FromNowUntilForeverBook8.5x5.5 REV.indd

For the rich man, there was no hope, and he knew it. He asks for water and requests that Lazarus be allowed to go warn his brothers, yet we never hear a plea for release or a second chance. He had nothing else to do but remember, agonize, and suffer through separation, smothering in hopelessness. Take a moment to ponder these truths before continuing your reading.If you are not certain of your eternal destination in heaven, go through the Steps to Salvation in Appendix 1. According to the Bible, eternal life in heaven is something of which you can be certain (1 John 5:13). Finally, possession of worldly wealth increases a person’s chance of going to hell. The rich man in our story “habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day” (Luke 16:19). Obviously, his possessions did not automatically seal his dreadful fate. His prosperity, howev- er, created a false sense of security.Why depend on God when he had everything a person could want at his disposal? Accu- mulation and the distractions that go along with it prohibited his necessary preparation for the future. As theWord says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mark 10:25). Jesus made this comment at the end of an encounter with a rich young ruler when the man approached Him and asked the way to eternal life. After they discussed keeping the commandments, Jesus said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.Then come, follow me” (Luke 18:22). Certainly, the Lord wasn’t suggesting that entrance into heaven could be earned. Rather, He probed for a willing spirit, exposing the barrier that stood between the man and eternal life. Unfortunately, the young man rejected the Lord’s offer and headed down a path toward hell because of his love affair

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