Heaven or Hell? is a sermon teaching that one day we’re leaving this world and either going to be with the Lord or be separated from God forever.

Key verses:
John 5:18-29

I ask you to take your Bible and turn with me if you will to the Gospel of John, chapter 5. John chapter 5. We’ll be looking eventually at verses 18 through 27. I’m sorry that’s 18 through 29. But to begin with I want us to read just verses 28 and 29. So, Gospel of John, chapter 5 verses 28 and 29. Lord Jesus is speaking and in John 5:28-29, He says:

John 5:28: “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,”

John 5:29: “And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

Proverbs 16:25 says: “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Matthew chapter 7 verses 13 and 14, Jesus said:

Matthew 7:13: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:”

Matthew 7:14: “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

What Happens When You Die?

I want to talk to you this morning about Heaven and Hell. It’s been said that you have an immortal soul that will live somewhere as long as Almighty God lives. Now, there’s truth in that statement. You and I are going to live somewhere forever. The question is, where? I want to share with you a little bit about what the world thinks about that because many people will deny what I just said. Many people will tell you this life is all there is. There’s nothing else. When you’re dead, you’re dead. But let me just share with you a little bit about what the world has to say about this.

Stephen Hawking, many people think was the greatest mind since probably Albert Einstein. He was quoted on time.com as saying, “I have lived with the prospect of an early death for 49 years. I am not afraid of death, but I am in no hurry to die. I have so much that I want to do first. I regard the brain as a computer that will stop working when its components fail. There is no Heaven or afterlife for broken-down computers. This is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.” Now, that was Stephen Hawking. That’s what he had to say while he was living. He has since gone into eternity. I would be curious to know what he would say now.

But, I want to cite a few other sources on the subject in the form of headlines. None of these come from a Christian source or a Biblical source. I want to make that clear to you. I’ll give you the source for each one.

From independent.co.uk news science, “When you die, you know that you’re dead. Major studies show death just became even more scary. Scientists say people are aware that they’re dead because consciousness continues to work after the body has stopped showing signs of life.” Isn’t that interesting?

From bigthink.com, “After death, you’re aware that you have died say scientists,” June 28, 2022. Scientists have studied near-death experiences in an attempt to gain insights into how death overcomes the brain.” What they found is remarkable. A surge of electricity enters the brain as the bodily functions shut down.

From the sun.co.uk Tech, “When you die, you know you’re dead because the brain keeps working.” April 16, 2019, Henry Sullivan published, “We know we are dead when we die because our brains keep working to make us aware of what’s happening around us.”

Another source, allthatsinteresting.com, “When you die you know you’re dead.” October 19, 2017. “Scientists at New York University Lang Langan School of Medicine in New York City have discovered that in moments after the body ceases to function, the brain continues to function.”

So, what happens after that doesn’t seem to be known to the people who published all this data. They tell us when the body stops, the brain is still working. There’s still consciousness. Some say for 10 seconds, some say for 10 minutes, some say for longer. But they don’t seem to know what happens after that. If they do think they know, they choose not to say.

Entering Eternity

But the Bible gives us some clues as to what happens next. In Luke chapter 16, verses 22 and 23 say:

Luke 16:22: “And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;”

Luke 16:23: “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.”

Do you understand that? When they died, immediately, one of them was carried by the angels and the other woke up in Hell. Two different stories, Luke 16:22-23. Luke chapter 23 tells us of one of the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus. The three of them, the Lord and the two thieves, all died that day. But as they hung on the cross, the thief said:

Luke 23:42: “And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.”

Luke 23:43: “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

Now, it’s interesting how you say that today, not in some future era but today, the same day. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 8, the Apostle Paul wrote:

2 Corinthians 5:8: “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”

So, we say when a believer leaves this life, they’ve gone to be with the Lord. Where do we get that? Well, 2 Corinthians 5:8, “Absent from the body, present with the Lord.” Nineteen times in your English Bible, we are told that someone gave up the ghost or yielded up the ghost. What does that mean? Well, it means that the spirit has left the body. That part of you that lasts forever has left that part that is only temporary.

If you want more information on that, read 1 Corinthians 15. It’s all about the resurrection. For the first time, that phrase is used, “yielded up the ghost” is about Abraham. The last time it is used is when talking about King Herod Agrippa I in Matthew 27, verse 50. Jesus yielded up the ghost in Mark 15:37-39, Luke 23:46, and John 19:30. Jesus gave up the ghost, and that phrase means that his spirit left the body.

