Heaven Is A Gift

No one deserves Heaven. No one can earn Heaven.

Romans 3:23 All have sinned…

James 2:10 Whoever keeps the whole law, and yet offends in one point, he is guilty of all.

Romans 3:10 There is none righteous, no, not one.

Isaiah 64:6 …All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Romans 3:20 By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

John 8:7 …He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

Three ways we sin:

Sin of Commission – Exodus 20 – the Ten Commandments

Mark 12:30-31 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. [31] And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Sin of Omission – James 4:17 To him who knows to do good, and does it not, ?to him it is sin.

Sin of the Heart –

Matthew 5:28 Whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

1 John 3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer…

Conclusion: No one can keep the whole law. Actually, the purpose of the law is to show us our sin.

The results of sin:

Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death…

Wages – what we earn, what we deserve

Death – eternal death, separated from God in a place of punishment (Hell)

Conclusion: We all deserve Hell because of our sin.

Are we all destined for Hell? No. God has made a way for us to escape Hell.

Grace is receiving a gift we don’t deserve.

Romans 6:23 continues…BUT the gift of God is eternal life…

Gift – free and undeserved

Ephesians 2:8 By grace are ye saved through faith;

and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Mercy is not receiving the punishment we deserve.

Titus 3:5 According to his mercy he saved us

Conclusion: Eternal life in Heaven is a gift.

How do we receive God’s gift?

Romans 6:23 continues…through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Acts 10:43 …through his name whoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins.

John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.”

“The way”, not “a way.” The one way. The only way.

Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.