No, this isn’t a commentary on “The Matrix”, but rather a picture of Samuel L. Jackson telling you the truth. And NO there will not be a choice of pills for you to swallow, ( except perhaps whether you will realize that just being good will not get you into heaven ).
But, what will get you into heaven is obeying the Gospel of Christ, obeying his will for your life and being faithful until your last day upon this earth.
The Apostle Paul writes…
1 Corinthians 15 ( World English Bible )
1 Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand,
2 by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles,
8 and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.
9 For I am the least of the apostles, who is not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the assembly of God.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was bestowed on me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
11 Whether then it is I or they, so we preach, and so you believed.
Galatians 1 ( WEB )
1 Paul, an apostle (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead),
2 and all the brothers who are with me, to the assemblies of Galatia:
3 Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father—
5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
6 I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”;
7 and there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.
8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed.
9 As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.
10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.
11 But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man.
12 For neither did I receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God, and ravaged it.
14 I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when it was the good pleasure of God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me through his grace,
16 to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles...
The Gospel isn’t so much about you but rather what Christ has done for you. Yes, you ARE INVOLVED, because you need to follow the pattern given you ( See also Romans 6:1-11 and the above verses from 1 Corinthians 15 along with believing in God, repenting of sin and confessing Jesus as LORD and Savior ).
It is the Gospel that saves ( 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 above ) and not how good you are. Paul was good ( rather VERY GOOD, as seen in Galatians 1:14 and 15 ) and that didn’t save HIM and it won’t save you either. And once you have swallowed your pride ( and that could be really tough pill to swallow, couldn’t it ) and obeyed the Gospel, God will add you to those who are destined for heaven ( see also Acts 2:14-41 ). Just continue to follow God, doing HIS will rather than your own and you will make it through those pearly gates.
Now, you have a choice. You can continue to believe what you want to believe and just hope for the best or you can obey God. I really like the second choice because when I reach those pearly gates and am asked why do I think I should be allowed to enter, I can honestly say “ I just did what God told me to do”. Can you say the same?
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