Now, where’d he go? The ghost or spirit of the person has left this life and gone into eternity. There’s a difference between time and eternity. You and I live now in time, but time has a beginning, and time will have an end. Eternity has no beginning and has no end. It is a constant. So, I want you to look with me at our text this morning.

The first 16 verses of John chapter 5, we’ll not take time to read. All that’s worth reading, but for the sake of time we’ll just tell you what’s in it. It’s the story of a man whom Jesus healed, and in verse five, it says a certain man was there who had an infirmity, thirty and eight years. He had been sick for 38 years. That is a long time to suffer from an illness, but many of us know about that.

And this man hoped to get in the pool of Bethesda. The word “Bethesda” means house of mercy. We have Bethesda Hospital up here in this area. There’s Bethesda, Maryland. It means house of mercy. And this man hoped to be in that pool because the belief was that if you could get in the pool, there was a certain season – it’s all in the chapter here. When an angel troubles the waters, it does not explain that. It just makes a statement, and if you were the first one in the pool, after that, you’d be healed.

Well, you can imagine people all gathered around that pool, and this fella can’t get up and walk, and so, he can’t get into the pool. Everybody wants to be first, kind of like life, isn’t it? Everybody wants to be first. Everybody wants to be first in line. You don’t think that’s true? You haven’t driven around here. But he hoped to get in the pool.

John 5:8: “Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.”

John 5:9: “And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath.”

Pay attention to that. So, Jesus sees this man who’s been sick for 38 years. He can’t get out of bed. And Jesus says to him to rise, take up your bed, and walk. The man listened to the Lord Jesus and did what he said. He got up, took his bed, and walked.

I and the Father Are One

John tells us it was on the Sabbath day. That is so very significant. What’s so significant about it? Well, we’re going to start now. If you’ll come down to verse 16, it says:

John 5:16: “And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.”

Isn’t that interesting? Now, you’ve got to understand something here. The phrase “the Jews” does not mean all of the Jewish people. That phrase, especially as John uses it, means the religious leaders of the day – the sect of the Pharisees, the sect of the Sadducees, the Herodians, the Jewish leaders, the leaders of Judaism, the religion – and they were national leaders. So, it doesn’t mean all the people participated in this, and we need to understand that. When you’re studying your Bible, and you see the phrase “the Jews,” it usually means the religious leaders.

We were looking in Galatians this morning, where it talked about the Jews’ religion, and that’s what he’s talking about. When it talks about the people of the nation of Israel, who, we would use a blanket term, say, are the Jews, they’re referred to as the people. It’s common in other cultures, too, to refer to the people of the nation as “the people.” So, just to be clear on that so that you don’t misunderstand what the Bible is teaching here.

So, verse 16 again, “Therefore did the Jews [religious leaders] persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him.” He’s just done a miracle here. This man has been sick for 38 years. He couldn’t walk, and Jesus came by and spoke to him, and he was able to get up and take his bed and walk. And they want to kill Him for that. Does that make sense to you? It doesn’t to me. You would think they would rejoice. You would think they would be happy for that man. You would think they would praise God for a miracle that was done, but instead, they chose to slay Him. Why? Verse 16 again:

John 5:16: “And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.”

John 5:17: “But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.”

Now, it’s a very simple statement. He says, “My Father does these miracles, and I do these miracles.” He’ll explain that further in just a moment, but that made them even more angry. Why? Look at verse 18:

John 5:18: “Therefore the Jews [religious leaders] sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”

Isn’t that interesting? So, they wanted to kill Him because He broke the Sabbath. But now, they really want to kill Him because He made himself equal to God. Isn’t that something? Jesus had done this miracle on the Sabbath day. It’s not the first time. It’s not the last time that they got upset with Him for doing things on the Sabbath day that they didn’t think He should have done.

But I want you to notice something else in verse 18. And talk to me just a little bit here. The Jews, again the religious leaders, not all the people, the Jews, “Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him.” Who was it they wanted to kill? Who was it? Jesus. Yeah, and that’s something. And why? Yeah, because He worked on the Sabbath day. He did a healing. And because He made himself equal with God, said that God was Father, His Father, making himself equal with God. Look at Jesus’ answer in verse 19:

John 5:19: “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.”

John 5:20: “Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.”

John 5:21: “For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.”

