What Does The Bible Say About Hell 2 | The Radical Reality

We are continuing a series here at Cross Connection, answering the question: What does the Bible have to say about hell? Today, we're looking at one of the most striking passages of the Bible, perhaps the scariest words that Jesus ever shared, found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter seven. So, open your Bible with us and follow along. God bless.

Everyone has an opinion on the topic of hell. Some believe that hell is a place of remediation or reformation for lost souls, where they go to be prepared for glory. After some period of time in this place of punishment, they will check out, repent, and move on to the next place, which is a place of glory.

Others hold that hell is not a bad place to be. Like the band ACDC used to sing, some view it as a place of fun and partying. In fact, in 2007, musician Marilyn Manson was asked by an interviewer about hell. His response was, "Am I going to hell when I die? I definitely would be. But I'm going to say that it would probably be more comfortable for me because everyone I know is going to be there. I wouldn't be allowed to do anything in heaven that would be any fun." This perspective reflects one of the prominent views put forth by pop culture today: that hell is a place of enjoyment and not a bad place to be.

Additionally, some view hell as a myth, a concept meant to manipulate the masses and get them to do what others want them to do. They believe it doesn't really exist. However, our aim in this series is to answer the question: What does the Bible say about the topic of hell? Why would we do that? Well, because we here at Cross Connection believe that the Bible is authoritative on every topic of which it speaks.

No, the Bible doesn't speak about every topic, but the topics that it does address are authoritative. Why? We find in the scriptures, specifically in 2 Timothy 3:16, that all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and it is useful for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, so that the man or woman of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Therefore, we believe the Bible to be authoritative on that which it speaks.

We could spend a lot of time going through the Old Testament and the New Testament, building a basis on all the different views presented from Genesis to Revelation about what happens to humanity after death. What is the final state of man? We could examine everything that is said in the Psalms, among the prophets, and in the epistles. If you're interested in a study like that, there are many books I could recommend. However, instead, we are going right to the source. We will see what Jesus has to say about the topic of hell. Jesus is the definitive expert on every topic he chooses to speak about. Anything he weighs in on, he is the definitive expert.

The fact is, he chose to speak about the topic of hell quite a bit. Among the Bible authors and the different people we read of in scripture, he speaks about this topic more than anyone else. So, point number one on your outline, if you have your sermon guide handy, is that Jesus's teaching on hell is radical.

Jesus's teaching on hell is radical, and not just because of his description of hell. There are several passages we can turn to in the Gospels that present Jesus's description of hell, but those are not all that different from the views of his day. In fact, what Jesus describes as this place after death for the unrighteous is pretty consistent with the beliefs of most people who lived in and around Israel during his time. The rabbis predominantly held the view that Jesus espouses, so his description is not really what is radical.

What is radical, however, is who will go to this place. In line with that, hell, as Jesus describes it, is a place of dark, tormenting punishment.

A place that Jesus describes with words like "unquenchable" and "unrelenting fire" is a place that causes weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is not a pretty place. In fact, speaking about this topic, I thought maybe we should put a banner up for this kind of rated R presentation, as it contains brief moments of extreme terror. What we are going to talk about here today is a heavy, heavy reality. It is the radical reality of what Jesus had to say about hell.

Yes, He presents it as a dark, tormenting place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, where there is an unrelenting fire that is never quenched and never goes out. Furthermore, as we considered in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16, last week, we see that Jesus builds upon that understanding. He reveals that those who are in torment in this place are conscious of the pain they are experiencing.

We see this in Luke 16:23. There, Jesus says, "And being in torment in Hades, the rich man lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus at his side." Then he cried out and said, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in torment in this flame." As Jesus presents it, those who find themselves in this place of torment are conscious of the pain they are experiencing.

Not only are they aware of their own pain, but they are also aware of others who are not experiencing the same suffering. In the exact same verse we just saw, Luke 16:23, the rich man lifted his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus at his side. They were not experiencing the torment that the rich man was enduring in Jesus's story.

Jesus also reveals that those in this place of torment have a remembrance of their life. They remember their former state. Abraham says to the rich man, "Remember, son, remember that in your lifetime you had good things." While he was experiencing the torment of this place that Jesus refers to as Hades, he remembered where he had come from. He remembered his former state. Not only that, Jesus reveals that those in this place are unable to move away from that state.

