How can a Man Enter into Heaven?
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Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
1. Be born again
John 3:3: ‘Most assuredly I say unto you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God’
How can a person be born again? The same question Nicodemus asked.
John 3:4: Nicodemus said unto Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
Jesus answered,
John 3:5: Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God
What is being born of water?
What is being born of water?
Before Jesus started preaching, a voice was crying in the wilderness baptizing with water.
Mt 3:1-2: In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, ‘Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’
Baptism with water is baptism of repentance
Acts 19:4: Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on Him who should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus
John the Baptist was preparing the way for Jesus
John 1:23 He said, ‘I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord’, as the prophet Isaiah said
Baptism with water unto repentance was preparing the way for the kingdom of God to dwell in humans.
When Jesus started preaching, He continued with John the Baptism message, ‘Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’ (Mk 1:14-15), but He did not baptize with water but with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Mt 3:11: I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire
Remember before His death and resurrection, Jesus did not baptize any person.
John 4:2:
(though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples),
Baptism with water is an outward sign of repentance, and it was replaced by baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
See baptism with water is an outward sign of repentance
Repentance prepares the way for the Holy Spirit to dwell in a person. The Holy Spirit (the kingdom of heaven) cannot dwell in a person who has not repented.
Reason John the Baptist, Jesus and His servants preach repentance. Only by repentance is a human being prepared to enter heaven.
Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand
See how to repent
Being baptized with water is being born of water i.e. baptism of repentance; having repented and being repentant. To enter heaven you must repent otherwise you perish.
“I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.
Because the outward sign of repentance which is baptism with water was replaced by baptism with the Holy Spirit, today you do not need an outward sign to show humanity you have repented. It is only God who knows if a person has heartily repented or no.
Repentance means sinning no more. If you have truly repented, you will not sin again. If you have truly repented of drunkenness, you will not be drunk again. If you have repented of sexual immorality, you will not commit them again, etc. This is true repentance.
And if you truly repent, you are born of water i.e. born of repentance
What is being born of Spirit?
What is being born of Spirit?
When a person truly repents, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells in the person. This is being born of spirit; being baptized with the Holy Spirit.
See baptism with the Holy Spirit
Without being born of water, repentance, the Holy Spirit cannot dwell in a person. If the Holy Spirit is in a person and the person sins and refuses to repent, the Holy Spirit departs.
See why the Holy Spirit departs
A person must crucify the flesh for the Holy Spirit to dwell in him/her; flesh must die for a person to be born of spirit.
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
When the Holy Spirit dwells in a person, the person starts living spiritually. A person stops being carnal (natural) and becomes spiritual. A person stops being carnally minded and becomes spiritually minded.
For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
What are you minded of? Is it cars, building earthly castles, what you will eat where, money, fame, power, etc? This is being carnally minded and it is enmity against God.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
A person born of the spirit is led, directed, guided and taught by the Holy Spirit and does not rebel. The pillar of cloud and pillar of fire leads him/her.
See the pillar of cloud and pillar of fire is the Holy Spirit
A person born of spirit has the kingdom of God in him/her. The kingdom of God is peace, righteousness and joy.
for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
See the kingdom of God is not in word but in power
In addition, we see the fruits of the Holy Spirit manifested in a person born of spirit. See how to know if you are baptized with the Holy Spirit.
For a person to be born of water and of the spirit, a person must first repent, come to the cross and crucify the flesh and then live directed guided and taught by the Holy Spirit. Let the Holy Spirit dwell in you; do not rebel Him.
Many people have accepted repentance but many have not accepted crucifying the flesh and allowing the Holy Spirit dwell and lead them.
Are you led by your fleshly passions and desires? Many calling themselves Christians are led by emotions, feelings, what the world wants and dictates, history, education, money, etc but not the Holy Spirit.
Many calling themselves Christians do not know the voice of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit speaks to them, they do not hear/know. I tell you a truth, ‘the sheep knows the voice of the shepherd’.
John 10:27: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me
For many years I have been a shepherd and I know this truth; true Jesus Christ sheep knows and hears His voice. Are you His sheep?
Many people have also accepted repentance and to crucify the flesh but have denied the Holy Spirit; they have denied the power.
2 Tim 3:5: Having a form of godliness, but denying the power
For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.
Now there was another Man
Mark 10:17-25
Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
Trust in Riches This was the mans fault He trusted in hos wealth they became like a source of strength a source of rest, it was where his faith truley lied it was in his comfort
So can rich men make it to heaven ? Some say no based on this text but I do not for
There was yet another rich man who asked a very similar question
luke 19:1-10
Luke 19:1–10 (NKJV)
Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.” So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.” Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
He was baptized by the Spirit by the Water of repentance, He said Look Lord Here take what I have give it to the poor to those ive wronged without even being told to do so His love was for God for Christ not for His wealth any longer, No longer was his faith in his comfort for he willingly freely gave up his wealth to follow Christ
Then there is the parable of the poor man
Matthew 25:14-30
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
So it wasn't about The riches so to speak but about what one did with them, Some of you have freely given to the Lord to others in need to various ministries Like zacheahs, You find peace in Christ not your comfort , but others you have clung to your possessions your hobbies too tightly allowing it to take you from God from helping others from giving to the various ministries because you have over extended yourself financially there is no room for more than a 20 here or there.
And even worse some of you have freely given the greatest treasure God has ever given you by sharing Jesus by serving Jesus and your talents are greatly multiplies, But for some of you you have dug a hole in the back yard hid your relationship with Christ fail to be passionate fail to be telling others about christ fail to serve him because you have fell into the trap of serving your possessions your hobbies there is no time nor money to effectively serve Christ
So how can a man enter into Heave
Through Christ Alone
Peter really closes this sermon perfectly
Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,
Let us pray