You’ll be amazed. Now, let’s talk about this for a moment. They were going to kill Him because He, in their opinion, had broken the Sabbath. But who created the Sabbath? He did. He created the Sabbath.

Let me ask you a question, and I don’t expect you to answer. This is just something to think about. Did Abraham keep the Sabbath? And the answer is you don’t know. You don’t know. Why don’t you know? Because it doesn’t say, and the law of the Sabbath wasn’t given until hundreds of years after Abraham was born. So, maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. We don’t know. It never says whether he did or didn’t. That’s not the main point. The main point is Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath. He created the Sabbath. If He created the Sabbath, certainly He could do good on the Sabbath day. As a matter of fact, He says that in another place. Is it right to do good on the Sabbath day or wrong? And that’s something.

So, they were going to kill Him, number one, because, in their opinion, He had broken the Sabbath and because He made himself equal with God. He’s just said in verses 19 and 20 that He does the work of His Father, and His Father is God. Oh, you can’t say that you’re doing the work of God. You make yourself equal with God. Verse 21:

John 5:21: “For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.”

The word “quickeneth” means to make them alive. As the Father raises people up from the dead does, does He do that? He does, and quickens them, gives them life. “Even so the Son quickeneth [or gives life] to whom He will.”

Let me share something with you from Philippians chapter two, verses six through eight. The Apostle Paul is writing about the Lord Jesus. They got upset because they said He made himself equal with God. Here’s what Paul said about that many years later:

Philippians 2:6: “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:”

Philippians 2:7: “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”

Philippians 2:8: “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

“Who [Jesus Christ] being in the form of God” – and that’s something He is –  “in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” Why didn’t He think there was anything wrong with claiming to be equal with God? Because He said He’s in the form of God, or He is God. Let me read it to you again.

Philippians 2:6: “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:”

Philippians 2:7: “But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”

Philippians 2:8: “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

The Source of Life

Now, in verses 19 and 20, the Lord Jesus is talking about His incarnation. That’s a big word we don’t use every day. The incarnation is the truth that God came in the flesh and dwelt among us. When did he do that? Well, listen to John chapter one verse one, and chapter one verse 14:

John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

“In the beginning was the Word,” – capital “W” a personal pronoun.

John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Not like God, not as God, the Word was God. It goes on to say:

John 1:3: “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

What does that tell you? He’s the Creator. That’s chapter one, verse one, and chapter one, verse 14 tell us this:

John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

“And the Word [capital “W” again] was made flesh,” – the Word, the Creator, “was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” And so, He came in human form and lived among us.

Some years ago, a young man said to me, “If this God of yours is real, why doesn’t He come to Earth and show himself?” And I said, “He did. He thought of it, and he said, “You’re talking about Jesus, aren’t you? I said, “That’s right. That’s exactly what I’m talking about.” Who I’m talking about?

So, at the end of verse 20, He said He’ll show greater works than these. And in verse 21, as we read it, He is the source of light, and He is the source of life. Again, going back to John chapter one and verse four:

John 1:4: “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

So, Jesus says He quickeneth or He gives life to whomsoever He will.

All Will Be Judged

John 5:22: “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:”

A very important statement. Again, we refer to Paul:

2 Corinthians 5:10: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

Let me run that by you again:

2 Corinthians 5:10: “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

So, what is he saying? He’s saying we’re all going to be judged by Jesus himself. We’ll all one day stand before Him. That’s why in Hebrews, it says every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Go to verse 23:

John 5:23: “That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.”

You can’t love God and hate Jesus. You can’t love God and deny Jesus. You can’t love God and turn your back on Jesus. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” A very simple statement. So, we must honor the Son as we honor the Father which is in Him because He is the Lord Jesus Christ. Now look at verse 24, if you will. He says:

John 5:24: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

“Verily, verily,” that’s the term we don’t use a lot these days. “Verily” just means truthfully. You could say, “Truthfully, truthfully, I say unto you,” I say it twice for emphasis:

John 5:24: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

That is the Gospel my friends. That’s it. Let’s look at it again:

John 5:24: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

“Hath” – present tense, right now. Not is going to have some time in the future, right now has eternal life, everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life,” – not will pass from death into life, has passed from death into life. The believer in Jesus Christ, the person who’s placed their faith and trust in Him and trusted Him to save them, has eternal life right now today.

