DCLM Daily Manna 29 February 2024
TOPIC: Irreversible Fate
TEXT: LUKE 16:19-31
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house:
28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
KEY VERSE
“And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence”
(LUKE 16:26).
DCLM Daily Manna 29 Feb 2024 MESSAGE
In thermodynamics, an irreversible process is one in which the system and its surroundings cannot return to their original state. The fuel consumed on a long journey cannot condense back into the fuel tank. We say something is irreversible when it cannot be undone.
Our text focuses on Lazarus, a beggar and the rich man who found themselves on the opposite side of eternity where their fate was irreversible. The rich man was cast into hell, a place of torment while Lazarus was carried into paradise. In hell, the rich man pleaded with Father Abraham to allow Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water to quench his thirst. The patriarch declined because of the great gulf between them. Next, he pleaded that someone should be sent from heaven to warn his brothers to repent, lest they also end up in hell. Father Abraham replied that there were enough preachers on earth to do the job if only his brothers would listen.
READ DCLM Daily Manna Wednesday 28 February 2024 – A Plea For Revival
The rich man did not go to hell because he was rich, but because he did not repent genuinely and cared not for the needy while on earth. Poor Lazarus apparently lived a holy life that qualified him for heaven.
Our study shows that God is not a respecter of persons. Repentance is the gateway to salvation and there is no repentance in the grave. The refusal of Father Abraham to send an angel or preacher from heaven to warn the brothers of the rich man on earth indicates the superiority of the word of God to angelic or personal revelation.
We should not postpone our own salvation. And once saved, we should preach to members of our families that are not saved while they are still alive.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
If repentance is allowed in hell, no soul will remain there.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 CORINTHIANS 1-4
