1. Truth versus Deception; Jesus is Truth of Eternal Life
How to escape hell and go to heaven? Almost all church going Christians have complete confidence that once they die, they will go to heaven to be with Jesus. But is their confidence built on Jesus’s true teachings or Satan’s deception? There is nothing of greater value than our soul’s eternal life. As Jesus said, "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Matthew 16:26). Our life in this world is for a moment. As flowers come and go, our life on this earth will come and go. After this life, our soul ends up in one of two places—heaven or hell. Heaven- or the kingdom of God- offers everlasting joy and peace. Hell- leads to the Lake of Fire and unending suffering and torment. We have a choice in the matter; it starts with knowing the truth and not being deceived. Deception came by Satan. The truth of eternal life came by Jesus. His words teach us how to escape hell and go to heaven. Let’s study the Word of God to find out if you really know the truth on how to escape hell and go to heaven.
2. True repentance; Sin causes spiritual death
Jesus starts preaching of the kingdom of God with one word "Repent." Matthew 4:17 says, "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Repent means to turn or change your mind. Jesus preached to repent of sin, that is, turn away from disobeying God’s commandments. When your mind turns away from disobeying God, it is changing directions and turning towards obeying God. To escape hell, we must turn away from a life of sin and turn toward a life of righteousness. True repentance is not just an emotion of feeling sorry or guilty with a continued life of sin. True repentance brings godly sorrow with fruits of repentance—that means, being broken hearted and taking responsibility for unrighteous past deeds, making right prior wrongs, and no longer continuing in those sins. A life of disobeying God is the past: truly repented people turn away from sin and turn toward obeying God.
Why does Jesus begin preaching the kingdom of God with "repent"? Sin is the cause of spiritual death. James 1:14-15 says "…when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." Romans 5:21 says "…as sin hath reigned unto death..." Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:16 says "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?" Sin causes spiritual death. Spiritually dead souls are thrown in hell. Living souls enter the kingdom of God. Therefore, Jesus starts preaching the kingdom of God with "repent." To escape hell, which is the consequence of sin, we must turn away from sin itself and our soul must be made spiritually alive.
3. God makes us spiritually alive; Disobeying God is past
Ephesians 2:1-3 says "And you hath he [God] quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." These verses tell us that God quickens those who were dead in sin. Quicken means to make alive. God makes spiritually alive those souls who were dead in sin. Every person has a God given conscience to know what is good and what is evil. Those who listen to their conscience, repent of their unrighteous ways and cry out to God for help to overcome sin. God hears this cry for help and quickens dead souls to become living souls. The purpose in being made spiritually alive is to live a new life of obedience; so, the prior life of disobedience is the past. Please notice that in the passage from Ephesians 2, after being quickened by God, the prior life of disobedience is referred to in past tense: "were dead in trespasses and sins", "in time past ye walked according to the course of this world", "in times past in the lusts of our flesh" "were by nature the children of wrath."
4. God’s Righteous Wrath on disobedient; Jesus preached Hell fire & Fear God
Those who do not repent, remain in their sin, and remain spiritually dead souls, and they are children of wrath. Children of wrath are disobedient people who God’s wrath will fall on at judgment time: Ephesians 5:5-6 says, "For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience." There are two key points here. First, those who continue in sin will not enter the kingdom of God and will face God’s wrath. Second, do not let anyone deceive you into believing you can disobey God’s commandments and not suffer the consequence of disobedience. Those who do not truly repent are children of wrath. Romans 2:5-9 says, "But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil." God is the omnipotent Creator of all souls. But He is not a respecter of persons; he has no bias or partiality or favoritism for one soul over another. He will judge every soul according to whether they chose to obey the truth with a life of righteous deeds or disobey with a life of unrighteous deeds. God is the most righteous judge and a consuming fire who will pour his wrath on evil souls who disobeyed Him. Those who do not repent and obey His commandments will not be spared.
The Bible tells us that those cast in hell will suffer continuous torment: "furnace of fire…wailing and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:42) "outer darkness, weeping" (Matthew 22:13) "..the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not,…cast into hell fire: … shall be salted with fire" (Mark 9:43-49), "everlasting chains under darkness" (Jude 1:6), "Bottomless pit" (Revelations 9:2). There is no one in the Bible who preached more on hell’s everlasting agony than Jesus. Therefore, in Matthew 10:28 Jesus says, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." God is the omnipotent Creator of all, including hell and heaven. He is the one sending souls to hell and to heaven. So, he is a God of mercy and a God of wrath. He is a God of forgiveness and a God of vengeance. He will take righteous vengeance and cast in hell those who disobey his commandments. To escape the wrath of God, and to escape hell, we must obey God.
