Historical Posts
Decision Tree – Begin
Decision Tree
A decision tree can help you visualize where the choice you make in like can lead. Don’t just drift and arrive at a destination you would not have chosen.
As we go through life, we face many decisions.
- Some decisions are inconsequential. – What will I eat today? – What will I wear to work?
- Other decisions are life changing. – What kind of work will I do? – Who will I marry?
- A few decisions change more than just the life we live here on this earth. These are the decisions we need to consider right now.
Do you think about the consequences of your decisions?
Are you willing to start from the beginning and look at these critical decisions together? Will you accept the implications of your answers?
Perhaps you can use this process to see consequences before they happen and change your answers.
If you are willing to spend some time in honest consideration, let’s start at the beginning… If not, that is your decision; we all have free will, but it could lead to a consequence you would rather avoid.
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Take Action
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
Right now you are still just sitting in front of a computer screen. The guilt of your past sin will remain until you actually take action and are immersed in water for the forgiveness of your sins.
Start that action now by contacting us:
Phone
614-500-7757Richard Dillon 614-769-4334
Don Treadway 614-738-5016
Richard@GJCOC.us
Don@GJCOC.us
Street Address
7816 Havens RoadBlacklick, Ohio 43004
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 307408Gahanna, Ohio 43230
Proceed after taking action!
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Reject God’s Word
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
Your sin continues to separate you from God. You have heard God’s Word, but rejected His instruction. There is nothing else that can save you. Perhaps you will have time to reconsider, but that is really not in your hands.
Perhaps you will continue to live, but perhaps not.
It is not really in your hands (James 4:14, Hebrews 9:27), but select a path and see what comes next.
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Reject God’s Word
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
Your sin continues to separate you from God. You have heard God’s Word, but reject His instruction. There is nothing else that can save you. Only hearing God’s Word can lead to you believing (Romans 10:17). Your only hope is to go back and make different decisions.
Perhaps you will have time to reconsider, but that is really not in your hands.
Perhaps you will continue to live, but perhaps not.
It is not really in your hands (James 4:14, Hebrews 9:27), but select a path and see what comes next.
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Give Up
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
You are now fallen away from Christ and in a worse state than before you had heard God’s Word (2 Peter 2:20-21; Hebrews 12:25). By rejecting Him at this point, there is nothing else that can save you. You already know that only He can save you.
You are Lost Again! What will you do?
More on giving up:
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Reject God’s Word
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
Refusing to be baptized is really an indication that you don’t truly believe. If you really believe that God is your creator, and wants what is best for you, why would you reject His instruction? Your sin continues to separate you from God. You have heard God’s Word, but rejected His instruction. There is nothing else that can save you. Perhaps you will have time to reconsider and be immersed for the forgiveness of your sin, but that is really not in your hands.
Perhaps you will continue to live, but perhaps not.
It is not really in your hands (James 4:14, Hebrews 9:27), but select a path and see what comes next.
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Truly Believe
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
Refusing to repent is really an indication that you don’t truly believe. If you really believe that God is your creator and wants what is best for you, why would you reject His instruction to be baptized? Remember, just having an intellectual “belief” will do you no good. Your sin continues to separate you from God and you need a belief that will lead to action to take your sin out of the way.
James 2:17-24 expounds on how works complete faith, resulting in true belief. James 2:26 sums it up this way, “or as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also“.
Now, be honest and decide if you believe what in God says.
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Truly Believe
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
Just having an intellectual “belief” will do you no good.
Your sin continues to separate you from God and you need a belief that will lead to action to take your sin out of the way.
James 2:17-24 expounds on how works complete faith, resulting in true belief. James 2:26 sums it up this way, “or as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also“.
Now, be honest and decide if you believe in God and believe His Word.
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Closing Comments
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
I admit it, I think like a programmer.
When the Gospel was presented to me, and I set aside my preconceived notions and was open to seeing how everything presented in the Bible fits together, it was perfectly logical. The testimony of the complexity of the world lead me to decide that creation was more reasonable than evolution (which never explains where matter comes from). So if creation is true, who is the creator? The Bible explains who that creator is and what he wants for us and from us.
A Logical Decision (an abbreviated view)
if You Exist then
| Life (conception, birth, childhood)
| if Life then
| | Adulthood
| | if Adulthood then
| | | Seek God (His way…)
| | else
| | | No Hope
| | end-if
| else
| end-if
else
| You Never Existed (but you do, take the other path)
end-if.
