What Are You Trusting?
By Pastor Justin Cooper
I've been in a hospital room more than once, sitting beside someone who couldn't tell me with any certainty where they were going when they left this world. And I'll tell you — there's nothing quite like that moment. The family standing around the bed, the hum of the machines, and this man or woman on the other side of a question they can't answer: Am I ready?
It's not a comfortable place to be. And the tragedy isn't the sickness. The tragedy is arriving at that moment without knowing.
The rich young ruler in Matthew 19 didn't come to Jesus casually. The Bible says he ran to him. He was earnest. He was sincere. He had a real question burning in his chest: What do I need to do to have eternal life? And he brought with him a long list of credentials — wealth, youth, a position of power, a record of keeping the law. By every human standard, this man had it together.
And he still walked away without the answer. Because he was trusting in the wrong things. FireStarterJune3.rtf
"The saddest thing in the world is when a good person goes to hell."
Pastor Justin Cooper
Gospel Light Baptist Church
Think about that. A good person — genuinely moral, upstanding, kind, law-abiding — and still lost. Not because they were a monster. But because being good is not the same thing as being saved.
That is a hard word. But it's a true one.
Have you ever asked yourself — honestly — what you're trusting for your eternity? Not what you'd say in church. Not the answer that sounds right. But what you actually believe, deep down, is the reason you think you're going to be okay?
Look at 1 John chapter 5 verse 13 with me: "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life."
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life."
— 1 John 5:13
God didn't write the Bible so you could guess. He didn't give us His Word so you and I could spend our lives swinging back and forth between hope and fear. He wrote it so you could know.
Not "I think so." Not "I hope so." Not "I'm doing my best." Know.
The rich young ruler was trusting in things that were real but could not last — position, performance, possessions. And when Jesus exposed that, he couldn't let go. He loved what he had more than he wanted what he needed.
Here's what I want you to sit with today: salvation is not a reward for a life well lived. It is a gift — already purchased, already available, waiting to be received. Jesus paid the price at Calvary. And as I said Sunday night, the only way you can receive something somebody else already bought is for them to give it to you.
He is offering it freely.
It has already been paid for.
All that remains is for you to come.
This week, take five minutes. Get quiet. And ask yourself honestly: if this were my last day, do I know where I am going? Not hope. Know. If there's any uncertainty there, don't let the day pass without settling it.
Pray This Today
"Lord, I don't want to stand before You someday and realize I was trusting in the wrong things. I know I am a sinner. I know I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus Christ paid the price for my sin on the cross and rose again. Right now, I receive that gift. I trust You — not my record, not my religion, not my reputation — just You. Save me, Lord. And help me to know, from this day forward, that I am Yours. Amen."
Reflection Question
If someone asked you today, "Why are you going to heaven?" — what would your honest answer be? And does that answer line up with what the Bible says is enough?
Gospel Light Baptist Church | Walkertown, NC | Unsubscribe