In which they're in, that place of torment, they cannot cross away from it. This contradicts the view of some that hell is a place to go to be remediated or reformed, where after a period of time, one can move from hell to a place of comfort. But Abraham says, "No, there's a gulf in between us so that we can't cross over to you, and you can't cross over to us," he says to the rich man there in the torments of hell.

Jesus goes on to say that those in that place are unable to return to their former state. They cannot come out of that place and back to this world. This goes against the view of many people who hold a position of reincarnation, believing that you can put in another coin when you get game over and come back to play as another character, allowing you to move up to the next level. However, Jesus reveals that this is not the case.

Finally, in Luke chapter 16, Jesus reveals that those in that place of torment are unable to receive comfort while there. The rich man asks Abraham, "Would you send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger and touch my tongue with water because I am in torment?" But Abraham responds that it is not possible. The place that Jesus describes is a hellish place; there is no better way to describe it. It is a terrible, unending place. I don't know how better to say it.

In other passages in the Bible, particularly in the New Testament gospels, Jesus seems to indicate a couple more things. One, he suggests that there are degrees of punishment in this place of torment. If you want to see the passage that reveals this, turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 11.

In chapter 11, Jesus has been moving around the region of Galilee, going from city to city. As he visits these cities, he casts demons out of people, heals the sick, and even raises those who have died. He gives wholeness and sight to the blind and causes men with withered hands to stretch forth their hands. As he goes to places like Capernaum, where Peter lived and his brother Andrew, and probably where James and John were from, Jesus preaches the gospel and heals the sick. He then moves to another place called Bethsaida, where he continues to preach the gospel and heal the sick.

And then He goes to a place called Chorazin, where He preaches the gospel and heals the sick. Now, multitudes of people are beginning to follow Him. In Matthew chapter 11, verse 20, Jesus begins to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works were done because they did not repent. He says in verse 21, "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for the mighty works which were done in you, if they had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."

In this passage, Jesus teaches that there is a degree of punishment in the place of torment. This degree of punishment is based on one's culpability and accountability to what one has seen and known. The people in these cities—Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Capernaum—had seen Jesus. They had witnessed the Messiah, heard Him teach, watched Him raise the dead, and seen Him heal the sick. They may have even eaten the food He provided for the multitudes. Yet, they did not repent. Jesus indicates that if these miracles had been performed in Sodom, Tyre, or Sidon, those cities would have repented.

Not only in Matthew chapter 11, but also in Luke chapter 12, Jesus tells some parables. In verse 47, as He speaks to the multitudes, He says, "And that servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself to do according to his master's will shall be beaten with many stripes. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more."

Here, Jesus reveals that those who have more knowledge are more accountable for that knowledge, while those with less knowledge are less accountable and will experience a lower degree of punishment. If you've ever read through the gospels, you can see this principle at work.

You got through Matthew chapter 23, and there, Jesus addresses the religious leaders of His day, the scribes and the Pharisees, seven or eight times. He says, "You guys are hypocrites." A hypocrite looks one way before the people, but inwardly, he is not really that way. In Matthew 23, verse 14, Jesus declares, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense, you make long prayers. Therefore, you will receive a greater damnation."

You stand before the public and pray with lofty prayers, but in reality, you take advantage of people who are defenseless. Jesus warns that they will receive a stricter, greater condemnation than others.

In the Gospel of John, chapter 19, Jesus is speaking with the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, who is about to condemn Jesus to die by crucifixion. We will be discussing this in our Good Friday service in just a couple of Fridays. As He talks with Pontius Pilate, Pilate begins to recognize that this Jesus is greater than just an ordinary man. He even starts to wonder if this man is divine and wants to try to release Jesus. Pilate knows that Jesus has done nothing wrong, nothing worthy of being crucified.

He goes before the chief priests and says, "This guy's done nothing wrong. I've even had Him beaten, and He has done nothing wrong. We should release Him." But they shout, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Pontius Pilate's wife sends him a message, saying, "Don't do anything to this guy." Pilate is concerned.

Jesus looks at him in John 19, verse 11, and says, "You could have no authority, no power at all against me unless it had been given to you from above." Jesus tells Pilate that God the Father has called him to do this. He then adds, "Therefore, the one who delivered me to you has the greater sin."

