And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. {Jesus} Mark 9: 43- 44

After reading Jesus’ words in the above passage you may say, “I don’t believe in Hell”. That doesn’t change the fact that there is a Hell. Maybe you believe there is a Hell but that God only sends “bad” people there. The two men that were crucified with Jesus were both bad men but one of them went to Heaven. As a matter of fact the Bible says we are all bad people. “…there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” {Romans 3:12} None of us deserve to go to Heaven. None of us could ever be good enough to go to Heaven. Your good works could never save you from Hell. The Bible tells us, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” {Ephesians 2:8-9}

You may think yourself a good person but God sees everything. God sees the heart. He knows every thought and every imagination. “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” {Genesis 6:5} What you and I need to understand is that good people do not go to Heaven. Those who somehow trust that their good deeds or moral life will save them are doomed to hell. Salvation is “not of works”.

Jesus said, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” {Matthew 9:13b}. You cannot work your way to Heaven. The only way to make it to Heaven is trust His finished work on the cross alone. “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling”

Have you trusted Jesus Christ alone? He is your only hope of Heaven? Have you cast your poor soul at His nail pierced feet?

Are you afraid to die? I was at a little country church some years ago and after the sermon there was a moment of silence. Suddenly an old blind man in the back of the church began to sing, unprompted, the song Are You Afraid to Die? Chills ran down my back when I thought of those who I knew were lost in that room but yet had no inclination of bowing the knee to Jesus Christ. Afraid to die, yes but still a rebel against God and His Son.

How about you? What is your hope of Heaven? How do you plan to escape what Jesus described as unquenchable fire? Surely you don’t think you can work your way to Heaven. The hymn writer stated it clearly when he said, “Doing” is a deadly thing…Doing” ends in death.

Weary, working, burdened one,
Wherefore toil you so?
Cease your doing; all was done
Long, long ago.

Till to Jesus’ work you cling
By a simple faith,
“Doing” is a deadly thing—
“Doing” ends in death.

Cast your deadly “doing” down—
Down at Jesus’ feet;
Stand in Him, in Him alone,
Gloriously complete.

Shawn