Warning

Seattle experienced flash flooding this week, with water overwhelming levees, resulting in deep flooding on the streets. Some people had to be rescued off the roofs of their cars.

One man ignored multiple flood warning signs and drove past road-closure signs. He lost control in the deep water on the street and slid into six feet of water in a ditch. Sadly, he drowned in his car.

I knew a guy who ignored tightness in his chest, shooting pain in his left arm, and lightheadedness. Then he had a heart attack. Had he paid attention to the warning signs, it could have saved his life.

A friend hardly noticed that his wife was withdrawing. Money was disappearing from their shared account. Intimacy had stopped. They had the same arguments over and over, with lots of silence in between. But he was still shocked when he came home from an out-of-town business trip to find her gone, along with their kids, and a lot of the furniture and belongings too. He ignored the signs and lost his family because of it.

Warning signs should be taken seriously.

Jesus talked more about hell than He did about heaven. Not because He was angry or wanted to scare people. But when you know there is impending condemnation and you say nothing, that would be pretty unloving. Because Jesus loves us, and because He knows that our existence without repentance is separation from Him, He gave multiple warnings.

“You will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God” (Luke 13:3 NLT).

It’s also why we have Hebrews 9:27-28: “And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him” (NLT).

Don’t be the Seattle driver who ignored the warnings, kept driving past them, and ended up dead because of it. Don’t be the guy who ignored the signs of an impending heart attack, or my friend who ignored the signs of his failing marriage. Pay attention to what is coming! This life will be over before we know it. It’s heaven or hell that will be forever.

And that’s why we have Christmas. God’s Son came into this world not just to warn us of what is to come, but to present to us the greatest alternative: eternal life with Him. Receive it!