Not just in the Gospels, but also in the New Testament book of Hebrews, the author writes in Hebrews chapter 10, verse 29, "Of how much worse punishment do you suppose will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, has counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and has insulted the Spirit of grace?"

Apparently, there is a greater punishment, a more severe judgment for the person who belittles the work of grace that Jesus did on the cross.

The scriptures seem to indicate that there are degrees of punishment in this place called hell. Jesus affirms this truth. Not only that, Jesus seems to indicate that there may be an end to the conscious torment of hell. This is considered somewhat of a minority position within the church, known as the doctrine of annihilationism or the doctrine of conditionalism.

The idea is simply this: Paul, in 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 16, tells us that God alone is immortal. The view is that humanity does not have, by nature, an immortal soul, but that Jesus came to extend life and immortality through the gospel. This is exactly what Paul says in 2 Timothy chapter 1, verse 10, that Jesus Christ has come to open our eyes and bring light to life and immortality through the gospel. Therefore, salvation and immortality are conditioned upon our receptivity to the gospel. This is the view of conditional immortality or annihilationism.

The belief is that those lost souls who go to hell will, at some point in the future, be annihilated and destroyed. Some people ask, did Jesus actually teach that? There are passages that seem to indicate this, such as one found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 10, verse 28. There, Jesus says, "Do not fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy, definitively annihilate, both soul and body in hell." It seems that Jesus may be alluding to this idea of annihilationism, that God is able to destroy both body and soul in hell.

Another passage that seems to address this is one of Jesus's parables in Luke chapter 20, verse 16. It states that the master of a vineyard, which he extended to wicked vinedressers, will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others. This also indicates destruction and supports the idea of annihilationism.

Now, some people wonder, when would that happen? If this idea of annihilationism is true, when would this take place? It would seem that this would occur in Revelation chapter 20, where we read that death and Hades are cast...

Into the lake that burns with fire, it's referred to as the second death. The idea is that those who die in their wickedness will go to a place like Hades, the torment described in Luke chapter 16. At some point in the future, there will come a day of punishment, the day of the Lord, when death and hell are cast into the lake that burns with fire.

There is some indication that there are degrees of punishment in hell. Additionally, there is some indication that hell, as an eternal conscious punishment, will one day be cast into destruction and annihilated. However, I don't think we can provide a definitive answer on these two points. While we can't give a definitive answer, they do seem to bring balance to the issue of God's justice and God's mercy. Many people who hold these two positions argue that it reveals that God is both just and merciful.

To definitively say yes or no to these points has been a topic of debate in the evangelical church for more than 500 years. I don't think we can settle it in the time we have today. That said, we should not get caught up in a debate over these finer points of annihilationism or degrees of punishment while missing the larger point that Jesus communicates in His teaching on the topic.

Point number two on your outline: Hell is very real and a terrible place. With how real and terrifying hell is, I must be honest; I would very much like to believe that there are degrees of punishment. Jesus seems to teach that. Why would I like to believe that? Because I would like to think that the good person, the so-called good person who does good things and has never heard about Jesus, will not experience the same level of punishment as, say, Jeffrey Dahmer or Adolf Hitler.

I would like to believe that the person who lives in a place where there is no witness for Christ and never had the opportunity to know Him will face punishment, but it will be to a lesser degree, according to what Jesus seems to indicate in the Scriptures.

I would love to believe that those who go to this place at some point in the future, I don't know when, will be completely annihilated or destroyed. Maybe that is what the Scriptures teach, but it does not lessen the reality that the Scriptures teach a very real and terrible place called hell. We should be challenged by the reality of these truths. It is a terrible and terrifying place.

To add to the terror, we're going to spend the remainder of our time today looking at what I think is Jesus' most striking teaching on the subject of hell. It is certainly the scariest passage. So, if you would open your Bibles to Matthew chapter seven and stand with me, we're going to read about eleven verses, beginning at verse 13. If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will gladly bring you one.

