Menkato V Awomi
Dimapur
The return of Jesus Christ is not a myth, nor is it a symbolic event. It is a certain and imminent reality. The Bible repeatedly reminds us that Christ will return, and when He does, every person will stand before God. Whether one believes it or not does not change the truth of it.
Throughout history, humanity has held one common understanding across cultures, tribes, and religions: life does not end at death. Deep within the human heart is the awareness of eternity. Most people, regardless of religion, believe there is a place of reward and a place of punishment, Heaven and Hell. Only a small percentage deny the existence of anything beyond this life. But for the majority, there remains the unavoidable question:
Where will I go when I die?
This is not a question to be answered after death. It must be answered now, while we are still alive.
If you ask people, “Do you want to go to Heaven?” almost everyone will say yes. No one desires torment, separation, or eternal punishment. Yet when asked, “Are you certain you will go to Heaven if you die today?” many become uncertain.
Some say: Only God knows. Some say: No, I am a sinner. I am not ready. Others trust in their religion, their traditions, or their good deeds.
But the truth is this: being uncertain about eternity is one of the greatest dangers a person can live with.
The Bible makes something very clear: Romans 3:23, For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
This verse destroys every human argument of self-righteousness. It tells us that no one is naturally righteous before God. No one is born pure. No one can claim innocence.
Sin is not merely the evil acts we commit; it is the condition of fallen humanity. It is the root that separates man from God.
And because all have sinned, all stand guilty before a holy God. The problem then becomes:
How can sinful man be reconciled to a holy God?
Can we wash away our own sins? Can good works erase evil? Can religion purify the soul?
The answer is no. No man can save himself. No man can forgive himself. No man can remove his own guilt before God. The Bible teaches that forgiveness belongs to God alone.
This is why Jesus came. God did not send a prophet merely to teach us morality. God did not send another religion.
God sent His Son. Jesus Christ came for one purpose: to save sinners. The punishment we deserved because of sin was placed upon Him.
The judgment we deserved fell upon Him. The wrath that should have been ours was poured out on Him.
He became the sacrifice for our sins. This is the greatest demonstration of love the world has ever seen.
Romans 5:8, But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Notice this carefully. God did not wait for us to become better. He did not wait until we cleaned ourselves up.
He did not wait until we became religious enough. While we were still sinners... Christ died. That means His love reached us at our worst.
He saw our brokenness, our rebellion, our darkness, and still chose the Cross. This is the heart of God. Jesus Himself said:
Matthew 11:28, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
This invitation is not for the perfect. It is for the burdened. For the broken. For the weary, for the sinner.
Sin is heavy. Guilt is heavy. Shame is heavy. Jesus alone can lift that burden. Again He said:
Luke 5:32, I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
This means nobody is disqualified from coming to Him. The very reason He came was because of our condition.
The price of eternal life was far too great for any human being to pay. No amount of fasting, praying, rituals, charity, or good works could purchase it.
But Jesus paid it all. And now what cost Him everything is offered to us freely.
Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sin earns wages. And its wages are death. Not just physical death, but eternal separation from God.
But God offers something else, a gift. A gift cannot be earned. A gift can only be received. Salvation is not earned. It is received.
This is where many misunderstand Christianity. Christianity is not merely another religion among many religions.
It is not about rituals. It is not about family identity. It is not about tradition. Christianity is about relationship.
A restored relationship between God and man through Jesus Christ.
Through Him, we are brought back into fellowship with the Father. The Bible is clear that eternity has only two destinations: Heaven or Hell. Both are eternal. Hell is real. It is a place of torment, separation, and judgment. There is no escape there. No second chance. No end.
Heaven is also real. It is eternal joy, peace, glory, and unbroken fellowship with God. And the choice of where we spend eternity is determined by what we do with Jesus now. Not later, now.
God’s love extends to every human being.
John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Notice: God loved the world. Not one tribe. Not one religion.
Not one nation. The whole world. Hindu. Muslim. Sikh. Jew. Gentile. Rich. Poor. Broken. Religious. Unreligious.
He loves all. And the condition is simple: Whoever believes in Him. No extra qualifications. No hidden requirements. Just faith in Jesus. Jesus made it even clearer:
John 14:6, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
He did not say He is a way. He said He is the way. This means there is no other bridge between God and man.
No rituals. No religious systems. No philosophies. No self-righteousness, Only Jesus.
Again: John 11:25-26, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.
This is the hope of every believer. Death is no longer the end. It becomes the doorway into eternal life.
So how do we receive this salvation? Many voices in society say: Do more good than bad. Be religious. Earn your way. But Scripture says otherwise.
Ephesians 2:8-9, for it is by grace you have been saved, through faith... not by works.
Grace means unearned favor. Faith means trusting completely in Christ. Salvation is not achieved. It is received.
The Bible gives the clear answer: Romans 10:9-10, If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
This is how simple God made it. Believe. Confess. Receive. Faith is not hidden. Faith is public. Faith declares Jesus as Lord. Many reject this simplicity because human pride prefers effort over surrender.
This is why even the religious leaders of Jesus’ day rejected Him. Not because they lacked knowledge, but because they refused to believe. And this remains true today. Many know about Jesus but do not know Him.
And many die in their sins because they never put their faith in Him. A person may live morally.
Never drink. Never smoke. Never commit visible sins. Do many good works. Yet still be separated from God.
Why? Because salvation is not found in morality. It is found in Christ. God is a loving Father. He desires that none should perish. He continually gives opportunities for salvation. But He does not force Himself upon anyone.
The choice remains ours. From the beginning, God created man for fellowship. Adam and Eve walked with Him. But sin broke that union. Through Jesus, that relationship can be restored.
This is the beauty of the Gospel. What was lost in Eden was restored at Calvary. And through faith in Christ, we can walk with God again. This does not mean life becomes easy. Following Jesus is not a promise of a trouble-free life.
But it is the promise that you will never walk alone. When you belong to Him, you become His responsibility.
He leads. He protects. He provides. He disciplines. He transforms. And day by day, as we walk with Him, we are purified and matured until the day we see Him face to face.
Jesus came to reveal the heart of the Father, a Father who longs for relationship. Today, through Christ, anyone can enter into the Holy of Holies.
Not by human merit, but by faith. The invitation still stands. If you have never received Jesus…
If you are uncertain about eternity… If you are not born again… Today can be your day of salvation.
Jesus told Nicodemus: John 3:3, Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
The question is: Are you born again? Are You Ready?
