Part 1: Putting the Puzzle Together
At the end of the day, each one of us is personally accountable for our own choices. Scripture very pointedly warns us “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 15:50). So, without the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within you, it will be categorically impossible for you to be where Jesus is (in the spiritual realm you cannot see nor hear with your limited eyes and ears). It’d be like trying to walk through a brick wall. The Holy Spirit is the power that changes us and makes it possible to transition from life on Earth to everlasting life with God.
The Bible tells us that “…ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9). It also instructs us all to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). So, if you’re honest with yourself and with God, and if you sincerely desire eternal life in the Kingdom, you will do what it takes to swim against the tide of popular belief and embrace that which is true and right:
Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, 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.”