He gave us free will, and wants us to decide to come to him (1 Timothy 2:4-6).
He presents a path for us to follow to do so, but there is only one set of decisions that lead to Him. He will guide us along the way if we will accept His guidance and follow His path. I encourage you to start where you are today and make reasonable, logical decisions.
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Hell
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
You are permanently separated from God by your sin
You will be spending eternity in this place with these people.
(Some people don’t believe that hell exists, but God’s Word teaches that it does – 2 Peter Chapter 2)
A Description
- Hellfire – Matthew 18:9, 5:22.
- Outer darkness with weeping and gnashing of teeth – Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30.
- No rest day nor night – Revelation 14:11.
- Everlasting fire – Matthew 25:41.
- Everlasting punishment – Matthew 25:46.
- Everlasting destruction – II Thessalonians 1:6-10.
- Where the worm dieth not – Mark 9:42-50.
- Lake of fire burning with brimstone – Revelation 19:20.
- Place of torment – Revelation 20:10.
- The second death – Luke 16:22-24, Revelation 20:14.
- Where both the body and soul are destroyed – Matthew 10:28.
Who Will Be There
- The Devil and his angels – Matthew 25:41.
- Angels that have sinned – II Peter 2:4.
- Those who do not obey Him – Romans 2:8-9, II Thessalonians 1:6-10.
- The ungodly and the sinner – I Peter 4:17-18.
- All liars, among others – Revelation 21:8.
- Christians who have returned to sin – II Peter 2:20-22.
- The unrighteous – I Corinthians 6:9-10.
- Sodom and Gomorrha – Jude 1:7.
- Those not written in the book of life – Revelation 20:15.
- Sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, idolaters, whosoever loveth and maketh a lie – Revelation 22:15.
All your decisions have already been made.
You may regret them, but there is now no way to change them. You can only change your mind and your actions while you are alive.
This is your eternal damnation resulting from your rejection, while you were living, of the salvation offered by God through the sacrifice of his only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ – John 12:44-50, Revelation 14:11.
(In reality, you are not here yet. You can still avoid this end! Will you go back and make some different decisions?)
(Also see: Hell is Everlasting Punishment and Hell.)
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Heaven
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
This is really the best consequence and what God desires for you. He wants all of mankind to come to Him. – 2 Peter 3:9
There are no more decisions to make.
This is your eternal home where you have eternal life – Revelation 22:14.
Think on the things these things.
Descriptions of Heaven.
- My Father’s house – John 14:1-6
- God has built the foundations – Hebrews 11:10
- City of the living God – Hebrews 12:22.
- A place that God has prepared – 1 Corinthians 2:9
- A better country – Hebrews 11:16
- No tears, death, sorrow or pain – Revelation 21:4
- A rest to the people of God – Hebrews 4:9-11, Revelation 14:13
- The Glory of God lights it, no need for the sun – Revelation 21:23-25
- Pure and undefiled – Revelation 21:26-27
- The throne of God is there – Revelation 22:3
Who Will Be There With You in God’s Presence.
- Those who have become as little children – Matthew 18:3
- Those who do the will of the Father – Matthew 7:21, Hebrews 10:35-39
- The righteous – Matthew 25:46, 2 Peter 3:13
- Nations of them which are saved – Revelation 21:24
- Those who have gotten the victory over the beast – Revelation 15:2
- Those who have been born again – 2 Peter 1:3-9
- They which are written in the Lamb’s book of life – Revelation 21:27
Rejoice in the decisions you have made.
(Ok, you have not yet arrived, but this is where you want to be and the company you want to keep. Keep making decisions that will bring you here, so that it will become your reality)
See my closing comments on this decision tree.
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Judgment in a Safe Condition
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
You arrived here because you died before reaching an age of accountability (see Adulthood).
Your body is dead, but your spirit is alive!
See how Jesus looks upon a child in Matthew 18:2-5. Because you died physically without knowing sin, you are pure and acceptable before God.
Now the decision is God’s, not yours.
When you face the judgement (Hebrews 9:27), you are pure and acceptable before God. He has only one answer:
- Heaven
It is comforting to know that children who have not had an opportunity to live a full life on earth die with the best result. However, you are still living and this does not apply to you. You are, after all, reading this and thinking about it.
Go back, make your decisions and face the consequences.
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Adulthood
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
What does it mean to be grown up?
