It is impossible to get into the kingdom of Heaven by being good. Why? Because Jesus Christ declared it in the scriptures, that only the Father in heaven is Good. He is what good is. The Lord says there's none righteous, no not one, and not only that, no one seeks after Him until He draws them to seek after Him. So it's no accident that this message is being typed, or that you're reading this here right now. The Lord says that there's no one, not even one person who is good.
All have broken His commandments, and all fall short of the glory of God. All. This means, your uncles, brothers, dads, sisters, children, cousins, friends, teachers, parents, presidents, statesmen - every one of them has fallen short of the glory of God.
Comparisons? Sure, you can compare yourself with this guy and that, but it's how the Lord sees you that matters.
Righteousness Most of us are thirsty for righteousness without the Lord as much as a 4 year old is thirsty for the word "bath." But Jesus Christ was so serious about this plague that's killing the Father's creation, that He came down Himself, as God, and took your punishment in your place, knowing who you are and every sin He's dying for. Right there. It was to make you righteous: so that the Father could see you, a sinner, as He does His own son, Jesus. To make you like Him, and adopt you through His blood.
He didn't die for your happiness. Sinners can be happy. It doesn't matter. He dies and died for your righteousness, so that He can love you, so that you can be worthy of worshipping Him. He must get the glory. Your sins are sins, but until they're washed clean in Christ's blood, they don't glorify any one. They're fruitless. They do nothing...
But, if the Lord doesn't get the glory, it hurts us and kills us. He must get the glory, not for Himself only but that if He doesn't, we're hurt because of it. And if you are proud of heart, and too blind to admit that you are seen a sinner, and know the Lord knows your thoughtlife, He can't be glorified by forgiving your sins.
If you've broken one commandment, you're guilty of them all. And it's already impossible to be good. To get them back. Think of it this way:
The Very First The Lord Jesus says, to love the Lord your God so much so that your love for the Lord compared to your love for your sisters, cousins, mothers, brothers, others, dads, uncles, siblings, anothers, children, friends, wives, husbands, nephews, parents, grandparents, and every one inb/t, your love for them looks like hate compared with your love for the Lord, and Jesus says that no man's been able to keep that commandment, and under the law, they are all idolaters. They're all guilty of turning their heart away from the Lord just like the Hebrews 40 years in the desert after Moses.
There, you see? Every one has sinned. They're all turned against Him. Now, the Lord knew this already, that men should choose the broad and wide gate to destruction rather than the narrow strait gate of eternal life, and so He didn't set out His 10 commandments so that people could live by them.
Why the Lord Gave the Law So that it would still work, so that it would stop the mouths of sinners from justifying themselves. To stupify any one that claims righteousness. Every one has sinned against Him. It doesn't justify any one, it just leaves every one guilty, and helpless. The Lord did this so that you'd need Him. You would know that you are helpless without. To show you that you MUST submit to Him, and that trusting Him is the only way, not trusting in yourself. That your right arm can't save you, as He said to Job.
You must be a sinner under the law. You have been a witness to your own sins. You must see that. SOO that Jesus can help you.
Jesus Jesus Christ is sent a physician to heal the sick. If you claimed righteousness, you're claiming that you don't have a disease that you clearly do have. Jesus will not heal those that don't need Him. He's both the physician and the medicine. And if you claim not to be sick, how can the physician hear you? There's 10 clear signs in your flesh! He knows that you're diseased, but if you can't be treated, how can He heal you? It's time.
How to be saved Call for the Holy Spirit from above, to be baptized in Christ's blood over your spirit, to be free from sin so you can follow Jesus Christ. Ask Him to teach you the rest of your days how to be perfect, like the Lord Jesus is perfect. Ask Him to be with you and never let you go. And do this at the foot of a blood-stained cross in the eyes of the Lord who gave you life, and a way out of punishment.
You can't get into the kingdom of heaven by going to church every week. No. Those things are all sacrifices to the Lord. Things that you do to please the Lord, but the Lord says over and over again, I don't want your sacrifices, I want your love. A broken and contrite heart are what the Lord wants. THEN you can offer your sacrifices, THEN can He shed His grace on you.
Say you have a 10,000 dollar debt, but you don't believe that you have that debt. How can the Lord forgive the debt if you don't believe that there is one? How can He have mercy and compassion if you can't see and are too proud to admit that it's impossible to be good, as the scriptures say, that you really are a sinner? Didn't He tear the kingdom of Israel away from King Solomon?
