THE SERIOUSNESS OF HEAVEN

§  BUT I WARN YOU—UNLESS YOU OBEY GOD BETTER THAN THE TEACHERS OF RELIGIOUS LAW AND THE PHARISEES DO, YOU CAN’T ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AT ALL!

§  BUT I SAY TO YOU THAT EVERYONE WHO IS ANGRY WITH HIS BROTHER WITHOUT CAUSE SHALL BE LIABLE TO JUDGEMENT; WHO EVER INSULTS HIS BROTHER SHALL BE LIABLE TO THE COUNCIL, AND WHOEVER SAYS, ‘YOU FOOL!’ SHALL BE LIABLE TO HELL OF FIRE. SO IF YOU ARE OFFERING YOUR GIFT AT THE ALTAR, AND THERE REMEMBER THAT YOUR BROTHER HAS SOMETHING AGAINST YOU, LEAVE YOUR GIFT THERE BEFORE THE ALTAR AND GO; FIRST BE RECONCILED TO YOUR BROTHER, AND THEN COME AND OFFER YOUR GIFT.

§  SO IF YOUR EYE—EVEN IF IT IS YOUR GOOD EYE* —CAUSES YOU TO LUST, GOUGE IT OUT AND THROW IT AWAY. IT IS BETTER FOR YOU TO LOSE ONE PART OF YOUR BODY THAN FOR YOUR WHOLE BODY TO BE THROWN INTO HELL.                AND IF YOUR HAND—EVEN IF IT IS YOUR STRONGER HAND* —CAUSES YOU TO SIN, CUT IT OFF AND THROW IT AWAY. IT IS BETTER FOR YOU TO LOSE ONE PART OF YOUR BODY THAN FOR YOUR WHOLE BODY TO BE THROWN INTO HELL.

§  ...BUT YOU ARE TO BE PERFECT, EVEN AS YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT

§  IF YOU FORGIVE THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST YOU, YOUR HEAVENLY FATHER WILL FORGIVE YOU. BUT IF YOU REFUSE TO FORGIVE OTHERS, YOUR FATHER WILL NOT FORGIVE YOUR SINS.   

§  NOT ALL PEOPLE WHO SOUND RELIGIOUS ARE REALLY GODLY. THEY MAY REFER TO ME AS ‘LORD,’ BUT THEY STILL WON’T ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. THE DECISIVE ISSUE IS WHETHER THEY OBEY MY FATHER IN HEAVEN.                       ON JUDGMENT DAY MANY WILL TELL ME, ‘LORD, LORD, WE PROPHESIED IN YOUR NAME AND CAST OUT DEMONS IN YOUR NAME AND PERFORMED MANY MIRACLES IN YOUR NAME.’ BUT I WILL REPLY, ‘I NEVER KNEW YOU. GO AWAY; THE THINGS YOU DID WERE UNAUTHORIZED.*’

§  EVERY SIN OR BLASPHEMY CAN BE FORGIVEN—EXCEPT BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHICH CAN NEVER BE FORGIVEN. ANYONE WHO BLASPHEMES AGAINST ME, THE SON OF MAN, CAN BE FORGIVEN, BUT BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL NEVER BE FORGIVEN, EITHER IN THIS WORLD OR IN THE WORLD TO COME.     

§  JESUS CALLED A SMALL CHILD OVER TO HIM AND PUT THE CHILD AMONG THEM. THEN HE SAID, “I ASSURE YOU, UNLESS YOU TURN FROM YOUR SINS AND BECOME AS LITTLE CHILDREN, YOU WILL NEVER GET INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. THEREFORE, ANYONE WHO BECOMES AS HUMBLE AS THIS LITTLE CHILD IS THE GREATEST IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN...      

§  ...WATCH THEREFORE, AND PRAY ALWAYS THAT YOU MAY BE COUNTED WORTHY TO ESCAPE ALL THESE THINGS THAT WILL COME TO PASS, AND TO STAND BEFORE THE SON OF MAN.”

- JESUS (MATTHEW 5: 20, 22 – 24 RSV, 29 – 30, 48 NLT; 6: 14 – 14; 7: 21 – 23; 12: 31 – 32, LUKE 21: 36 NKJV).