When the price of success is HELL! WAS IT WORTH IT?
Mar 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mar 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.
Mar 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mar 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Mar 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
As we read these scriptures today, it is evident some of those listening to Jesus, ended in hell. Each one of them had to make a decision. Some chose the selfish life of pride and acquisition, control and sway. Some chose to live for the next world. They lived for a home with God and the righteous.
Its even sadder when you consider those who lived a life of sin and compromise, leaving behind them a path of shipwrecked children, ruined homes, bitter marriages, angry relationships and a Godless atmosphere. while all the time, soothing their conscience with deceits and flatteries of a dead religion. A dead religion is a religion that has a lot of knowledge, but no spiritual power because God is not there. Those congratulations are shallow, peer pressure, and built on church-ainity.
To some people, worldly success was more important than eternal peace. They would rather die with the devil, than to live for God.
While true saints sought the fruits of the spirits, the fear of the lord, and righteous living. They hating even the garments spotted by the works of the sin.
For others, their philosophy was peace at any price. But there is no peace outside of Christ! They may try to take a stand for the right, but the price was to high. So they compromised to settle for empty promises that they know will never happen.
That’s exactly how satan and carnality works. Offer peace and promises that it has no intention of keeping. just keep following the carrot on the stick, run faster, jump higher, work harder, get smarter: BUT NEVER NEVER NEVER WAKE UP AND CHANGE COURSES!
Mar 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
If you could somehow go to them today, and see them in their burning anguish, hear their animalistic screams, hear their blasphemies, their curses and hellish groans. Or witness the awful jerking, thrashing around in unmeasurable suffering while screaming and burning forever!
to smell of sulfur and see the smoke, feel the darkness and the hopelessness that shrouds them in its terrifying eternal grasp.
Now suppose somehow you could stop this gut wrenching and sickening scene, then ask them, was it worth it?
I think they would turn their black sunken eyes, demonized faces, tormented twisted facial expressions, looking right into your eyes and they would screech that fiendish scream,: NOOOOOOOOO!
Not even the burning of the pit could stop the chill that strikes at your inner being!
You likely would not recognize any of them, but their spirit would tell you who they are.
Their answers would be so painfully induced, it would sound more like an animal’s gargled screech, than a ex-human voice. But their answer would be NO! It was NOT worth it!
Ask them about:
- Their craftiness.
- narcissistic heart.
- Deceitfulness.
- Wicked imaginations.
- Gossips.
- secret affairs
- bitter tongue.
- Cursing
- Blasphemies.
- unforgiving spirit?
- Addiction
- immorality
- selfishness?
- pride?
- ego trip?
- micro managing of power trip?
- church position?
- acceptance of friends or church circles?
- filthy lucre?
- that lie they were ashamed to admit to?
- the applause of men and recognition they favored more than righteousness.
- Degrees, certificates, accomplishments in temporal worth!
- They chose pride over piety.
- materialism?
- the selfish life?
- lust?
- jealousy?
- stubbornness?
- being tough or strong?
- Secret besetting sins
- the houses, and lands and worldly applause, possessions, and self-centeredness, pleasure and greed, the self life.
- Worldly cultures were more important than Godly living.
The answers to all these and more, would be a screeching, gargling, swinging and clawing at you…….NO!
the bible is clear on it. No sin shall enter heaven. And yet today, hell is enlarging itself to receive the masses that are flowing into it. It is like a great and mighty waterfall of souls, that descends into the pit, with their pride and their pomp. Their eyes were closed to the light of Gods’ word. They thought knowledge could save them, or somehow make them wiser than God! and they chose darkness, because they failed to see: knowledge without God, is dark knowledge. And dark knowledge is designed to deceive. So they fell for all the dark deceits of justifying their sin, and chose darkness, because they wanted to. Like Eve in Eden.
Perhaps they:
- thought it was worth it.
- thought nobody would know.
- Maybe they thought it didn’t matter
- Or they thought they were ok.
