Just imagine. You are living your life, going through your normal routine. Something happens, I don’t know, let’s say you get into a car accident and you find yourself heading to eternity. The first thing you notice are angels with glistening robes of light who meet you on earth to escort you to the heavens. They have wings sparkling with all different colors, hair that looks like spun gold, gleaming faces, and having swords in the hands. Light and power cover them. You are completely speechless by their beauty. You then reach the gates of heaven made of solid pearl as they stand before you, closed to gaurd the perfect city. You can hear the music that fills the atmosphere and envelops the landscape. You can see glimpses of colorful flowers and the greenest vegetation you’ve ever seen. Through the gates, in the distance the beautiful buildings can be seen. There is no crumbling, no cracks, no decay, no mold, no death of any sort. You see families together and children running and playing with the animals. You even notice one of your family members who have passed on before you. Yoy become so excited to greet them as you see them walking the streets of gold passing by the mansions built with jewels and diamonds. You can feel the joy, peace, happiness, and the glory of God flowing through the city and even overflowing out the gates and it causes your every fear, frustration, and sorrow to fade into the distant past. As you are taking in the awe and splender of heaven, you realize it’s your turn to enter the gates. You watch in awe as one of the angels enters in and returns with a book that has a golden cover and your name is stamped in gold on the cover. This book is the book of your life. All you have ever done is written in this book. The angel opens and begins to read with approval. The angel sees where you were born into sin but repented. Then to your surprise, Jesus comes to the gate to greet you. Oh the love and glory that you could feel surround you in His presence! His glowing face of glory, His white glistening robes, His sweet loving presence. You can feel peace surround you. He takes the book from the angel and begins to read it. He looks at the book and then looks at you, closes the book, and says “I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
Next thing you know you are descending down a tunnel that continues to get darker and darker. The peace, joy, love, and hope you just felt instantly vanishes and turns to fear. With the growing darkness, comes a dirty, thick, pollutted atmosphere filled with a stench of sulfur and death. The air is enough to make you sick. Screams and piercing cries came up the tunnel to meet you and fill the tunnel. As fear and anguish come upon you, the feelings grow stronger and stronger as you become farther and farther from the presence of God. Never on earth have you ever felt such evil or despair. On earth, hope always surrounded you but now it was gone for good. You reach the bottom of the tunnel and an evil spirit is there to meet you. He grabs you and takes you to a pit of fire that has your name on it. He throws you in and then the flames go up and surround you. The pain you feel is unbearable as your body burns. You wish for death but cannot find it. You cannot escape the torment or the pain. The sorrow you feel is too much. You cry out to God but there is no hope. You no longer have access to God’s presence or His hope for the rest of eternity.
God loves you. But desires more from you than just a repentance prayer. He desires a deep intimate relationship with you.
Jesus says in Matthew 7 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; depart from M e [you are banished from My presence], you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].’
It doesn’t matter what you do for the Lord if you don’t have a relationship with Him. He desires deep intimacy with His creation. That’s why were created! We were created to be His companion, not to be His puppet.
Days of Pentecost 