The body of Christ and the church-goer The difference is like this: You have a wife, you're a man. And every time this wife comes home, she kisses and hugs you and tells you that she loves you. But, the only thing is, you know that she's in love with another man and that they're sleeping together. So, 5 days a week, she comes home and does her worldly duties to you. You'd hate the smiles. You'd hate the kisses. You'd hate the hugs, and you'd have enough of them. Jesus said that those that are lukewarm in the body of Christ will be vomitted out of His mouth come judgement day in Revelations. So, if you're still falling into unrighteousness, you're like that adulterous woman that the Lord hates.
Get this. There were the pharisees. The sadduccees. They were in Christ's day. They prayed harder than anyone they had praying down pat. They gave more then anyone, they worshipped harder. They knew the scriptures well just like satan. But the Lord Jesus Christ tore their kingdom away from them, and made it so much different, that anyone who trusts in Him and uses the Holy Spirit that He gives to stay away from sin and keep His righteousness can enter into His kingdom rather than the adulterous woman pharisees and sadduccees.
He wants you. Your love. Your hopes, your dreams. Your body as a temple for His Holy Spirit. He wants your flesh crucified in Christ Jesus because the carnal mind can never be in submission to His laws, and it says that in the bible. He wants all of you, and none of you. And that's the standard. He doesn't want your duties as a wife. Doing "the right thing." Jesus Christ wants your heart, and your soul.
Be crucified in Christ Jesus. Admit today that you're a sinner, despite all of your knowledge and your wisdom and how many godly people you know, or which church you go to. Follow CHRIST!
Turn right and go straight? No. You can't get into the Kingdom of Heaven by doing the right thing. You can't get into the Kingdom of Heaven by saying a quick little prayer. You can't get into the Kingdom by kneeling and praying every morning, 3 times a day, and 8 times on Sunday. You can't get in by reading the Bible, or knowing something about the Lord.
What gets you in is that you (1) believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and (2) do what He says.
No, no. Believing doesn't mean believing that God exists. Even the demons believe, and the bible says that. Even satan believes and knows the Christ, and tempted Him in the desert.
You believe by trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, by putting your trust in Him, and doing what He's telling you to do. He says, fear the Lord and keeps His commandments, and that's the whole of the duty of man.
Then how do I get in? You might be startled, but your individualized acts of devotion wont get you into the kingdom of heaven. If you pray over every thing you eat, or you teach kids to read the bible in Christ's name...this wont get you into the kingdom of heaven. How, then?
What's the standard? Well, the bible says that you don't know what sin is unless it's through the law. God's commandments are that holy standard, and everyone's broken them.
Ever told a lie? Even a little white lie? You've broken all of them. What, don't you know, that Jesus said in Revelations 21 that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire come judgement day? Ever taken something without permission? Ever been jealous of something someone else has had? Ever break a promise? Ever look at a woman to lust after her in your heart? It's adultery. Fornication. Ever hated anyone? In God's eyes, it's murder. You've murdered them in your heart, and are guilty of breaking the law.
The punishment sets on top of you, it falls on you. The rock falls on you, and if you're not broken into pieces, you can't enter into the kingdom of Heaven. He wants your contrite heart. THEN will He accept your sacrifices: your reading His Word, you're lip-service, your praise in church.
All liars, theives, and adulterers, promise-breakers, fornicators and people that lust, the covetous, they can't enter into God's rest, until they've been baptized and crucified of these things here. In Christ's death. It took the death of the most righteous man, God Himself, to provide a way out. And without that, you're nothing and I'm nothing.
Yes, I've told a lie. Yes, I've stolen. And I used to lust harder than anybody. But when the commandment and the weight of my own conscience bearing witness to that commandment killed, I listened to the Lord, and though I was broken and poor in heart because of that standard, the Lord saw fit to shed grace, to heal that broken heart with mercy. This is how you're saved.
There are no sinners in heaven. You're not a sinner saved by grace. That's a worldly statement. Because there are no sinners in the kingdom of heaven. You enter into God's Kingdom, the kingdom of God, when you receive that baptism, and if you're still falling into sin, you're not apart of that kingdom, because it's based on Christ's Word, who said, "Heaven {the kingdom} and earth shall pass, but my words will not pass away."
