What Must I Do To Go To Hell…..

Mark 9:47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell.

Mark 10:25 – It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Acts 16:30 – 31 – Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

I have been contemplating my next article for a little while. I am no theologian, I do however, have a passion to reach the lost when it’s presented. I was sitting with someone recently, and I bluntly asked that individual “What do you have to do to go to hell…”. I could see in their eyes, there was a deep thought. They had to be careful with their answer, because they knew I was going to answer back with scripture.

I wasn’t asking this individual because I didn’t know the question. But I wanted to know if they knew it…

The answer was “I don’t know” with a very defeated tone. Why am I bringing up this conversation in this article? I wonder how many other people know the answer to this question. I then proceeded to tell this person, “Live exactly like you are living now, don’t make a change, and even better, if you change for the better, you’re still going to hell”

Needless to say, my friend over coffee wasn’t too thrilled to hear this answer. I mean, he didn’t physically kill anyone. Never really stole anything of great value. I mean, look at the crazies going on south of our border right now (United States). The people that are high on drugs, and eating each other, going on some shooting rampages.

My friend hasn’t done any of those things. Look at Hitler, Stalin and the list can go on. Them, they are evil.

Well, let’s look at the text above. Think about this for a second. Jesus gave a command to pluck out your eye if it causes you to sin. Now the hand and foot are involved in further verses if you care to read them. But here’s the key, the eye only caused you to sin, doesn’t say anything about you actually committing a physical sin yet.

You just looked. My friend told me once (same person as the coffee) that you can look at the menu you want to eat, as long as you don’t order. My friend was giving an illustration about looking at women/men, wondering what it would be like with them, just not actually do anything physically…and you’re safe.

I told that person that Jesus said “If a man/woman looks at a woman/man with lust, he’s/she’sguilty of fornicating (sex before marriage or outside of marriage).

There was no reply. I would say this falls inline with the text above. I said I was guilty of it just as much. I can’t point the finger and claim innocence on myself.

What about the other verse? That it’s easier for a camel to go through an eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven? You serious?? You’re thinking…THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE!!!

How can anyone get into heaven then. I find it interesting that this falls in the context of Luke 10:17, about the rich young ruler that wanted access to heaven on his own works. Remember when Jesus told him to sell everything he had, give it to the poor and follow Him? What did he do? He turned away because he had many riches.

What was this young rich man guilty of? Idolatry. He was idolizing his money and possessions.

The parable of the camel through the eye of the needle is saying that unless you are ready to give up EVERYTHING in your life (might not happen, but it might), then you are not wanting to be saved bad enough.

Let’s look at the jailor in Acts 16. This story comes right after there was an earthquake. And all the prisoners were free, the shackles and chains were all broken. And in that day, when a prisoner escapes, his life is paid back with the jailors life. You might say, the jailors life was at stake when he was guarding.

So when the earthquake happened, he thought all the prisoners fled, so he was about to take his own life, knowing either he did it here, or it was going to be done public.

Wouldn’t you say he was desperate? He falls down on his knees in front of Paul and Silas and asks them, “What must I do to be saved”. He didn’t care for his money, family ANYTHING!!!! He realized there was something more than life.

Paul answers back ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved”. Now, does this mean just believing…no, look at the context here. The jailor was not living comfortably, and needing a cherry on top. He’s at the point where his life will be taken by the authorities. He knew that believing in Jesus would cause him much grief. In those days, Jesus was mentally unstable person according to everyone back then. He claimed to be God, did miracles, never sinned, and was preaching hell to everyone.

To believe in Jesus in those days meant your life was at stake. The jailor didn’t care…

How about you today my friend? Have you bought into the lie that all you have to do is believe in Christ? Or do you have some sins that you just can’t live with, and you feel guilty every time you do them. My friend, I won’t ask you to pray a prayer for your salvation. I don’t believe in the sinner’s prayer.

I do however believe in crying out to God for repentance and salvation. Won’t you look at the cross in a different light. Don’t look at it as just a man that lived a good life and died. Look at it as everything else, leads to hell.