Hebrews 11:25 – Choosing for Eternity

Choosing Christ over the pleasures of sin is the wisest decision a soul can make in light of eternity.

This article is adapted from a message preached on January 25th, 2026. Watch the full sermon on YouTube.

You can only choose one

The gospel presents every person with a solemn and unavoidable reality: you can only choose one. One destiny. One eternity. One final outcome. That truth lies at the heart of the gospel message and calls each listener to consider not just life now, but life beyond time.

That truth was captured unexpectedly while walking along a busy shopping street in Dublin. Among the noise and movement, a billboard stood out with a single word printed boldly at the bottom—eternity. Beneath it were the words: You can only choose one. Though intended for a film advertisement, the message could not have been more fitting for the gospel.

Eternity presses itself upon the human heart. Whether people think about it often or rarely, every soul knows that life does not end at death. Each of us will live forever. The only question is where.

A choice made possible by Christ

The gospel does not allow for neutrality. God offers salvation freely, but He never forces it. Even God will not decide for you. The responsibility lies with each individual soul.

It is a good thing that we have a choice at all. That choice exists only because of the Lord Jesus Christ. Without Him, sin would carry every one of us into a lost eternity, separated from God forever. But Christ came down from glory so that sinners could be saved and prepared for eternity.

“Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” Matthew 11:28.

Preparing for eternity

Much of life is spent preparing for what comes next—school, careers, retirement. Yet preparation for eternity is far more important than any earthly transition.

Every person is guaranteed to enter eternity. In a hundred years, none of us will be here. Where we will be then depends entirely on whether we have dealt with our sin and trusted Christ.

Many drift through life without making a decision, assuming things will somehow work out. But drifting is itself a choice—and it is a dangerous one.

Moses: choosing what lasts

Moses stands as a clear example of a wise choice made in light of eternity. Raised in Pharaoh’s household, he had access to wealth, power, and privilege beyond imagination. Yet when he came to years, he made a deliberate decision.

“Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” Hebrews 11:25.

Moses understood that sin’s pleasures are temporary. He could see beyond time. What the world would call foolish, God calls wise. He turned his back on Egypt’s treasures because he valued what was eternal.

The rich young ruler: a tragic choice

In contrast, the rich young ruler came face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ and walked away unchanged. He asked what he could do to inherit eternal life, revealing that he believed salvation could be earned.

When the Lord exposed what truly held his heart—his possessions—the man went away sorrowful.

“But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.” — Matthew 19:22

He had come so close, yet he chose present gain over eternal life. Scripture never records that he was saved.

Why can't good works save us?

Even our best efforts cannot fix what is broken between us and God.

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Repentance and reality

Salvation is not a casual decision or a box to be checked. It requires repentance—taking God’s side against our sin. A sinner must come to the place of acknowledging guilt before God and trusting Christ alone.

Many admire Christ. Few are willing to take their place as sinners who need saving.

Christ: the greatest choice of all

Above every human choice stands the choice made by the Lord Jesus Christ. He chose to come into this world knowing full well what awaited Him—rejection, suffering, and the cross.

“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” — 1 Timothy 1:15

He did not have to come. God was not obligated to provide a way of salvation. Yet in love, Christ chose the cross so that sinners could be saved.

Choose life

Every soul listening to the gospel is faced with a decision. Christ or rejection. Forgiveness or separation from God. Heaven or a lost eternity.

You can only choose one.

Like Moses, may you choose what lasts. Like the rich young ruler, do not walk away sorrowful. Your eternal destiny depends on what you do with Christ.