The Message: God’s Plan of Salvation, John 16:7-11 Part 2
The Message: God’s Plan of Salvation, John 16:7-11
It would be wonderful if every person understood the entire Bible. There are many doctrines in the Bible that make extremely interesting topics of conversation. But in trying to lead a person to the Lord please remember that this person needs to understand the plan of salvation and nothing else until after he is saved.
God tells us that:
1 Corinthians 2:14 (NASB)
14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
The unsaved cannot really grasp spiritual teachings because they are not born again and do not have the Holy Spirit within to teach them these things.
2. DOCTRINE—The result and penalty of sin is death... separation from God. “For the wages of sin is death...” (Romans 6:23).
Romans 6:23 (NASB)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The payment for sin is death. Sin is not paid for by good works, penance, church membership, water baptism, etc. Sin is paid for by death. God does not hate the sinner, but He hates the sin. He hates sin because it separates us from Him (Isaiah 59:2), and He doesn’t want us to be separated from Him.
Isaiah 59:2 (NASB)
2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 (NASB)
8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
9 These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
Except for those taken in the Rapture, everyone will die physically. The body goes back to dust, and the soul goes to heaven or hell. Everyone is born dead spiritually (Ephesians 2:1).
Ephesians 2:1 (NASB)
1 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
The soul is separated from God because we are sinners. This is why Christ said in John 3:7, “...You must be born again.”
John 3:7 (NASB)
7 "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'
Only through a new birth of the Spirit can man have eternal life. If a person dies without having trusted Christ as his Savior, his soul will be separated from God and he will ultimately be cast into the lake of fire forever... the Bible calls this the “second death” (Revelation 20:14-15).
Revelation 20:14-15 (NASB)
14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
PRESENTATION—For most people, a simple statement on this point is sufficient, as: “God loves us but hates our sin, because the payment for sin is death and separation from Him.” How to deal with specific “cult teachings” that differ from Scripture on this point will be covered in later teachings. When you do not sense resistance on this point (and you usually won’t), move on to what you want to cover next.
3. DOCTRINE—The eternal heaven will be a perfect place. No sin could enter this heaven. Man must be perfectly righteous to go to heaven.
2 Peter 3:13 (NASB)
13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
Revelation 21:27 (NASB)
27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Psalm 5:4 (NASB)
4 For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You.
It is God’s heaven. He created it (Genesis 1:1).
Genesis 1:1 (NASB)
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
He lives in it (Psalm 11:4; Psalm 115:3).
Psalm 11:4 (NASB)
4 The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD'S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.
Psalm 115:3 (NASB)
3 But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases.
He says there will be no tears, sorrow, pain or death in heaven (Revelation 21:4), and God has the right to say who will go there.
Revelation 21:4 (NASB)
4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."
If any sin were allowed into heaven, death would be there because, as we have seen, “The wages of sin is death...” (Romans 6:23).
Romans 6:23 (NASB)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Not only are we sinners and need our sin paid for before we can enter heaven, but also this body we have now could never live forever anyway. It will get old, sickly, and die. This body was never created to live forever. In the commercial world they call this “planned depreciation.” This is why your car, washing machine, lawn mower, etc., need repairs and finally just won’t operate.
God not only offers a payment for your sin so your soul can go to heaven, but He also will give you a new, glorified body that will live forever, entirely free from sin, sickness, and death. It will be like the glorified body of our Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:2).
Philippians 3:21 (NASB)
21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.
1 John 3:2 (NASB)
2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
PRESENTATION—When a person sees that he is a sinner and that with his sin he cannot enter heaven, he will be ready for the next point. Usually a statement like “Heaven is a perfect place, and no sin can enter heaven because sin would bring death” will be sufficient.