Everyone likes the meek, mild, gentle, Jesus. Yes the Bible clearly states that Jesus has these characteristics, but he also has others that some people refuse to think about. The same Jesus who says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls".; also says "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."

Again over in Luke 12:5 Jesus says " But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him."

What is going on?. What is the meek, mild, gentle, Jesus talking about?

The Bible uses words such as sin, repentance, salvation, and choose. Also discussed are the devil, demons, and the lake of fire.

Just imagine a river bank, it looks tranquil, peaceful, and can be beautiful. But there are places along that riverbank where their can be poisonous snakes, alligators, crocodiles. Would a parent be responsible if they did not warn their children of the dangers that can be near?

There are some people who love participating in activities that the Bible plainly states are classified as sinful. They know that the Bible condemns these activities but they refuse to give them up or stop participating in them. If they would but honestly ask God to help them stop, He would! They just do not ask God to help them change. Instead they look for other information that states that those activities are OK and are the norm. Today with the explosion of information because of the internet, that is easy to accomplish. But when reality or the absolute truth is raised, those activities still stand condemned. Jesus talks about all the old testament laws in Matthew Chapter 5. He states in Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." What are those laws that condemn? People don't seem to care. Most of the fundamental laws are spelled out in the first 5 books of the Bible. People will read all types of literature, yet they will not read the one book that tells about what will determine their place in eternity. It is terrible the way the secular world is trying to blind the minds of our children and friends in this generation.

Let us precede farther. let us look at 3 different passages of scripture that are found in the New Testament.

Galatians 5:19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;

20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions

21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ephesians5:5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders

10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

The New Testament was written in common Greek two thousand years ago. These verses are referring to a lifestyle that is presently active in disobedience. The Greek tense of the verb means to keep on sinning, to have a lifestyle of continued sin. If a person has a lifestyle of continued disobedience they are in danger of hellfire if they don't repent.

Christians fall into sin at times. They have the indwelling Holy Spirit to rebuke and convict them to what they are doing. They will be miserable. Whom the Lord loves he chastens. The Bible talks about this in Hebrews Chapter 12. But those who have not received Christ will glory in their sins and want to lead others to participate as well.

To make a point to the crowds of people that He spoke to, Jesus told the following parable:

Luke 16:19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.

20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores

21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried.

23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.

24 So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

25 "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.

26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

27 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house,

28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

30 "'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

Are the laws of the Old Testament still important? Yes Jesus said they are in verse 31.

Finally I want to summarize.

The Heavenly Father asked His son Jesus Christ if Jesus would go to the cross and pay for the penalty of our sins. Jesus willingly went to that cross in obedience to His Father. That was the Fathers plan and Jesus carried it out. The Heavenly Father thinks so much of what Jesus did that he will grant mercy to anyone who places their trust in His Son Jesus Christ. Romans 8:1 clearly states that "there is no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ."

The suffering of Jesus on the cross is the only sacrifice that God the Father excepts. Jesus says in John 14:6 " I am the way the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father except by me."

If a person does not repent before they are physically dead, they seal their path to hell. There is only one way to eternal life; Faith in Jesus Christ.

Finally Hebrews 10:26 "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?30 For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people."

31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

We receive Christ just as we are. As the scriptures say "now is the time for Salvation". The Holy Spirit gradually works on us who receive Christ and cleans us up through God's power, conforming us into the likeness of the way Christ behaved. We in own strength cannot change ourselves, it takes a change of heart empowered by God. We make the choice! "Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." "He is patient with you not wanting any to Perish but all to come to repentance."