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).

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.

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. To reach us, pls visit www.timeus.org.ng or email info@timeus.org.ng