Matthew seven is the end of Jesus' long journey and the longest single teaching in the Bible, called the Sermon on the Mount. He had been traveling around the region of Galilee, preaching, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." He had been healing the sick, and then he went to this hilltop just next to the Sea of Galilee. We think we know where it's at; we'll actually go there this November, called the Mount of Beatitudes. He sat down, and his disciples came, and he began to teach them. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they shall inherit the kingdom of God." He goes on and on through chapters six and seven, and he ends this way:

"Enter by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life, and there are few that find it. Beware of false prophets who come in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits, you will know them. Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, 'Lord, Lord.'"

Have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And I will declare to them, "I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness."

Father, we need wisdom by Your Spirit as we look at this challenging passage. I pray, God, that You would open our hearts and help us to handle Your Word with humility. You are in heaven; we are here on earth. Let our words be few as we yield to Your Word. As we consider what You would say on a topic that is much debated and challenged, God, speak to us. Give us humility in this, a humility that is willing to look at ourselves in the light of Scripture, but also to stand with humility as we share the reality of what is taught in the Gospels with other people. So, God, speak to us, we pray. Transform us by the renewing of our minds. We ask this in Jesus' name. In all God's people said, amen. You can be seated.

The biggest objection that most people outside the church, and actually even some inside the church, have about the discussion of hell in our culture today is related to the exclusive claims of Jesus. Things like, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father but by Me."

Do you want to see a Christian squirm? Do you want to see a Christian leader squirm? Like the positive, smiley pastor from Texas, Joel Osteen, when he was asked a few years ago on live TV by Larry King, "So, are you saying that Jews, Buddhists, and people of other faiths are not going to heaven? Are you saying that Jesus is the only way?" The smiley, positive preacher, who wants to say uplifting things, squirmed and tried to get out of that one. Ultimately, he answered the question by saying, "My way is through Jesus." He didn't come right out and say yes and affirm what Larry King was saying, but by implication, he did.

Well, I don't know how to answer that. I'm sure that some of you have experienced it. You talk with a friend, a neighbor, a coworker, or a family member about the things of Christ and the exclusive claims of Christ. You say, "I am the way, the truth," and then you hear them say something like, "Oh, isn't it a nice day?" just trying to change the subject. Has anybody experienced that before? Let's be honest; we have.

The greatest objection against the Christian church today in America has to do with the exclusive claims of Jesus. This issue comes down to the concepts of heaven and hell. Jesus does not toss or turn or wiggle on the subject, not one bit. He says, "Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction." Those who hold an annihilationist position often cite this text, claiming that those who go down this wide way are destroyed. But whatever the case, Jesus clearly states that the path is wide and the gate is wide open, leading to destruction.

Notice this: He says, "Many." Would you circle the word "many" in your neighbor's Bible? Just reach out; they won't mind. There are many who go by it. Just in case we missed it, He says the very same thing in the opposite immediately following that. He states, "Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way that leads to life." And there are few—circle that in your Bible—there are few who find it.

Jesus believed and taught that many go by this wide path to destruction, while few find the narrow gate, which He reveals Himself to be. "I am the door," He says in John chapter 10. He is the only way by which people can enter. If anyone else tries to come in another way, He says they are thieves and liars. I am the only way.

Now, if anyone knows the truth, Jesus does. He believed and taught that wide is the path that leads to destruction and narrow is the path that leads to life. Therefore, we believe and teach—I believe and teach—that wide is the path that leads to destruction.

And narrow is the path that leads to life. People will rebuke you. They will say to you and me that we are bigoted and narrow-minded. We just say, "Listen, I'm only telling you, I'm only reporting what Jesus Himself taught."

The same people who will oftentimes call us narrow-minded and bigoted will talk about Jesus as if He's really cool. They’ll say, "Well, He was a good teacher. He was a nice social reformer. He was a good guy." You can respond, "Yeah, that same Jesus that you think was a really nice guy and a good teacher and a great social reformer, He’s also the guy that said many will go to hell."

In fact, the next point, point number three on your outline, is that most people go to hell. Most people go to hell. That point should hit me and hit you like a ton of bricks in the chest. If we can say that and believe it without being tripped up by it, there’s a problem. Most people go to hell.

Now, there will be people who get mad at God about that, upset with Him. "How dare You?" some will say. But please recognize and understand that God, as He reveals Himself in the scripture, does not delight in this truth. The scriptures say God does not delight in the death of the wicked. It’s just a reality.

