What's Wrong With

Little
Bobby
Jones

This Picture?

As you read the following scene, try to guess:
What's wrong with this picture?

   "DAD!"   Six year old Bobby Jones ran home so fast he didn't even notice the ice cream
truck parked across the street from his house.   Bursting through the door, he stopped
at the foot of the staircase.   "DAD. . . DAD. . . DAD!"
   "All right already, I'm coming."   Mr. Jones came down the stairs carrying the sports
section.
   "Dad, hurry!"
   "Calm down, where's the fire?"
   "In Hell," Bobby screamed.
   Mr. Jones came to a stop three steps short of the landing and frowned.   "Son, you
better have a good reason for using that word."
   "Timmy Johnson used it first.   He said I was going there."
   Bobby's father escorted him to the living room couch.   "Okay, from the beginning,
what happened?"
   "Me and Timmy were playing and he wanted to use my glove and I said no and he
said I was mean and I was going to Hell and burn forever."
   "Hmm," Mr. Jones paused as he thought about what to say.   "Bobby, I wouldn't worry
about it.   You would have to do a lot worse than not lending your glove."
   "Like what?"
   "Well. . . I imagine if you went around killing people. . . ."
   "How many?"
   "I don't know, a lot.   Take, Hitler for example. . ."
   "Who's that?"
   "Never mind.   The point is, only really bad people are going there."
   "You mean most people are going to be with Jesus?"
   "Yes.   That's right."   Mr. Jones was relieved at how smooth it was going.
   "Dad, is Jesus mad at Timmy?"
   "Well. . .I guess so.   I mean. . ."
   "Good.   I would rather believe Jesus than stupid old Timmy."   Bobby said, leaning forward to
give his dad a hug.

Turn the page to see if you guessed the right answer.

The Problem with this picture is that it contains
two misconceptions.

The First one is expressed by Mr. Jones when he, referring to Hell, told his son:

"Only really bad people are going there."

   But just how bad does a person have to be to deserve Hell?   The answer is: not bad at
all!
  Something as simple as lying or acting selfish is enough to get a person in Hell.   God
views His law, including the Ten Commandments, as one complete set.   That means, if you
break one law, it's like breaking them all.   That's why the Bible says: "For whosoever
shall keep the whole law, and YET OFFEND IN ONE POINT, HE IS GUILTY OF
ALL.   For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill.   Now if thou
commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become A TRANSGRESSOR OF THE
LAW."
  James 2:10-11
   Therefore, since no one can go an entire lifetime without violating, at least one law,
the Bible says that: "...What things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are
under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and ALL THE WORLD MAY
BECOME GUILTY BEFORE GOD.   Therefore by THE DEEDS OF THE LAW there
SHALL NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED in his
[God's] sight: for by the law is the
knowledge of sin."
  Rom. 3:19-20

   In fact, the Bible says no one is good enough to earn Heaven no matter how hard they
try.   "As it is written, THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, no, not one."   Rom. 3:10
"THERE IS NONE THAT DOETH GOOD, NO, NOT ONE."   Rom. 3:12
"For ALL HAVE SINNED, and COME SHORT of the glory of God."   Rom. 3:23
"For there is NOT a just man upon earth, THAT DOETH GOOD, AND SINNETH
NOT."
  Eccl. 7:20

   Every one of us is a condemned sinner and a heartbeat away from Hell.   And only
God's mercy has provided the only means of forgiveness.   That forgiveness comes
through the death and shed blood of Jesus Christ.   The Bible teaches that: "For what the
law could not do, in that IT WAS WEAK THROUGH THE FLESH
[i.e. We can't
keep the law.], God sending HIS OWN SON in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
condemned sin in the flesh."
  Rom. 8:3

   Jesus suffered the punishment that we deserve and paid the penalty for our sins.   The
Bible says "God commendeth [PROVED] his love toward us, in that, WHILE WE
WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US.   Much more then, being now
JUSTIFIED BY HIS BLOOD, we shall be SAVED FROM WRATH THROUGH
HIM.   For if, when we were enemies, we were RECONCILED TO GOD BY THE
DEATH OF HIS SON, much more, being reconciled, WE SHALL BE SAVED BY
HIS LIFE."
  Rom. 5:8

   Therefore, "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [REPENT], and
shalt believe in thine heart
[TRUST] that God hath raised him from the dead, THOU
SHALT BE SAVED. ... For WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL upon the name of the
Lord SHALL BE SAVED."
  Rom. 10:9-13

The Second misconception is demonstrated when Bobby asks if most people are
going to Heaven and his father answers:

"Yes.   That's right."

   But, in light of all the Bible verses we have read so far, the exact opposite is true.
Most people are NOT going to Heaven.   Since everyone is a born sinner, on the road to
Hell, only those who have repented and are trusting in Christ to save them are going to
Heaven.   The Bible says: "He that believeth on him is not condemned: BUT HE THAT
BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, because he hath not believed in
the name of the only begotten Son of God."
  John 3:18
   Tragically, since most people refuse to repent, Jesus taught that most will end down in Hell.
He said: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that
leadeth to destruction
[HELL], 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."
  Mat. 7:13-14

   This second misconception has lulled many into a false sense of assurance.   They
mistakenly assume that if the majority of people are going to Heaven, then they too are
going since they see themselves as no worse than most.   But, to that line of reasoning,
Jesus warned:

"I tell you, Nay: but, EXCEPT YE REPENT, ye shall all likewise perish."   Luke 13:3

IF You were to die today, are you 100% SURE
you would go to Heaven?
  The Bible says
YOU CAN BE SURE (1 John 5:13).

BUT FIRST, you must realize that what keeps
you from going to Heaven are your sins, because:
"...your iniquities [sins] have separated
between you and your God,"
Isa. 59:2.
In fact, in God's eyes YOU ARE A SINNER: "For
all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God;"
Rom. 3:23.
And Jesus, referring to sinners, said that He:
"shall send forth his angels, and they shall
gather out of his kingdom all things that offend,
and them which do iniquity
[sinners];
And shall cast them into
a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing
and gnashing of teeth."
  Mat. 13:41-42

SECONDLY, you must realize that there is
NOTHING you can do to save yourself and earn
Heaven: "For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the
gift of God: Not of works, lest any man
should boast."
  Eph. 2:8-9   Baptism, good deeds,
church membership, self-righteousness are all
examples of good works that cannot save you,
because: "Not by works of
righteousness
which we have done, but
according to his mercy he
[Christ] saved
us
,"
Titus 3:5.

THE ONLY WAY you can get saved
is through Jesus Christ.   He said: "I am the
way
, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh
unto the Father, but by me."

(John 14:6)   THAT'S WHY: "...while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us."

(Rom. 5:8-9)   THEREFORE: You must REPENT
(change your mind); admit that you are a Hell
deserving sinner and can't save yourself.   And
call upon Christ, and Him alone, to save you.
"if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus
[REPENT], and shalt believe in thine
heart
[TRUST] that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
  Rom. 10:9

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