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On July 25, 2000, Air France flight 4590 from Paris to New York crashed less than two minutes after takeoff. Speeding down the runway, the Concorde supersonic jet had run over a small piece of metal which cut a tire and sent debris into the left wing, where it ruptured a fuel tank. A devastating fire followed, which shut down two engines and brought the plane to the ground, killing all 109 people on board and four others on the ground.

The flight voice recorder revealed two very striking statements made during that short flight. First, the flight controller in the tower says, “Concorde zero … 4590, you have flames … you have flames behind you.” One minute later, just before the plane crashed, the pilot is heard to say, “Too late.”

“…you have flames behind you…”

Anyone who witnessed the crash, or has seen pictures of the accident knows what an unbelievable sight it was—the trail of fire streaking through the sky behind the plane was nearly as long as the plane itself. The warning almost seems insufficient to describe the great danger they were in.

Did you know that you may have flames ahead of you? When you pass from this earth, what awaits you is either the peace and joy of an eternity in heaven with those who have believed in Jesus for salvation |(1 Peter 1:3-5), or the torment and grief of an eternity apart from God in the “lake of fire” with those who have rejected Christ (Revelation 20:15). Just as those in the cockpit of flight 4590 could not see the severity of the flames behind them, do not be blinded to the reality of the flames that may be ahead of you. Do not take this warning lightly.

“…too late…”

As the plane was going down, an effort was made to divert it to a nearby airport, but it was already too late to change the outcome for the wounded craft and the souls on board. Likewise, if you are without Christ, it will soon be too late for you to divert from the terrible end that you are speeding toward. We have no guarantee about how long we will live before we meet our Creator. The Bible rightly says, “What is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Your life will soon be over, and then you will face God: “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

Do not think that you can change your eternal destiny after you die. The Bible clearly says that this is impossible (Luke 16:26). If you have not trusted Christ, the Bible says that your unbelief has already set your course: “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already” (John 3:18).

A small strip of metal on a runway may seem like an insignificant thing—until we see the tragic end of flight 4590. Likewise, until we understand the absolute holiness of God and the sinfulness of man, it may seem that God is being unjust or unfair to make a “big deal” about what we think is just a “little sin.” God’s holiness prevents Him from allowing even one sin to enter His presence. This is why the Bible says, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). However, His great love and desire for us to be with Him has provided the way by which we can have our sins taken away, be washed completely clean, and be made fit for His presence. “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). When Jesus died on the cross, He “bore our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24).

The Bible simply says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). There is no other way for us to be saved from our sins and the terrible judgment that God’s holiness requires. Our good deeds of religion or charity cannot save us (Ephesians 2:8,9). Come to Christ in faith today, believing that when He died on the cross and rose again, God was satisfied with His payment for your sins. Escape the flames before it is too late!

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