https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/What-Must-I-Do-to-Go-to-Heaven.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n\tby Jeffrey W. Hamilton<\/p>\n\t
Text: Matthew 19:16-22<\/p>\n
<\/p>\nI. I was asked, “What must I do to go to Heaven when I die? Please no opinions. Please use\nthe Bible, it is all we have that is the truth.”\n A. I am impressed that this man only wants a biblical answer. Far too many simply\nwant confirmation that they are right and they will search high and low for\nsomeone to tell them what they want to hear.\n
1. Much as Paul warned Timothy – II Timothy 4:2-4<\/p>\n
2. As a child of God I am restricted in how I may answer – I Peter 4:11<\/p>\n 3. Whether this man wanted a biblical answer or not, that is all he will\nreceive.\n
B. The Bible affirms that man is unable to save himself – Jeremiah 10:23<\/p>\n
1. This is because we see ways that look good, but are not – Proverbs 14:12<\/p>\n
2. And then there is the problem of sin – Romans 3:23<\/p>\n
II. A desire to be saved is not enough<\/p>\n
A. A young man once asked Jesus a similar question in Matthew 19:16-22<\/p>\n 1. He went away sorrowful because what was asked of him was more than\nwhat he was willing to give.\n 2. If you want to reach heaven, you must ask yourself of how much value is it\nto you?\n
B. Yet another asked the same question – Luke 10:25-28<\/p>\n C. Many are willing to go to heaven if it is convenient. But if it is not on their way,\nwell …\nIII. The difficult part of salvation, the obtaining forgiveness of sin, the part that man could\nnot handle, was done by the Son of God\n
A. Forgiveness is not possible without the shedding of blood – Hebrews 9:22<\/p>\n 1. But the shedding of animal blood was unable to bring forgiveness –\nHebrews 10:4\n 2. We have been sanctified (made holy) by the body of Jesus – Hebrews\n10:10-13\n
B. He died for us even though we did not deserve it – Romans 5:6-11<\/p>\n
C. It was a gift freely offered to everyone – II Corinthians 5:14-15<\/p>\n
D. God want everyone saved – II Peter 3:9<\/p>\n
E. Yet Jesus warns that few will be saved – Luke 13:23-24; Matthew 7:13-14<\/p>\n F. This is because God expects men to receive His gift. Many want the gift, but they\nwant it on their own terms. Somehow they have decided that if God, the giver of\nthe gift, sets the terms, then it is no longer a freely given gift.\n
G. Love for Christ means obedience – John 14:15<\/p>\n
H. It requires observing all that God has commanded – Matthew 28:20<\/p>\n
IV. Faith<\/p>\n
A. Without faith, it is impossible to please God – Hebrews 11:6<\/p>\n B. Yet faith doesn’t just appear, it is based on knowing what God has taught –\nRomans 10:17\n
1. This is why it is called the gospel (good news) of salvation – Romans 1:16<\/p>\n 2. Hence we see with a jailer asked Paul the same question, he was told to\nbelieve and then he was taught so he might have something to believe in –\nActs 16:29-31\n
C. Faith is not just an outward statement, but a sincere conviction – Romans 6:17-18<\/p>\n
1. This is why James tells us that faith alone cannot save – James 2:14-24<\/p>\n 2. But keep in mind, that though God requires faith and effort on our part, it\nis not our faith or our effort that saves us, but the death of Jesus –\nEphesians 2:1-10\n
D. Yet that faith cannot remain within. It must be confessed – Romans 10:8-10<\/p>\n 1. If we do not have enough faith to stand up before others, if we are\nashamed of our Lord, we will not reach heaven – Matthew 10:32-33\n
V. Repentance<\/p>\n
A. Peter told men that they must repent, change their ways – Acts 3:19<\/p>\n 1. If you think about this, it makes sense. It is our sins which has gotten us in\ntrouble with God. – Isaiah 59:1-2\n 2. We cannot expect to be forgiven of our sins and continue in them –\nRomans 6:1-2\n
3. Or, as Jesus warned – Luke 13:3<\/p>\n
B. Repentance is more than being sorry for past wrongs – II Corinthians 7:10-11<\/p>\n
1. It means turning to God and doing things God’s way – Acts 26:20<\/p>\n
2. It means honestly attempting to correct past mistakes<\/p>\n C. When the first sermon was delivered after Jesus’ death, the question comes up\nagain – Acts 2:36-41\n
VI. Baptism<\/p>\n A. Peter had answered the question with two conditions – repentance and being\nbaptized.\n
1. It is no different than what Jesus commanded – Mark 16:16<\/p>\n 2. The disciples were told to make additional disciples by baptizing them –\nMatthew 28:18-20\n
B. Why is baptism so important? – Romans 6:3-7<\/p>\n
1. Baptism represents the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus<\/p>\n 2. Baptism represents the believer’s death to sin and his resurrection to a new\nlife\n 3. Baptism represents the believer’s hope of being raised, like Christ, to enter\nheaven.\n
4. In essence, it gives the believer contact to the blood of Christ.<\/p>\n a. Remember it is Christ’s death which saves and in baptism, we put\non Christ – Galatians 3:26-27\n b. Since baptism brings us into contact with Christ, baptism saves – I\nPeter 3:21\n
c. It isn’t the water, but the sincere obedience of the believer.<\/p>\n
d. This is why Paul was told to wash away his sins – Acts 22:10,16<\/p>\nVII. When taught about Jesus, the Ethiopian eunuch didn’t ask about getting to heaven. He\nwanted to know what prevented him from doing what needed to be done – Acts 8:35-39\n
A. In this one example we see much of what we discussed<\/p>\n
1. He heard the word of God explained to him by Philip<\/p>\n
2. He desired to do what he had learned from Philip<\/p>\n 3. He stated that he believed – showing both belief and a willingness to\ndeclare his belief before others\n 4. He was baptized and had joy in his heart, knowing he obedient to the Lord\nGod.\n
B. We could ask the same question today, what is stopping you from being baptized?<\/p>\n
C. Now is the time – II Corinthians 6:2<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Matthew 19:16-22 I. I was asked, “What must I do to go to Heaven when I die? Please no opinions. Please use the Bible, it is all we have that is the truth.” A. I am impressed that this man only wants a biblical answer. Far too many simply want confirmation…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[119,32],"tags":[52,49,1571,46,50,47,391],"class_list":["post-63712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-audio","category-sermon","tag-baptism","tag-faith","tag-forgiveness","tag-heaven","tag-repentance","tag-salvation","tag-sorrow"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7010,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-christians-predestined-to-go-to-heaven\/","url_meta":{"origin":63712,"position":0},"title":"Are Christians predestined to go to heaven?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 5, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I was looking at your website and it is very informative. Will you please answer the following question? Are Christians predestined to go to heaven? 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Hamilton I.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Should God save you? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Paul was able to say, \u201cYes, I did the Lord\u2019s will.\u201d - II Tim. 4:6-8 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0B.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Can you say that about your own life? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0C.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0How did you become a Christian? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Converted from a denomination or from out of the world? \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Raised in the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Audio"","block_context":{"text":"Audio","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/audio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37528,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-am-old-and-have-been-away-from-the-lord-for-a-long-time-can-i-ever-reach-heaven-now\/","url_meta":{"origin":63712,"position":3},"title":"I am old and have been away from the Lord for a long time. 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