Jeremiah 21:8 “And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.”
The LORD is the one that sets the paths of life. It is His right as your Creator. You are alive because of the spirit that allows you be a living person in this world. You may not want to acknowledge it, but it is a fact. Acts 17:28 “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.” How can that be, you ask. Well, it started a very long time ago. I fact it started with very first man. Genesis 2:7 “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.”
A living soul means that your body dies, but not your soul. Your soul is eternal and will spend eternity somewhere. God gave man two options. “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.”
Ok, to some death doesn’t seem very scary. You simply cease to exist. Not so, my friend. Your soul will spend eternity somewhere. God is saying through Jeremiah that there are two paths, one that leads to eternal life and one to eternal torment. The Bible reverses the order of them in Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
Again two paths or in this instance, gates. Narrow or wide is the choice. The narrow gate few find because the wide gate is where most people choose to go. Now let me show you where the wide gate leads. Revelation 20:13-14 “And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”
This is the destruction Jesus was speaking of. The wide gate leadeth to destruction or hell and eventually the lake of fire. So, I’ll still be with my friends, some of the uninformed will say! Yes you might be but there will be no pleasure in it for you. You are not going to sit down with the Devil and his angels and have a Bud Light together.
The lake of fire is a place of torment. Revelation 20:10 “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”
Did you notice the “for ever and ever” part of the verse? Hell is bad but the lake of fire is worse. In hell you still have light in the lake of fire it is thick darkness. In hell, the Bible teaches us using the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.
Luke 16:19-25 “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.”
Notice the “I am tomented on this flame” part of the verse. The rich man was begging for just a drop of water. And this is just hell. Jude 1:6 “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
So with these verses we see that even angels who kept not their first estate were to be judged. We see the devil, the beast, and false prophet in the lake of fire. Guess who is next to join him and his wicked workers of iniquity? Revelation 20:15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Jeremiah 21:8 “And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.” The way of life brings you to heaven. The way of death brings you to the lake of fire. The only way to escape that wide gate is to find and accept Jesus as your Saviour and make sure your name is in the Book of Life.
Do you need help doing this? Come visit us at Vian Baptist Church any Sunday morning. But if you are not sure your name is in the book of Life, please make it soon.