“I thought we sang about ‘when we all get to Heaven.’” Yes, that’s why we all get to Heaven because we have placed our faith in Jesus Christ.

In John chapter 11, verses 43 and 44, Jesus stood before the tomb of his friend, Lazarus, who had been dead for four days:

John 11:43: “And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.”

John 11:44: “And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.”

The Dead Shall Live

Look at verse 25:

John 5:25: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.”

The dead will hear, and they will live. Look at John chapter 11. The whole chapter is given to the resurrection of Lazarus. And Jesus stood before that tomb, and He called out, “Lazarus, come forth.” Now, somebody said, and the Bible doesn’t say this, and I want to make that clear to you, but somebody said if He hadn’t said, “Lazarus, come forth,” the whole cemetery would have gotten up. Now, I don’t know, but that sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? But in 25:

John 5:25: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.”

The spiritually dead shall live. The physically dead shall live. When? When the Lord calls them.

John 5:26: “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;”

John 5:27: “And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”

Now, He’s called himself the Son of God. Here, He calls himself the Son of Man. Why is that? Because He is the Son of God, but He came in human form born as a man, and He is the Son of Man and therefore represents the entire human race.

Paul uses the term in his writings, Second Adam. Adam was the term is often used as the federal head of the human race, like the federal government, and then we have state government and local governments as the federal head of the human race because he was the first man.

But as the Son of Man, Jesus represents the human race as the second Adam. The first Adam failed. The second Adam comes without sin and grants eternal life. So, the day is coming when Jesus gives life to all who believe in Him. It’s coming when He calls everybody up if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Receive Him, and He gives you everlasting life. The dead are going to hear His voice. And He is the giver of life. He has the authority to execute judgment. Now watch this:

John 5:28: “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,”

“Marvel not at this” – don’t be amazed. Don’t be amazed. For all that are in the graves, the hour is coming in which all that are in the grave shall hear His voice, everybody.

I’ve heard people say, “Well, what about those who are cremated?” If God made man from dust, I’m pretty sure He can resurrect man from ashes. I don’t think that’s an issue. “What about those who are buried at sea? “Well, God can resurrect them too. The Creator can resurrect His creation. That’s not a problem.

I’ve told this before, but I think it’s a good time to say it again. If you were in Jerusalem and you were at the Mount of Olives, which is just to the east of Jerusalem, there’s so much in the Gospels about the Mount of Olives, but there’s a road there. It’s a narrow road. They call it the Way of the Messiah. They say that it is the road Jesus walked down when He walked down the Mount of Olives, crossed the Kidron Valley, and came up to the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem, and went in on the day that we call Palm Sunday when He made His triumphal entry.

They also say that that is where, when He returns, He will step onto the Mount of Olives, take that road, the Way of Messiah, down, and enter into the Eastern Gate of Jerusalem. Now, that gate is walled up and has been for centuries. It’s not the original gate that was there that was built in Jesus’ time. It is a newer gate, but it’s centuries old. But it’s walled up, bricked up. The Bible says He will come in through that gate.

Not only do the people, the Jewish people, believe that the Messiah, their Messiah, will come on that pathway to enter into Jerusalem, but those who believe their Messiah is coming. Christians believe that He will come and go through that. Muslims also believe that. That might surprise you, but they do. They believe that Jesus will return, and He will take the Way of Messiah, and He will cross the Kidron Valley, and enter into Jerusalem.

So, they also believe that He will perform the duty of a priest. He is the Prophet, Priest, and King, and He would enter into the temple. They placed a cemetery in front of the Eastern Gate in the direct path of that Way of Messiah so that when Jesus comes and He goes to enter Jerusalem, He won’t be able to because, being a priest, He cannot come into contact with the dead. I’m telling you their belief. If he comes into contact with the dead, He will be defiled. He will not be clean and therefore, He could not enter into the temple and do any priestly duties. So, by placing that cemetery there, they’ll prevent Him from doing that.

Can I share something with you? Would you look at verse 28 again? “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which,” – how many? “All that are in the grave shall hear his voice, and shall come forth.”

I don’t think that cemetery is a problem. What do you think? It sure looks to me like He just has to call them up, and it’s over. There is no defilement, there’s no issue, there’s no problem. There’ll be no cemetery anymore.

