There is No Plan B

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.”  John 3:16-17

Christ’s sacrifice was a complete and satisfactory sacrifice that only needed to be made one time.  This fact was repeated by the writer of the book of Hebrews, and by the Apostles Paul and Peter.  In I Peter, the Apostle wrote, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”  Paul wrote in Romans 6:6 that when Jesus was crucified to destroy the power of sin over people, it was as if we, too, were crucified with Him, that is, our old sinful nature was nailed to the cross, and thus our sins were judged on the cross.

When Jesus satisfied His Father’s requirement for a sinless sacrifice to pay the penalty for the sins of mankind, all who repent and believe on Christ will not have to face judgment after death.  There will be no suffering or punishment for the one who dies in Christ.  To believe that a follower of Christ will not be ushered into His presence at the moment of death, but instead go through some sort of trial period first is to deny the power of Christ’s sacrifice to fully cover our sins.  The real trial period is the lifetime of a person as he or she lives this earthly life, and how he or she responds to the gospel.

For all those who choose to reject God’s only remedy for the forgiveness of their sins, as death finds those folks, so does the judgment.  There is no “do over” or second chance after death.  That wouldn’t make sense.  Why should a person be allowed to live like hell on wheels his or her entire lifetime, ignoring those who try to witness to them and perhaps mocking God and ridiculing His people, and then dying and realizing that what all those folks had tried to warn him or her about was true, and then saying, “I’m sorry about that.  Can I come into your heaven now?”  That’s like trying to buy a homeowner’s insurance policy right after your house burns down.  It is true that a person may have the opportunity to repent and believe on his or her deathbed, but why take that chance?  Why lose out on a lifetime of peace and joy that can only be found in a right relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ?  That’s why we must come to Him in faith.  To not believe the gospel of Christ has eternal consequences.

The sinner’s goal is not to become stronger in and go further into sin, but that’s what happens.  Believers work and serve towards maturity in the faith, but the unbeliever doesn’t have to work at all to delve further into the darkness of sin.  Sinners are not sinners because they sin; they sin because they are sinners.  Everyone is born with a sin nature, apart from their Creator, and without the light of Christ coming into their heart to show them the way to live, they are lost in their sin even if they do not realize it.  It’s not about being good; it’s about God’s goodness in sending a Savior who can forgive sins and bring the repentant sinner into the family of God.

I know that there are many who do not believe that God exists, nor believe that there is a literal heaven or literal hell, nor believe that God’s word is the truth which will stand forever.  But there are also many who do believe the truth, but they have not made it their truth.  I don’t know what they are waiting on.  Perhaps they think that Jesus will return to make another sacrifice, hopefully one that won’t be so demanding on them requiring their full commitment and loyalty, denying themselves, and serving Him.  However, He came one time to make the only sacrifice that can save a lost soul, and the next time He comes, it will be to judge sinners.  This has been the Father’s plan all along.  There is no plan B.