“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!

Deuteronomy 30:19 NLT

1. We are all born into death

Romans 5:12-14 says: "When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did...".

The death Paul is referring to here isn't our physical death, but our spiritual death. When you are born into this world, you are already spiritually dead. What does it mean to be spiritually dead? It means to be separated or cut off from God.

Once born, it's up to us to choose life. The only way to receive life is through Jesus. He told us he is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one gets to the Father except through him (John 14:6).

2. God is Just

2 Peter 2:4-7 shows an example of what happens to the ungodly: "For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell,in gloomy pits of darkness,where they are being held until the day of judgment.And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood.Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people.But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him.

This Earth is not our final destination. There will be wickedness up until Satan is finally thrown into the lake of fire along with all his followers. God will judge the world again and the only way to escape being part of the judgment is to accept Jesus. Jesus tells us in John 12:47-48 "I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken".

3. The 2nd death won't be pleasant

"Then the devil, who had deceived them, was thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever" Revelations 20:10.

"And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death.And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire" Revelations 20:11-15.

"But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death" Revelations 21:8.

In every parable you hear Jesus talking about people being tossed into the lake of fire, there is always weeping and gnashing of teeth. This shows just how awful hell will be. I'm sure that just as the pleasures of heaven are too great for us to imagine, the torture of hell is just as great. But that's why Jesus died, so that we may have eternal life instead of eternal death (John 3:16).

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death” Revelations 2:11 NKJV.

So make your choice, would you rather have eternal life or eternal death?

That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 NLT