“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

But be transformed…

It is absolutely true that God invites all sinners to come to him just as we are. If God expected us to be better or holy or more Christ-like before coming to him, no one would qualify.

It is absolutely true that everyone is invited to come to Jesus just as they are. BUT no one is allowed to stay as they are.

Once we come to Jesus and are forgiven from sin and declared righteous as God’s sons and daughters, it would be ludicrous to stay in the same condition that we showed up. It would be ludicrous to remain the same ol’ sinner.

NO! We are called to refrain from “conforming to the pattern of this world.” Instead, God calls us to “be transformed by the renewing of our minds.” And when we are transformed by renewing our minds according to God’s word, we are able “to test and approve what God’s will is – his good and pleasing and perfect will.”

Yes. Everyone is invited to come to Jesus just as they are. BUT no one is allowed to stay just as they are. Everyone who is forgiven is called to be changed by God’s renewing word.

“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:27-28).

If you’ve ever been to a memorial service or a funeral in the US, you would come away convinced that everyone goes to heaven. Not one person who dies ever goes to hell. Every time – regardless of whether the person was a Christian or not, whether they were good or not, – everyone is going to heaven.

But that can’t be right. I’ve never been to a funeral where the preacher said that the deceased is now in hell. Have you? Even when everyone who is present knows that the person was a nasty jerk, they are still going to heaven!

Not everyone is going to heaven. There is no way. If everyone was going to heaven, why did Jesus die on the cross?

If we were honest, we would acknowledge that hell is the default destination for every sinner. It’s not that God is sending people to hell. Hell is just the place all sinners go.

The only way out of this is to receive God’s gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. That’s it. That’s the only way to change our default destination when we die.

Do you know the Savior? If you do – praise God! If you don’t, bow your knee and receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior and change your eternal destiny.

“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:27-28).

All classes of people were aboard the Titanic

• Wealthy people, famous people
• highly educated people, illiterate people
• and poor folks down in the steerage.

But a few hours later when they posted the list in the Cunard office in New York, there were only two categories of people: lost and found.

Every person who lives will die. And when they do, they will face judgment. When God sees us, there will only be two classes of people: lost and found.

Do you know Jesus? Have you received Jesus as Lord and Savior? Are you following him?