5. Satan and his servants Deceive souls to Disobey God
Since the beginning of creation, Satan deceived souls into disobeying God to stop them from entering the kingdom of God. Satan as the old Serpent in the Garden of Eden did not directly tell Eve to disobey God. Rather the Serpent deceived Eve; he removed her fear of God by telling her that she may disobey God’s commandment and not suffer the consequence of that sin. In Genesis 3:3-4 it says, "…God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die." The truth came by Jesus-- he teaches we must turn away from sin to gain eternal life. Deception came by Satan as the Serpent—he teaches we may sin and still avoid God’s wrath and eternal damnation. The Devil and his servants continue to twist the Word of God and preach another Jesus, another Spirit, and another Gospel in which the core deceiving message is still that people may sin without suffering the punishment of sin. If anyone teaches or preaches that you may continue to disobey God and escape hell and get into heaven, they are deceiving you.
To deceive someone, you must convince them that which is false is true. The best deception looks like and sounds like the truth. The best deceiver is someone who looks like and sounds like a truth-teller. So, deceivers will introduce themselves as servants of God. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 says, "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works." Deceivers will come as angels of light, as pastors who claim to only preach from the Word of God, as loving Sunday school teachers with advice on how to get to the next spiritual level, as Bible study leaders with soft polite words, as leaders who speak in tongues and prophesy, as emotional worship leaders who move the congregation to tears. Yet – if they preach a God who wants you to come just as you are without repenting, they are deceiving you. If they preach a God you can claim, receive, and believe as your Lord without striving to obey His commandments, they are deceiving you. If they preach a God that you need not fear when you continue to disobey his commandments, they are deceiving you. If they preach an unconditional God that does not require a life with works of obedience, they are deceiving you.
6. Jesus is Truth of Eternal Life
There was a time when Jesus was still a man that many of his own disciples backtracked and no longer walked with him. And Jesus asked his disciple Peter, will you also go away? Peter answered "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." (John 6:68). Never forget, the truth of eternal life came by Jesus. Jesus says repent of sin, Jesus says Fear God, Jesus says strive to enter the kingdom of heaven, And Jesus says if you love God, you will obey Him. Just as the Serpent deceived Eve to believe she could disobey God’s commandment and not suffer the consequence of disobedience; the Devil and his servants continue to deceive people that they may continue in sin and escape hell. Do not be deceived. In Matthew 15:14 Jesus says, "And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." So, both deceivers and the deceived will end up in Hell. When your soul is before God on judgment day, you cannot blame your mother or father, you cannot blame your favorite Bible scholar or preacher. You are responsible for knowing the truth and obeying the truth. Jesus is the truth. You are responsible for obeying the commandments of Jesus.
7. Obey God to Escape Hell
The eternal destiny of our soul is determined by if we have done good or done evil in this present life. In John 5:28-29 Jesus says "...for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice 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." The choice is ours – obey God, do good and be blessed with eternal life or disobey God, do evil and be cursed with eternal damnation. When this life is over, we will be judged to go to hell or heaven according to the works we have done—whether they be good or evil. Jesus himself confirms this in Revelations 22:12-15 and says, "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." Jesus says we will be judged for eternity according to our works of obedience or disobedience. Jesus says those who do His commandments will gain eternal life and enter the kingdom of God.
Those who preach it is not possible to obey God are deceivers. Those who explain another path to escape hell are deceivers. Those who teach it is not necessary to obey God to enter heaven are deceivers. There are many deceivers in the Christian church today. There are many deceived in the Christian church today. Deception comes by Satan. The truth of eternal life comes by Jesus. Obeying God is the only path to eternal life, it is the only way to escape hell and enter heaven. It is possible, it is mandatory, there is no alternative. Jesus taught the simple truth on how to escape hell and enter the kingdom of heaven—obey God’s commandments. Do not be deceived. Obey God.
Grace and peace to those in Christ.
SUMMARY PointsGreatest VALUE = Soul’s ETERNAL Life
JESUS = TRUTH of ETERNAL Life
OBEY Jesus’s COMMANDMENTS to ESCAPE Hell & gain ETERNAL lifeRepent = Turn AWAY from SIN
SIN causes spiritual DEATH
DEAD souls go to HELL
LIVING souls go to HEAVENGod makes us SPIRITUALLY ALIVE so that disobedience can be the PAST
God is a RIGHTEOUS judge
His WRATH will be on DISOBEDIENT people
JESUS preached the everlasting torment of HELL fire as the reason to FEAR GODSatan’s DECEPTION: Disobey God and STILL go to heaven
Deceivers appear as Servants of God
Deceivers AND the Deceived go to HELLEternal judgment is according to our WORKS of GOOD or EVIL during THIS present life
OBEY commandments of JESUS to Escape HELL