Luke 16:19-31
²⁵But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. ²⁶And besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you will not be able, and that none may cross over from there to us.’
You are called to repent of your sins now!
Praise be to God! Since Jesus died on the cross, the heavy curtain between the holy and holy of holiest was torn. Symbolizing that the way to the Father is now open. There is no gulf between our sinful nature and God’s grace, we may pass from sinful life to a Godly life. But if you die in your sins, or after the Christ returned (whichever occurs first) you are too late. There is no coming out of hell possible anymore.
²⁷And he (the rich man) said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house, ²⁸[for I have five brothers] in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
²⁹But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’
³⁰But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ ³¹But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’
Note that this is the first time we read that the rich man thought about others. This was too late however. He had five brothers, and he would have them stopped in their sinful course.
If they would continue in the way they were going they would also end up with him, and their coming to that place of torment, would make his misery even worse. Maybe he had been an example to them and they were now following his example.
How many people, who are now on the other side, in torment, would now love to hear the invitation to repent once more. How soon would they react, but it’s now eternally too late.
How many would now desire to recall, or to undo, what they have said, or written, or done!
Once you are in hell, all your prayers will be made in vain.
And even if someone would return from death, if people don’t believe what is told to them over and again, if people don’t believe what is written in the Scriptures, they will not believe him either.
For a messenger who returned from death could say no more, than what is said in the Scriptures. The same corruption that stops people to be convicted of sin by the written word, would corrupt the words of a witness who came back from death.
Circumstances in every age show that no terrors, or arguments, can give true repentance without the special grace of God renewing the sinner’s heart.
So pray that God will give you a complete renewal, so you can start over as a born again person, a person who is born from above.
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