- They thought nobody would remember
- They followed the counsels of the lost and the wicked. Who chose success over righteousness.
- Maybe they believed in some sinning religion, conservative preacher, or compromised doctrine.
- They called themselves Christians, but they couldn’t stop sinning.
- But they were wrong. They were ALL wrong!
God was watching, the angels were writing it down, the spirit was grieved, the Saviour was pleading. The word of God watered down and devils were mocking them. their conscience was seared. And Friends pleaded. Any who tried to warn them, were quickly blocked out. They justified themselves and criticized those who loved them, including God.
They closed their eyes to the broken hearts of children, they made excuses when they clung and cried don’t leave me! they flattered themselves with how important they thought themselves to be and made empty hopes, that someday things would be better. They blamed everything but themselves for the anger in the home, or the fights in the bedroom. While children cowered under their blankets and cried!
And when the kids started having “issues”, run to the doctor and the shrinks, for the medications. Not to make the kids better, but to sooth their own conscience, because you know where it’s coming from.
When Jealousies flared up, because some body was having fun, and it wasn’t you, you hounded them repeatedly to try and ruin their good time. when that didn’t work, you tried the guilt trip. Then the martyr, then the threats, then more empty promises. And more lies of “I love you”.
No matter how much light you have, when you refused to heed it, you deceived yourself, seared your conscience. Mocked God, grieved the spirit, rejected his word and stiffened your neck and hardened your heart.
Some have even set their spouses up, to have and affair, on purpose. So they could blame them for the fall of the marriage. Never confessing their own affairs and pride. That may look good in court, and get you some more money. they think blaming their spouse, helps them to save face. But everyone knows the dirty secrets, you foolishly thought were hidden.
Note,: The wicked will press every button you have. so you will hit them or say something as a threat, then use that against you in court. But The seeds of destruction will grow, no matter the courts, the banks, lawyers or what opinions may say. God knows, and he will not be mocked.
The eternal lake of fire is a very long time! and those you destroyed may be there with you, getting their revenge on you forever! Was it worth it! WAS IT WORTH IT! That’s a question that needs to be considered in this life, for there is no change in the next!
Now let’s suppose, you’re in hell. It’s your soul that’s paying the eternal price. There is no one there from earth asking you any questions. But now you have to answer them for yourself!
- What’s your hidden sin?
- what excuses did you make for your sin?
- What did you cover up?
- What sin brought you here?
- Whose ungodly advice lead you here?
- Whose personality did you follow?
- What are you regretting?
- What did it cost you?
I don’t have to ask for a show of hands or a confession, You KNOW why you are there!
Was it worth it?
What did you give in exchange for your soul!
You rejected the spirits call to repent, made excuses against it, and have landed in hell, was it worth it?
That sinning religion, a conservative church, following personalities, religious show, self-righteousness, the list goes on and on.
Conservative says: I’m still in sin, everybody does it. but I’m not as bad as others and better than some. God understands my humanness.
But your conservatism leaves you just as lost and have landed in the same hell.
The tortuous devils of hell, will hear your confessions. Thousands and thousands of times. But in the throes of hell, there will be no confessions accepted. And no forgiveness extended.
The terrifying faces of your tormenters will bend and twist your mind in horrific fear, but there will be no mercy in that place.
At one time you could have answered the spirit’s call. But now you’re screeching the screams of the dammed. And it will echo back and forth off the walls of hell, forever and for ever and forever!
You made your choices. You knew the cost.
you refused to humble yourself
You refused to repent.
Pride was more important than piety.
Reputation was everything, repentance was nothing.
Gods word had no priority in your life.
prayer was an option to make you feel better.
You have paid the devils fare, and fought his battles, you made excuses for your compromise and justified your sin. You lied to yourself and God and others. You mocked others, and slandered the saints. Now the Devil has paid you in full! The wages of sin is death.
When this earth burns down to ashes, you will still be in hell burning! once you’re in hell, you can’t turn back. Was it worth it?
Mar 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Mar 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
What sin did you sell your soul for? was it worth it?