For our purposes in this discussion, we will consider it to be an age where one is mentally developed enough to understand the meaning of sin. Some might call it an age of accountability. Physically and socially one may not have reached “adulthood”; but once there is an understanding of the concept of sin, there is an accountability for that sin, a responsibility for it.
Welcome to being grown up.
Spiritually, temptation has presented itself and you have failed to resist. sinning against God. We all do at some point. Now you are in a state where your sin has separated you from God and you are spiritually dead. Consider the following.
God has no sin
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” – 1 John 1:5
We do have sin
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” – 1 John 1:8
“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” – 1 John 1:10
Therefore, our sin stands between us and God.
We can’t bring our sin into God’s presence. – 1 John 1:5
We have created a gulf, or separation, between us and God. – Isaiah 59:2
Knowing there is a God and you have separated yourself from Him…
What will you do (we will face this decision, day in and day out, all our lives)?
- Accept that there is a God, a creator, and search for Him.
- Reject the evidence and testimony of God, deny your sin, and live a self oriented life.
More about sin:
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Reject God’s Word and God Himself
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
You may still be alive on this earth, but spiritually, your sin continues to separate you from God.
Satan is rejoicing because you are his. Meanwhile, God is patiently waiting for you to turn to him, but he will not wait forever.
- “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:9-10)
- “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11)
- “And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.” (Isaiah 30:18)
Perhaps you will continue to live, but perhaps not.
It is not really in your hands (James 4:14, Hebrews 9:27), but select a path and see what comes next.
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Conception, Baby, Childhood
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
Physically, you started life in the womb at conception. You survived the most dangerous threat at that age, abortion. You were born and grew into childhood.
Spiritually, a baby or child is innocent. They are unable to know what God expects, so can’t disobey. Romans 7:7-9 gives us insight as to why a baby or child is without sin.
What happens next? How will you leave childhood?
(True, the options here are not really your decision, but one of these two things will happen.)
- Die while still a baby or child.
(since you are reading and understanding this, you are already beyond this option.) - Grow up.
Staying a child is not an option – 1 Corinthians 13:11
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Judgment in a Saved Condition
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
Your physical life is over and you now face the benefit of the decisions you made while you were alive. You are spiritually alive before God. You have:
- Lived your life believing in Jesus. Eternal life is the result (John 3:15-17).
- Searched the scriptures and found eternal life (John 5:39)
- Gone to the Word of God to find eternal life (John 6:68)
- Been willing to lose your life for Christ, and found it (John 12:25-26)
- Believed the things that were written and lead to life (John 20:30-31)
- Confessed Christ before men, now he will confess you before His Father (Luke 12:8).
All Decisions are Now in God’s Hands
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Judgment in a Lost Condition
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
Your life is over. You can’t change the decisions you made while you were alive.
Many are familiar with “God so loved the world…” (John 3:14-16). But read the rest of the chapter and you will find that though the offer is open to all, there must be acceptance (John 3:17-21).
By refusing to accept and believe in Jesus while you were alive you have condemned yourself. You are like the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. He was not in a good place in Luke 16:23-24. And he could not cross to a better place in Luke 16:26.
All Decisions are Now in God’s Hands
He has told us how he will decide. – John 12:48
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Die Without Christ
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
You have waited too long to respond. Hebrews 9:27 tells us that once we die, we face the judgment. You have no more decisions to make.
All Decisions are Now in God’s Hands
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Die Faithfully
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
Paul talks about coming to the end of his life in a faithful condition. He says he has, “fought the good fight” in 2 Timothy 4:7-8. You have accomplished the same and have the same reward awaiting you. You are ready for that rest (Hebrews 4:3, 9). You have no more decisions to make.
All Decisions are Now in God’s Hands
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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Decision Tree – Live Faithfully
(Did you jump into the middle of this? Please start at the beginning of the decision tree.)
You have decided so far to:
- Hear God’s Word
- Believe in God and His Word
- Act upon His message by (Contact Us if you still need to act):
– Confessing Christ
– Repenting of your sin
– Being Baptized into Christ
Your past sin no longer separates you from God!
Will you have it continue to do so? Temptation will continue. Satan will continue to attack (1 Peter 5:8). A time will come when you will sin again (1 John 1:8). What will you do when that happens?
What will you decide to do the next time you sin?
More about living faithfully:
- Walking in Love, Light, and Wisdom
- Heed God’s Warnings
- The Right Attitude
- Be Steadfast
- Rules of Engagement
- A Christian’s Walk
- Christians Must Never Give Up
Content by Zachary Van Tassel
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