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Can I Take A
Mulligan?
By Grant Phillips
I am the amateur’s
amateur of golf. I
seldom play, but
even I know what a
mulligan is. Every
golfer knows the
term. It is not
“legal” under the
Rules of Golf, but
is sometimes used
during “friendly”
play with your
buddies. In easy to
understand language,
a mulligan in golf
means simply, “I hit
a bad shot, so I am
calling a mulligan
and replaying the
stroke (doing that
shot over).” Many
people live their
lives in this
fashion. However,
the “Rules of Death”
allow no mulligans.
I simply cannot
understand why
anyone would gamble
with their eternal
destiny. The
scriptures say, “And
as it is appointed
unto men once to
die, but after this
the judgment:”
(Hebrews 9:27)
Only if we belong to
Jesus Christ, are we
not condemned, “There
is therefore now no
condemnation to them
which are in Christ
Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but
after the Spirit.”
(Romans 8:1) A
closer examination
of this verse
reveals that the
opposite is also
true, i.e., if we
are not in Christ
Jesus, and do walk
after the flesh but
not the Spirit, then
we are condemned.
Compare John 3:18,
which says,
“He
that believeth on
him is not
condemned: but he
that believeth not
is condemned
already, because he
hath not believed in
the name of the only
begotten Son of God.”
You can’t get any
clearer than that.
Perhaps you have
witnessed to someone
about Jesus who has
told you something
along the lines of,
“I’ll take care of
that later”, but
“later” never comes.
Many excuses are
offered, but perhaps
the underlining
thought for most
people is that they
think God will
reconsider their
plight, and “let
them through the
pearly gates”. In
other words, they’re
banking on being
able to take a
“mulligan” after
death when standing
before God.
There are many
people who do not
believe in God at
all. There are
others who think
there might be a
God, and if there
is, “He would never
send anyone to
Hell”. Let’s get one
thing clear. God has
made every provision
for anyone and
everyone to avoid
the judgment of
Hell. Those who wind
up there, have
chosen that place as
their eternal
destiny. Read again,
John 3:18. God came
to earth as Jesus,
to provide a way of
escape from eternal
damnation. But those
who reject Him will
find themselves in
the lake of fire. “And
whosoever was not
found written in the
book
of life was cast
into the
lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15)
There are no
mulligans for the
Rules of Death. When
our eyes close in
death, there are no
second chances
(mulligans).
Children usually
disobey their
parents because they
either think they
won’t get caught, or
they will be able to
talk their way out
of any punishment
(mulligan).
Criminals probably
commit crimes for
the same reasons.
They think they
won’t get caught,
but if they do, the
punishment can be
avoided. Perhaps
their guilt will not
be sufficiently
proven, or they will
receive a light
sentence (mulligan).
Often this is true,
in our humanly
designed, liberal
court system.
God, being God,
knows all things and
is absolute justice.
Nothing is hidden.
However, the real
issue is this. Did
you accept His Son
Jesus as your very
own personal Savior
or not? If you did,
your name will be
written in the book
of life, and you
will enter His
glory. If you did
not, your name will
not be in the book
of life, and you
will be cast in the
lake of fire.
Period. No
mulligans. Just one
simple question.
Will your name be in
the book of life?
The only way it will
be there, is if
Jesus Christ is your
personal Savior.
Many areas of our
lives are approached
with the attitude of
“I’ll call a
mulligan”. If I get
pregnant, I’ll just
have an abortion
(mulligan). If this
marriage doesn’t
satisfy me, I’ll get
a divorce
(mulligan). I’ll try
this ______ (fill in
the blank), and if I
don’t like it, I’ll
quit (mulligan).
We may get “lucky”
and be able to
mulligan (or
second-chance) our
way out of some
choices we make on
earth, but once our
eyes close in death,
the decision has
been made, and it
will stand for all
eternity. There is
no going back. The
most important
decision we will
ever make while we
are alive upon this
earth, is “what are
we going to do about
Jesus Christ, the
Son of God”. There
are only two
choices; (1) we call
upon His holy name
for eternal life, or
(2) we do nothing.
Many choose to do
nothing, and by that
choice, choose Hell.
Does it make any
sense to purchase a
house, a car, or a
business without
getting all the
facts before signing
the contract? Would
not one get all the
facts before
undergoing a serious
operation? How many
have turned their
noses up to God’s
Son, and haven’t
even bothered to
hear what He has to
say about their
soul? It never
ceases to stagger my
mind at the number
of people who have
their minds made up
and are
self-appointed
experts about
spiritual matters,
but have never
really listened to
the facts about
their eternal
destiny, from the
only One who
actually knows …
God. That, my
friends, is the
epitome of
stupidity. Maybe
they are relying on
that “mulligan”.
I mentioned earlier
that mulligans are
not legal in the
Rules of Golf for
professional play.
That is true. That
reminds me though,
that we readily
adhere to the rules
of the sports we
play, whether it be
golf, football,
basketball,
etcetera. One
requirement for
winning the game is
to follow the rules
to the letter, or be
disqualified. God
has one rule if we
want to spend
eternity with Him,
and that is, we come
to Him through His
Son Jesus Christ
before we die
physically. The
alternative is not a
mulligan, but
eternal damnation in
hell and the lake of
fire. Choose wisely.
Grant Phillips
grantphillips@windstream.net
Pre-Rapture
Commentary
http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com
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