The scriptures reveal in 2 Peter chapter three that God is not desirous that any would perish, but that all would come to repentance. It is not His desire that people would go to hell. He does not get some sort of sick, twisted glee from people going to torment, judgment, and punishment. No, quite the opposite. This same God who is just also sent His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. He has made a way.

Yes, the way is narrow. It is a striking truth. But I’m sad to say it’s not the most frightening of the passage. Look at Matthew seven, verse 15. Jesus cautions His hearers, His disciples. If you are a disciple of Jesus today, it just means you are a follower of Jesus. This is a caution from Jesus to you and to me: Beware of false prophets who come in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. They look good on the outside, but it’s just a show.

Well, how are you going to know them? You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, and every bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits, you will know them.

Jesus indicates that there are people who are false prophets, and they are masquerading as Christians. He uses the metaphor of sheep and wolves. His people are called the sheep, the fold, the flock. There are wolves that look like sheep, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. They appear to be like everyone else. We are told in the Scriptures that Satan masquerades as an angel of light, so this is not abnormal. There are some within the fold, the flock of God, the church of God, who are masquerading even at this very moment. They look really good to everyone else, and yet they are there. How will you know them? He says you are going to know them by their fruit. Good trees bear good fruit, and bad trees bear bad fruit.

Is Jesus talking about apples and oranges? What is He talking about here? I think there is some insight given in another one of Jesus's teachings. One of the other largest passages or discourses of Jesus is found in Matthew 25. It is called the Olivet Discourse. You can turn there if you'd like.

In Matthew chapter 25, Jesus is speaking to His disciples from the Mount of Olives, which is just outside the city of Jerusalem. He is finishing this teaching in this way. In Matthew 25, verse 31, He says, "When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all His holy angels with Him, He will sit on the throne of His glory, and all the nations will be gathered before Him. He will separate one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep." There is the same metaphor used. "As a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats, He will set the sheep on His right hand and the goats on His left hand."

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Why? "For I was hungry, and you gave Me food. I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink. I was a stranger, and you took Me in. I was naked, and you clothed Me. I was sick, and you visited Me. I was in prison, and you came to Me." Then the righteous will answer and say to Him,

Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty? Or when did we see You as a stranger or naked and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and come to You? And the King, in verse 40, will answer and say, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, My brethren, you did it to Me."

Then Jesus will say to those on His left hand, "Sorry, you just happened to sit on My left hand today, not you." He will say to those on His left hand, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared not for humanity, but for the devil and his angels." Hell is a place prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave Me no food. I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink. I was a stranger, and you did not take Me in. I was naked, and you did not clothe Me. I was sick and in prison, and you did not come and visit Me.

Then they will answer and say, "Lord, when did we do this?" He will answer, in verse 45, saying, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me." And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.

What good fruit is Jesus talking about? He's not talking about apples and oranges; He is talking about the works of a person's life. Someone may object and say, "Are you saying that it is my good works that get me into heaven and out of hell?" No. Remember, Jesus calls it fruit. It is the produce of a heart transformed by grace. It will be the overflow of the life of a person who is transformed by grace.

Notice that those doing the good works were not aware that they were doing them. They are not going about and knocking on doors because they think this is going to get them in. They are just living life transformed by the grace of God. And by their fruits, you will know them.

Point number four on your outline: good works are more important than good looks. Hell-bound wolves may be able to look the part, but they will never be able to walk the walk or work the work because their hearts have not been transformed by the grace of God.

Finally, consider the most striking and scary passage of Matthew chapter seven. Go back there and look at the last three verses, Matthew 7:21 through 23. Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven."

But he who does the will of my Father in heaven, many will say to me in that day, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and done many wonders in your name?" And I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness." This is, in my opinion and the opinion of many, the scariest passage of the Bible. I don't think there's ever been a time that I've read this passage that I haven't been struck by it and challenged by it.

Point number five on your outline: many religious people will go to hell. You can look like a sheep, you can bathe like a sheep, you can do sheeply things and say sheeply things like "Lord, Lord" at the right time. You might even be able to prophesy, "Thus saith the Lord," or do wonderful works, tend to the poor, feed them, heal the sick, and do all kinds of sheeply, Christian things, and yet not be right with the Lord. Many religious people will go to hell. You can even do powerful works like casting demons out of people. "Did we not cast out demons in your name?" Now people go, "How could this possibly be? How could this possibly work?"