The Good and the Bad

Now, the Lord says in verse 29:

John 5:29: “And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

Let me share some things with you here about what that says – those who have done good and those who have done evil, those who’ve “done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” Romans chapter 3, verse 23 says:

Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

There’s not one of us who can stand up and say, “Not me, I’ve never sinned. I’ve never sinned my whole life.” I’ve heard people say that. I have. I’ve been told many times here. A man I met not very far from here he said, “Well, yes, I did. I sinned a long time ago, but I haven’t sinned in years. I don’t sin anymore.” I didn’t believe him.

I had a lady tell me one time, she says, “That’s not true.” I said what’s not true? “You said all that sinned.” Well, the Bible said that. I didn’t say that. She said, “Well, I have never sinned. My aunt was a perfect woman. She’d never sinned in her whole life.” I said, “Well, the Bible says she did.”

Somebody else said to me, “What about Mary?” I said, “What about Mary?” They said, “She never sinned.” I said, “Where’d you get that?” She said, “It’s in the Bible.” I said, “Show it to me.” They couldn’t. Why? Because it’s not there. It’s not there. As a matter of fact, Mary’s called on God, her Savior. If she never sinned, why would she need a Savior? That’s what Mary had to say about it.

What I’m trying to get across to you is this: We’ve all sinned, every one of us. And some people, we can look around at other people and say well, I’m not perfect, but I certainly haven’t done what that person has done. Okay, that’s fair. You haven’t done what that person has done, whoever you think of when we say that person.

I was in a gym years ago. You can tell it was years ago. They had the television going on up there, had the news on, and the news story was about a serial killer who said that he had trusted Christ in prison and he had been saved. And a man standing there said, “I don’t believe that.” He says, “I don’t believe a man like that serial killer [and this man had been tried and convicted; he wasn’t just accused]. I don’t believe he could be saved.” I looked at him and said, “Why not?” He says, “Well, I don’t believe if you commit murder, you could ever be saved. I don’t think God would forgive you.” I wasn’t trying to fuss with him. I was trying to get him to think a little bit. I said, “Well, let me ask you this: do you believe Moses is in Heaven?” He said, “Yeah.” I said, “Well, Moses killed a man.” He said, “He did?” I said, “Yeah, just study it.” He did so.

Evidently, God can forgive even murder. Probably, you’re sitting here and thinking, “Well, that’s not me. I never committed murder.” Well, thank God if you haven’t. That’s wonderful. We could go down a whole list of things that we haven’t done and sins we haven’t committed.  We can make ourselves look pretty good. We can. I can tell you I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, I’ve never done drugs in my life. Don’t I sound good?

You see, I told you what my sins aren’t. I didn’t tell you what they are. If I started the list of what they are, you might not want to listen to me any longer. See, we can think really good talking points about what we haven’t done, but it’s what we have done that counts. We’ve all sinned and come short of the glory of God. No, maybe you haven’t committed murder. Maybe you haven’t done other crimes, certainly not a serial killer.

But the truth of the matter is, have you lived a perfect life? I often ask people this. I’ve said it here many times, and I want to say it again. Just think for a moment of the worst thing you ever did in your life. You know, I said that this summer to somebody, and they said, “I can’t think of anything I ever did wrong.” I said, “Well, think a little harder. I think you’ll come up with something.” They did, eventually. But think of the worst thing you ever did in your life. Whatever comes to your mind, then say that. And I’m not asking anybody to confess anything right now. I just want you to think about it. Whatever you think is the worst thing you ever did in your life, that is what Jesus paid for on the cross. That’s it, that’s it.

Atonement vs. Forgiveness

Tonight, at sundown, begins the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, and that’s what it’s all about in the law of Moses. The high priest, once a year, took the blood of a bull, and he went into the Holy of Holies, and he sprinkled the blood of a bull on the mercy seat. It was in the Holy of Holies for his sin. Then he came back out, and he offered a goat. He took the blood of the goat and sprinkled that on the mercy seat for the sins of the people. He’s confessing the sins of the people.

As the high priest went in, on his breastplate that he wore, there were 12 stones representing the 12 tribes of Israel. So, he bore the tribes all over his heart. And then on each shoulder was a stone, and on each one of those stones on the shoulder were the names of six of the tribes, six on one shoulder, six on the other. So, he bears their names on his shoulders and over his heart when he goes in to confess the sins of the people. And that was to confess their sin, to make atonement for the sins of the people once a year.