And there will be a new heaven and earth, and you wont remember these former things, and the Lord will forget your sins, because they'll have been aeons ago. But if you don't take a hold of that here, and if you don't receive it here, then there remains a punishment for you because you die for your own sins.
I was speaking w/ someone and they asked me, what's the difference between lust and love? I told him, from scripture. God is love, says God's Word. And if you take what the Word says about love, like the 1stCor.13:4 verse, Love is patient, love is kind; love doesn't envy, doesn't boast, is not proud, vain... Fit Jesus's Holy name into it. Jesus is patient, Jesus is kind; Jesus doesn't envy, doesn't boast, is not proud, so on... It fits. Perfectly. If you try to fit anything that comes out of unrighteousness, like lust, into that space, it wont fit.
Jesus Christ bought us on the cross as His bride, just as Boaz bought Ruth in the scriptures, and when we confessed, we said I do, and we're engaged to Him collectively in betrothal until the coming day of our resurrection at Christ's coming. He loves us like His bride, and He wont let any harm be done to us, having searched so hard for us. Not even death can stop His love. No angel, parel, distress...His love is so vast, and strong, He wont allow us to die. That's how powerful His love is.
Can you say the same thing about lust? Nooo...
But what about finding my wife The guy asked me if Jesus says that it's adultery in God's eye to look at a woman with the eyes, and we'd be guilty of sin according to the law in the scriptures, then how do I find my wife? I noted Matthew Chapter 6, around Verse 38. He says that He provides for the ravens, and they barely do anything for Him. If we're worth much more than His birds, then how much so will He take care of our needs? He'll provide even for our needs of companionship, even the physical needs. Eating and drinking is a physical need, is it not? If the Lord provides for that, wont He also provide for your sexual needs? Not that you only need a wife for that purpose, but that is what the guy I spoke with was implying. He'll take care of you having a wife. Trust in the Lord's promises, He wont disappoint.
How do you love as someone that follows Christ? I was reading Romans Chapter 1 today, and saw: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;" "Because that which may be known of God is manifest un them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them."
If I plant a seed and someone rejects me, they don't reject me, because I'm not giving them my own opinion and using my own words, and I can't save anyone. They're rejected my Lord Jesus Christ, His works, and words, and He can't save them because they're still filthy unclean. The bible says anyone that's proud of heart is an abomination to the Lord. They saw that truth and rejected it for a lie. "Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." The things of God are clearly seen. Every one I've ever talked to - they all know Jesus Christ died on the cross for the sins of those that He calls.
So the list starts in Verse 29 of that chapter. The list is long, and you guys hate when I type long things (the minority of people that choke down + swallow the things I type here (I'm so sorry, I'm awful you guys. :-( ))
"Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,"
"Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,"
"Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:"
Wait a second, didn't the bible say that God is love? Yes. And because He IS love, and He is good, then He must, by His holy nature, punishment these unrighteous things. He has to give the baptism of fire to those that don't do what He says just like He gives the baptism of the Holy Spirit to those that are doing what He says.
But pay attention to this list! It's long, yes. But what does it say? proud Every one that is proud of heart is an abomination to the Lord. An abomination is something that is so evil you want to puke, like smoke in your nose. It's disgusting. That isn't humble of heart and meek before the Lord. But it's a spiritual statement, it's not just those posh English people that don't want to give their dogs the cheap brand of caviar, it's every one that's ever called themselves good, when Jesus says, "Who is good but my Father who is in heaven?"
covenantbreakers Jesus says let your speech be in yay and nay, yes and no, and don't make oaths about future things, not knowing the future, or things beyond your control, not having the authority to do that. But let your yes be a yes, and your no be a no, and don't need oaths, because we don't have authority to affect things that haven't happened yet. And if what we make in an oath doesn't happen, you violate the commandment You shall not use the Lord's name in vain, in an oath, and not only that, but those that go against their marriage are covenantbreakers because let no man take apart what the Lord has conjoined together.
I went through all that just to get to the next point in the list.
without natural affection So what is this natural affection, love? A someone without Christ goes home and kisses his mother, goes home and plays with his children. They love their wife with this. Is that what love is? Is this the love that Christ wanted us to have for all neighbours?
