He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent. 2 Peter 3:9 (NLT).

When Jesus returns what happens to the people who have never confessed with their mouths and believed in their hearts that Jesus Christ is Lord?

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those on the right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ And the King will tell them, ‘I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons! For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me anything to drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me no clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ And he will answer, ‘I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life” Matthew 25:31-46 (NLT).

So the people who aren’t Christians are eternally punished. Not that God wants to punish anyone. The reason why Christ hasn’t returned yet is because He wants to give everyone an opportunity to come to Him.

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise to return, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent” 2 Peter 3:9 (NLT).

If you’re a non-Christian, please don’t leave it till it’s too late. Repent. Turn to Jesus now. Failure to turn to Christ is disastrous – too terrible to contemplate.

“And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death – the lake of fire” Revelation 20:14 (NLT).

You see a time is coming when God will no longer tolerate sin and evil. The day will come when enough is enough. God will say, “No more!” And that will be that! Satan will get his just deserts.

“Then the Devil, who betrayed them, was thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” Revelation 20:10 (NLT).

Then the heavens and the earth are going to be terminated. Like everything! The Atlantic Ocean – gone! The North American Continent – gone! The moon – gone! The sun – gone! Everything!

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone” Revelation 21:1 (NLT).

Yes, the old heaven and the old earth are going to disappear but a new heaven and a new earth will replace them. And a new Jerusalem too.

“And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a beautiful bride prepared for her husband” Revelation 21:2 (NLT).

A holy city and nothing impure will ever enter it. For God will dwell there, as will all the Christians.

God “will remove all of (the Christians) sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils” will be “gone forever” Revelation 21:4 (NLT).

Here’s the rub: “If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life” Matthew 16:25 (NLT). To gain life you have to give up your life. You can have a future and a hope. Two doors stand before you. One leads to life and the other to death. God gives you the choice.

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NLT).

Will you choose life? For the day is coming, though we don’t know when, and the trumpet will sound and the Lord will return.