If you go to Hebrews chapter 10, it tells us that Jesus entered into the presence of the true, that the things in the Old Testament were just figures of that which is true. It is not the real thing. Jesus went into the presence of the true not with the blood of bulls and goats. That same passage tells us the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin. But He entered into the true Holy of Holies with His own blood once and for all, once for all time. Not yearly, as the old high priest had to do with a new sacrifice every year, but once and for all because He is the true high priest. All of that happened for centuries in the old tabernacle, and later, the temple was symbolic. It was of that which the true high priest would do and has done now. And Jesus shed His own blood on the cross, and He took that blood and put it on the true mercy seat, and our sins are no longer atoned for. They are forgiven. Say, isn’t that the same thing? It isn’t. What’s the difference? The word “atonement” means the covering, to put a cover over it, to hide it.

I heard a preacher here years ago talk about another preacher who was in a meeting, and he wore a white suit. I like white suits. I don’t have one now, and I’m probably not going to get one, but I like the look of them. He said the preacher had a white suit, and before he was to preach that night, he had dinner. He got a stain on his lapel here and it was some kind of red sauce or something. He said, “Well, I can’t stand up and preach with a stain on my suit.” He didn’t have another suit he could go change into.

So, he found some white powder somewhere. I don’t know if it was a woman’s makeup or what. I don’t remember that part of the story. But he took something, and he took some water, and he covered that stain with the white substance and hid that. He said, “That’s an atonement.” The stain was still there, but he covered it. That’s what atonement means; the sin is still there, but it’s been covered.

Forgiveness means the sin is gone. “What do you mean?” Gone. Well, the Bible says, as far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our iniquities from us. You can go that way. You can travel east, and as long as you keep going that way, you will never run out of east. You go that way. You go west, and as long as you keep going that way, you’ll never run out of west. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our iniquities from us.

That’s what forgiveness is, so that when I stand before God as I will, and as all of us will if God were to say to me, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” I don’t think He’s going to say that. I don’t think I’ll be there except for the blood of Jesus. But if He were to say to me, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” I could not stand there and name the good things that I’d done. I could not stand there and say, “Well, I’m a pastor of a church.” That’s not going to matter. What’s going to matter is that I trusted in the blood of Jesus Christ to pay for my sins, I trusted in the resurrected Christ to forgive my sins, and God forgives me, not because of anything I’ve done or anything I’ve said, but because my sins were paid for at the cross once and for all. That’s the true Day of Atonement, that’s the true Yom Kippur.

Wages and Gifts

Now, we’ve talked about all of sin and come short of the glory of God. That’s Romans 3:23:

Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Now, think about that. What is a wage? “Wage” is something you get paid for. We have in our country minimum wage laws. So, you have to pay at least a certain amount, minimum wage laws. That’s what you get paid, but you get paid for doing something. And Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” Therefore, you get paid for sinning. What do you get? You get death. Wages of sin is death, condemnation, eternal death, and eternal separation from God. We’ll say more about that in a moment. That’s not the whole verse. That’s half.

The verse’s first half says the wages of sin is death. The other half says that the gift of God is eternal life. There’s a difference between a wage and a gift. You have to work and earn a wage. A gift is free. Have you ever heard somebody tell you, “We’ll give you this if you do thus and so.” Well, that’s not a real gift if you have to do something to get it. It’s not a real gift. You earned it, or you paid for it. But the gift of God is eternal life. Listen to the whole verse:

Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. I want to share something with you that I hope will make you think a little bit about our society. I want to ask you after I tell you this. If you think our society needs a revival. One of my favorite television shows growing up, and I had several I liked, but one of them was the Roy Rogers Show. I always liked Roy Rogers because he was always the good guy, never the bad guy. His wife was named Dale Evans. That was her stage name. It’s Dale Evans Rogers, married name, but they were real-life husband and wife. But on the show, they didn’t play husband and wife. They were friends when they weren’t husband and wife.

In one episode of the show, there was a guy and his son who were outlaws and criminals. They were doing something bad to a young couple. And the wife of this young couple was about to deliver a child. They were the bad guys, being mean to them and going to take their home away from them and worse than that. Roy came to the rescue, but during the course of things, the son, the outlaw son, got killed. About this time, that outlaw son got killed, that young woman gave birth to her child. This is network television, and you have to understand that. This was network television.

Dale Evans looks at the camera – and this is how the episode ended – looked in the direction, you didn’t see the mother or the baby, looked in the direction first where the young man had died, and she said, “The wages of sin is death.” She looked in the direction where the baby was born, “But the gift of God is eternal life.” She didn’t say that on network television. She did. She did, and they let it air. They did.