The Greek word for that word is storgeos. So without natural affection is astorgeos, but the root word isn't mentioned within the New Testament. It's such a natural characteristic that it wasn't important enough to mention for someone to believe. It's familial love. And the bible says that those that reject the Lord are given into unfamilial love. It's like a "mother that comes home and gets angry with the woman across the street because her kids love playing with her over the mother who gave her children no affection." Don't believe it exists? I go to work every day and serve hundreds who are without natural affection, that will let me bag their groceries and ring them up, but wont say a word when I say, "Hi, how are you?" And this is 80% of the people that come through the line, around 100 customers a working day, for 10 months.
But is that natural affection referring to the love of Christ?
No! Christ didn't call us to have that type of love. It's why storgeos, natural affection, isn't even mentioned in the NT. He said, love your neighbours. How do I love my neighbour? By saying hi to them or by talking about sports? Talking about the weather? No, no... That's natural affection. Even the people who aren't saved speak that way, do those things. They tickle their children's feet and take as much pleasure in cute babies as someone saved.
Christ calls us to have a different type of love than that. God's love isn't reduced to things natural. So lets break open that Pauline epistle and look and see how it compares. "Love is patient, and is kind; love doesn't envy, love doesn't boast, is not proud," "Doesn't bahave itself unseemly (act unbecomingly), isn't self-seeking, is not easily provoked, thinks of no evil;" "Rejoices not iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;"
Love is love regardless of the evil. So when my neighbour flips out and hates me without a cause, I don't return fire and hate him back, I love them regardless of their state. I don't do that for my neighbour, but I honour the Lord with that love. If this lady curses me out in the line for 5 cents and imagines it's me charging her more for her money, it's not to me to get angry with her. The Greek word for love used here is agape. It's up to me to dispense God's love, and not hate back. I still retian the patients and kindness that I had for her before. If I did get angry and hate-filled and mad, I'd be doing such things out of my own natural mind, and I'd be turning away from the Lord. This is the 'love generated by the Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer:' it's without form, and void. It's willing to die for those that are an object of it, and continues to love regardless of what happens. It's the one that Christ only gives and can provide. You can't hear about that in some love song about some woman you met yesterday, that's in the natural. It's God's love, that's poured out on the poor and the humble and the meek.
That's the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians Chapter 5. As someone that follows Christ, you love even your enemies. Because you love the way Christ loved. Yes, Christ hugged His disciples, and held the children, and cradled John, and kissed His spiritual siblings. He has all forms of love for us, storgeos and agape and eros (see the woman in Revelations Chapter 12, and the type and shadow of the book of Ruth), and philios (brotherly love, like the disciples).
While we were yet sinners, God loved us. It's no accident that we follow Christ, He loved us enough to draw us to the body of Christ.
To finish off Romans Chapter 1, just some rough end point, we can say:
"Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them."
This verse talks about the judgment of God. You know that people that do those things listed can't get into the kingdom of heaven. Ever told a lie? Ever stolen anything? Jesus says in Revelations 21, Verse 8, all liars will have their part in the lake of fire. Even if it's small. Ever hated any one? Jesus says in Matthew Chapter 5, you've murdered them in your heart and are guilty of murder, and are guilty of the judgement. Ever look at a person with lust in your heart? Here's a hint, ever look at someone sexually? If you've done that, Jesus says you've committed adultery in your heart. Not married? It's fornication. Ever been jealous of someone? You've coveted, and you've coveted against God. Ever kept silent about something wrong you've done and you knew you did it and you didn't answer when that person asked? You've been a false witness. Ever use the Lord's name in vain? You're guilty of blaspeming the name of God.
Those that do those things have no place in the kingdom of heaven. That's not love. How can God love you if you sin against Him? If you take His good spiritual things and you only see His love and His mercy? Yet your unrighteousness is hidden from that? The light exposes all unrighteousness. Turn now and put your trust in Jesus and He'll grant you that place in His kingdom, He'll grant you what you've heard about, and He'll forget about judgment.
But if you don't turn from that thing you do, He has to punish you, so Jesus says: "He that has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me, and he who loves me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him."
How can Jesus show Himself to you when you don't even do what He wants you to do? There's no evidence of your love.
If that's you, then I hope you'll benefit from those words! Because your sins line up as witnesses against you come judgment day, but if you have Jesus Christ, your case is dismissed out of lack of circumstancial evidence. They're not there. Anymore. Really. They're gone. But if you're doing what He wants you to do, there's plenty of evidence there that you've loved the Father and that you're ready for His kingdom. There's evidence there to determine your reward.
I hope this makes sense to whoever has to suffer reading it. It must be a book-long by now. ;-) Cheers! Bye.
