Since God has prepared the way for man you would think man would be thankful and simply obey God, but as we know many fail to follow God. There are those who feel they have no need for God failing to realize that without God they could not even have life. “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:7).
They assume that just because things always have been they always will be, this also is a false belief. “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (2 Peter 3:3 – 7). The apostle wrote this by inspiration, this is God’s message of warning.
Still others seem to think that the way God has prepared needs to be changed, so they seek to add a few things to what God has said, or they think God has asked for too much, so they want to leave part of it off. In other words, they want to have things their way. This idea will cost countless millions of their souls. Can we not learn from Hebrew history that this will not work? God has prepared the way and made salvation accessible for all men, on the same terms. If man will simply study and obey God’s commands he can be saved. Why not obey God as He desires, since He prepared the way?
It is tempting today for the Christian to forget that salvation comes in Jesus. Satan tempts one to become like the world, trusting only in self, living for gain, and mistreating one’s fellowman. The beauty of this new hope of salvation is that one can renew their hope again by turning back from the path that led them away from their hope. God in His mercy stands ready to forgive and receive them again. Once again, they can have that eager anticipation of a home with God in eternity, being able to face the temptations that come their way. With this new hope in their lives they can come to realize that temptations will come (James 1:2, 3), but with their hope in Jesus renewed they can overcome these things. When Satan dangles the pleasures of sin before them Christians can realize, that is only for a season just as Moses did in the long ago (Heb. 11:24, 25). “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).
If one is seeking to please God and go to heaven they must remember that God has prepared the way, and man must follow that plan.