Now, do you think our country needs revival? You do, don’t you? See how things have changed? Now I didn’t tell you that story just to have an old memory. I told you that story to make a point. The point is, we are in need of revival because everybody, everybody you know, everybody you care about, the people you don’t care about, the people you don’t know, everybody, is going to Heaven or Hell.

We’re all going to leave this life, and you go on one way or the other. Those of us who knew the Lord we have a duty to help other people know how they can be forgiven. We’re not supposed to go to them and tell them how much better we are than they are because we’re sinners just like they are.

One fellow put it this way. He says, “All level ground at the foot of the cross. Nobody stands higher than anybody else.” But we all need to come, and they need to come to the Lord and be saved. So, the verse says, “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life.” Here’s the rest of it, “through Jesus Christ our Lord.” How do you get eternal life? Through Jesus, through Jesus alone. There’s no other way.

The Righteousness of Christ

So, Jesus says here in verse 29:

John 5:29: “And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

“They that have done good, unto the resurrection of life,” – there’s a problem there. We’ve all sinned. What we need is the righteousness of Christ. I grew up not knowing the Lord. I went to church occasionally, not regularly, and then not a particular Church. I went to many different churches at different times here and there now and then. When I was 17 years old, I knew I was going to Hell. Nobody had to tell me that. But the way I was living I didn’t see any other possibility. I knew I was going to Hell. I just didn’t know what to do about it.

So, a man invited me to church, or a boy really invited me to church, and I went along. Trying to make a long story short. After the second service I went to, the pastor sat down with me, opened the Bible, and showed me how to be saved. And what opened the door for me was Romans 10, verses 9 and 10.

Romans 10:9: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Romans 10:10: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus.” What does that mean, confess the Lord Jesus? It means you confess that you believe in Him. “Shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,” – now look – “If you believe God hath raised him from the dead,” – it goes without saying that you believe He died, doesn’t it? Why did He die for our sins? “Thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;” – catch that. You don’t have any righteousness; I don’t have any righteousness. Isaiah says all our righteousness are as filthy rags. But “with the heart man believeth unto righteousness;” – you get righteousness when you trust Jesus. How do you get righteous? Because He gives you His. “With the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

So, Jesus said:

John 5:29: “And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

We haven’t done any good, but when we trust Jesus, and He forgives us, He grants us His righteousness. So, that qualifies us. “They that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” What does that mean? It means just what it sounds like.

Matthew 25:41: “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”

“I don’t believe a loving God would ever send people to Hell.” He made Hell for the devil and his angels. People go there, but they elect to go there. They choose to go there. “I don’t know anybody that’s chosen to go to Hell.” Well, I’ve actually heard people say they made that choice.

But God has put all kinds of roadblocks on the road to Hell to keep you from going there. Maybe you know somebody who’s a godly Christian and has been a testimony or witness to you. That’s a roadblock on the way to Hell. Stronger than that, you have the church, any church that teaches the Word of God. Any church that proclaims the Gospel, that’s a roadblock on the way to Hell. More powerful than that, you have the Bible. You have the Word of God. It tells you how you can get to Heaven. You don’t need to go to Hell if you trust the Savior and be saved. It’s a roadblock on the way to Hell.

Last of all, God put the cross there. Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures. He was buried, and He rose again on the third day. He died for our sins. He paid for our sins. That blood atonement we talked about, that Day of Atonement, it’s not just an atonement but forgiveness. Because the price was paid at the cross. But people climb over the testimony of godly family and members and friends. People climb over the church. They climb over the Bible, and they climb over the cross, and they go on to Hell. They’ve made a choice.

John 3:17: “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Jesus didn’t come to condemn us. “God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

Isn’t that great? My favorite song in all the world is the song “And Can It Be.” The beginning line says, “And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior’s love? Died he for me who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?”

Does that not amaze you? “God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

The next line of that song says, “No condemnation now I dread; I am my Lord’s and He is mine! Alive in Him my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine.”

John 3:18: “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.”

Not that he hadn’t heard, but he had not believed. He’s heard. He knows. He won’t believe.