Well, I want you to remember that Jesus gathered twelve men, placed His Spirit upon them, and gave them His power and authority, saying, "Go and cast out demons and heal the sick and preach the gospel," as recorded in Matthew chapter 10. They came back and rejoiced that the demons were subject to their word. One of those men was Judas Iscariot.

"Lord, Lord, did we not, did we not, did we not, did we not?" Many will say to me, "Lord, Lord, did we not, did we not, did we not?" The most striking part of this passage is that those who hear Jesus say, "Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness," are as surprised as anyone when they hear those words. Apparently, they thought, "We're okay, we're okay, we're okay." And they say, "Lord, Lord, didn't I say the prayer?"

Didn't I raise my hand? Didn't I get baptized? Didn't I pay a tithe? Didn't I go on a mission trip? And many will hear Him say on that day, "Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness." Someone told me after the first service that they were sitting in the back and watched everybody squirm through this. You can be religious and think that everything is just right, only to find out in the end that you were wrong.

So the question is obvious: How can I make sure that I'm not among this group? Notice that Jesus says in this passage that He gives us the information. He doesn't want us to be ignorant of this. Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.

Okay, so what's that? What's the will of His Father in heaven? Thankfully, Jesus gives us a definitive answer. Turn in your Bible to John chapter six. I was just reading this a couple of days ago in my devotions. John chapter six, look at verse 39. Jesus says, "This is the will of the Father who sent me." Well, that's helpful. This is the will of my Father that sent me: that of all He has given me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.

And this is the will of Him who sent me. Verse 40 says a second time, "Listen up, listen up. This is His will, the one who sent me: that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up on that last day." He who does the will of my Father in heaven—this is the will of my Father in heaven: that whoever sees the Son and believes on Him may have everlasting life.

Why? Because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. All the religious effort, all the spiritual effort in the world...

Will not save you. All the spiritual jargon will not justify you. Saying "Lord" at the right time, saying "and also with you," genuflecting, bowing, and doing whatever other thing, as well as eating the bread, drinking the cup, and going in the water, will not save you. But everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life.

So the question is, have you believed? Have you believed? Now, I know you say this is a heavy message. Why not preach mercy, compassion, and grace? Jesus's brother Jude writes in Jude 1:22, "Some save by mercy with love." In the next verse, he says, "Others save with fear, plucking them from the fire." I like that. Sometimes we need a little bit of plucking from the fire.

Why? Because in a religious crowd, where you have a whole bunch of moral people who try to do good things and say the right things, sometimes we haven't believed in the Son. I want to give you an opportunity to do that today. If you'd stand with me, we're going to have our worship team come back up as we close in prayer.

Father God, thank You that You loved us enough to give everything. You who did not spare Your Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall You not also freely give us everlasting life? Lord, we thank You for Your grace. We thank You that You love this world. Would You give us a love for the people of this world in the same way that we would not be able to be quiet about Your grace?

Even if people squirm with tough questions about exclusivity, that You're the only way—Jesus, You are the only way. Help us to walk in the glory of that and to share it with people so that they would know the way too. And God, if there are any here today who may have good works but have never put their faith in You for salvation, would You draw them by Your Spirit? As we're standing here in an attitude of prayer, you may have been here for a few weeks. We don't do this all the time.

We don't do it really often, but you might have been here for a while considering these things. We want to give you an opportunity to say today, "Lord Jesus, I believe. I want to know you and have you in my life, transforming me."

If that's you today, would you just lift up your hand real high so I can see it? God bless you. God bless you there in the back. Anyone else? I see over there. God sent His only begotten Son for us, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. The Apostle Paul says whoever believes in their heart and confesses with their mouth will not be put to shame.

So if that's you today, would you just out loud, where you are, pray with me?

Dear Jesus, I know that I have sinned. I know that I have walked away from You, and I recognize that I need You. I thank You that You died on the cross for my sin, that You took my place. Lord, I put my faith in You, and I ask You to come into my life and transform me by Your grace. Help me to follow You by faith. In Jesus' name.