religion as such kind of ritual, something that you do automatically and you don’t even pay attention to what you are doing, you just want to tick-off from your weekly obligations list.

But it’s noticeable a significant change on people’s mind and interest about the spiritual side when someone departs from this life or dies, especially if it’s a loved one. It’s hard to only wonder things, create assumptions of things, most of people just prefer to think that person it’s “on a better place now”. Are they truly? The truth is that we can never know where that person went to spend their eternal spiritual life.

How convict would you be of the place you would go after your death? Where will be your eternal home?

I recognize this is a difficult topic and even harder question for many people, and most of them avoid this discussion, so many taboos, so many contradictions, so many answers…

I also had so many doubts and questions in my mind during most of my life, but if you are willing to learn, open your heart and mind, the truth is so simple, clear and available for anyone who seeks and really wants to know.

The Bible says we are a spirit that lives in a body and has a soul, which means when we die physically (body), our spirit is taken for a place in a spiritual realm. The scriptures say:

“And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment”. Hebrews 9:27-28 ESV

So, there is no other alternative place, or waiting room, or a second chance to make it right, this life is the only chance we are given and that you will ever have the opportunity to truly know God.

There is hope for us, for the whole humanity to know for sure about their final destination, their eternal home, if they are truly willing to accept the only truth and way for salvation, the gift of grace that has been given by God for us, according to the scriptures:

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. John 3:16

These are not only words written in a book, but this is a promise given by God Father and these a living words that will change your life forever if you truly accept and believe.

God has given the only way through His Son, Jesus Christ, to restore our place with Him and the relationship that was broken by Adam in Eden, if we only believe in our hearts in the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, confess with our mouth and repent of our sins, we can become children of God. For salvation is by grace and faith in Jesus Christ, it is not because of our own merits or works.

The Bible says we are not able to obtain salvation by ourselves because every human being has fallen due to Adam's sin, we are all contaminated by sin, so Jesus was the only one that was not born by men and He didn't have the seed of sin in Him, so He needed to die as a perfect and pure sacrifice to pay for our sins.

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.

To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” Romans 5:12-17 NIV

For this reason, you can have sure of salvation if you accept God’s gift through His Son Jesus Christ for the love for all of us, however this is a choice, as Adam and Eve made their choice in the Garden, we also need to make our own choice if we want to be reconciled with God and live with Him for eternity.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3,16-18 NIV

And how you do this? As I mentioned, it’s simple, God doesn’t want to complicate things, He wants your love and your heart, be reconciled with us, He wants to have a relationship with you same as it was in the Garden with Adam and Eve.

You don’t need to worry about fixing your life, or changing anything, even if we wanted, we could never do by ourselves, He will take care of all this and change our lives if we are willing to allow Him, He just wants you, save you and make a new life in you. You can just pray wherever you are and call upon His name and confess you believe, invite Him to be your Lord and Savior and ask Him to dwell in your heart, “Lord Jesus Christ, I believe with all my heart you are the Son of God and you died on that cross for my sins and raised from the dead in the third days. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me of all unrighteousness and guide me on your way.”

"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

Romans 10:9-10

I pray that these words have brought hope in your life, that you can look ahead and see the love and grace God has given us, the certainty that we can be with Him for eternity if we just are willing to accept His precious gift, the sacrifice of His loved Son Jesus Christ.

God loves you.