Matthew 25:34: “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:”

God So Loved the World

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

That was the first Bible verse I ever learned. I didn’t understand it when I learned it. I knew the words. I didn’t understand the verse. Is it possible to do that, to know words and not understand? I’m sure. Raise your hand if you sing. And I didn’t ask if you’re a great singer. Do you sing? Raise your hand. Okay, all right, put your hand down. Let me ask you this. Have you ever learned a song that was in another language other than your own? If you have, raise your hand. Yeah, okay, most of us have. Sometimes, you learn a song in another language, and you don’t really know what the words mean. You know the words, but you say them.

There was back in the 1960s, a big hit record called “Sukiyaki,” and it was a young man from Japan singing, and he sang the saw whole song in Japanese. Nobody knew what he was saying, but they bought the record. They thought it was great. They liked the sound of it.

So you can you can hear the words and not know what they mean. I learned when I took Spanish decades ago, I learned to sing “Silent Night” in Spanish. I didn’t know what the words meant. I couldn’t sing it now. The fact of the matter is you can know the words of a verse and not know what they mean.

For God, Creator and King of the universe so loved the world – that doesn’t mean the planet Earth, it means the people of the world. He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son – a very important word “begotten” – His only begotten Son. Whosoever, anybody, believes in Him should not perish, should not take the wages of sin, which is death, but have everlasting life.

What does He asked you to do? Believe in Him, trust Him. Everyone here, everyone listening, everyone you know, ever have known, ever will know, will step out into eternity. You and I, everyone else, will either be in that place we call Heaven or in that place we call Hell. If you are not absolutely certain that when you leave this life, you will be forever in that place we call Heaven, would you not trust Jesus now and be saved?

“Well, preacher, I’ve already done that.” Are you sure that you’re saved? I am. If you had to, could you tell me about the time, could you show me the place, I could. Isn’t that wonderful? That’s wonderful. Then let me ask you this. Will you pray for that one or those few that you know who need to be saved? Would you do that? Would you pour out your heart before God and pray for them to be saved? Because one day, they’re going to leave this world, and they’re either going to be with the Lord, or they’re going to be separated from God forever.

“Preacher, do you think there’s fire in Hell?” Jesus said there was. He said, “Depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire.” It’s all the evidence I need. The truth of the matter is there is a place called Heaven. There is a place called Hell. We will be in one of those forever.

You know you can commit a crime in the State of Florida, and depending on the circumstances, you can commit murder and get out in seven years. It doesn’t happen in every case, but it can happen. What if you didn’t? What if you served 20 years? What if you served 30 years and you got out? One day, you would get out. It’s not that way in Hell. When a person goes there, they never get out.

Jesus told us in Luke 16 about the rich man who died. In Hell, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment. He was in Hell that day. He’s still there. He’ll be there forever. But he also told us about Lazarus. Lazarus died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. He was with the Lord, and he’s still there. He’ll always be there.

The big question is, where will we be? One more time. If you trust the Lord as your Savior, you have eternal life. You have that guaranteed, paid for at the cross. But will you pray for those who don’t?

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Let’s go to the Lord right now. Father, thank you so much for blessing us. Thank you for each and every soul who’s here today. Thank you for those who know you as their Savior. If there’s anyone listening today who does not know you as Savior, may they open their heart and trust you in this hour. May they call on you and say, “Lord Jesus, I believe. I believe that you love me. I believe that you paid for my sins at the cross. I believe that you rose from the grave, and I’m trusting you right now as the living Eternal Savior to forgive me, to save me, and give me a home in Heaven. Thank you, Lord Jesus.”

Maybe you prayed that prayer, maybe you didn’t. If you have a question about that, that’s why we’re here. We’d be glad to help you. We’re going to sing a hymn of invitation. That’s what it is: a hymn of invitation. We’re inviting you to come and trust the Lord.

“Well, I don’t know what it’s all about.” We’ll take time to sit down with you and explain to you what it’s all about so that you’ll know and understand. You just come when we sing.

Christian friend, if there’s somebody you need to pray for, you can pray for them right there in your seat. You might want to come forward and pray for them at the front. Do you have to do that? You don’t have to. You can pray for them wherever you are, but would you right now? While we sing this hymn of invitation, would you pray for those who you know who are not saved that they might come to trust Jesus and be saved? Will you do that?

If you need to come forward, come on. I’ll be down there to meet you. If you need to make a decision in your seat or pray in your seat, you can do that. Let the Lord have His will in His way in your life. Father, bless and move in this invitation time. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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