The True Way to Heaven

Q: What does the Bible say about eternal life?

The Bible declares that eternal life is a gift from God, offering joy, glory, and peace to those who believe in Christ. Eternal life is not just an extension of life after death, but a distinct state of joy and holiness promised to believers. The Scriptures affirm this hope, with David expressing confidence in dwelling in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6) and Jesus confirming that those who believe in Him will never perish (John 3:16). This truth is foundational for Christians, as seen in passages like Revelation 21:4, which promises no more death or pain, reinforcing the eternal nature of this promise.

Q: How do we know the true way to heaven?

Jesus proclaimed, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life,' emphasizing that faith in Him is the sole path to the Father. The true way to heaven is explicitly stated by Christ in John 14:6, where He declares that He is the exclusive way to the Father. This assertion is pivotal for Christians, who believe that salvation is only attainable through faith in Jesus, as affirmed by Paul in Acts 4:12, where he states that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. Understanding that Jesus is our mediator and representative underscores the importance of believing in Him for eternal life.

Q: Why is it important for Christians to believe in Jesus as the Savior?

Believing in Jesus as the Savior is essential for accessing God's mercy and attaining eternal life. For Christians, faith in Jesus is crucial as He is the appointed Savior for humanity. This belief acknowledges His atoning sacrifice on the cross, which satisfies divine justice and offers forgiveness for sins (Romans 3:24-26). As our high priest, He intercedes for us before the Father (Hebrews 4:14-16), making our relationship with God possible. Without faith in Christ, we remain separated from God, as John 3:18 states that whoever does not believe is condemned. Therefore, Jesus' role as Savior is foundational to the Christian faith.

Q: What does surrendering to God's Word mean for salvation?

Surrendering to God’s Word involves laying aside personal traditions and beliefs to fully embrace His truth about salvation. To surrender to God's Word is to acknowledge that human understanding and traditions can mislead us about the way to salvation. In Matthew 15:9, Jesus warns against worshiping God in vain by adhering to the commandments of men. True salvation requires humility and a willingness to heed God's requirements revealed in Scripture. Isaiah 55:7 calls for the wicked to forsake their ways and thoughts, indicating the need for true repentance and adherence to God's truths rather than human rationalizations. Surrender leads to an authentic encounter with God's grace.

I'll be speaking today on this
subject, the true way to heaven, the true way to heaven. And I'm going to be reading from
the 14th chapter of John. If you would like to follow along
in your Bibles, I would suggest that you take your Bible now
and open it to John chapter 14. Now, while you're finding the
Scripture, I have some comments that I want to make and questions
I'd like to ask. When a man dies, when a person
dies, shall he live again? Is there really, is there really,
do you really believe there is eternal life beyond this life,
beyond the grave? Do you really believe that there's
a future state of happiness and holiness called heaven. Do you believe that? I do. I
really do. The Word of God plainly declares
that there's not only life after death, but the Word of God declares
that it's an eternal life of glory and of joy and of peace
where there is no death. Now, this note sounded throughout
God's Word. David said, I will dwell in the
house of the Lord forever." And then Abraham, you remember in
Hebrews it said, Abraham was looking for a city. He had no
dwelling place upon this earth. He called no place his home. He was looking for a city whose
builder and maker is God. And the Apostle Paul had a lot
to say about it. For me to live is Christ, and
for me to die is gain. And he said, I am in a straight
betwixt the two. I have a desire to depart from
this present life, from this earth, and to be with Christ. He said again, I have a desire
to be absent from this body and present with the Lord. And then
John wrote this in the book of Revelation. He said, Behold,
the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with
them, and they shall be his people. God himself shall be with them
and be their God, and God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes, and there shall be no more death. Neither sorrow nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain, For the former things,
that is, the things of this earth, are passed away. Behold, God
said, I make all things new." Now, if the Word of God be true,
and it is, then there can be no greater goal than to lay hold
on eternal life. If there's life after death,
life after this life, and it's what God says it is, a life of
joy and a life of happiness and holiness, a life of peace, a
life of glory, then there's certainly no greater goal than to lay hold
on eternal life. In fact, Paul says that two or
three times. He says, lay hold on eternal
life, obtain the favor of God, attain unto the resurrection
of the dead. You know, even Balaam, Even Balaam,
the old prophet back in the book of Numbers, he said this, let
me, oh let me die the death of the righteous and let my last
end be like his. I want to die the death of the
righteous. Paul said this, he in the book
of Philippians chapter 3, he said, he had three desires. three requests. He said, Oh,
that I may win Christ and be found in Him. Oh, that I may
know Him and the power of His resurrection. And the third desire,
Oh, that I might by any means attain unto the resurrection
of the dead. Let me ask you five serious questions. Listen carefully. Then we'll
get into our Five serious questions. Do you really, do you really
have enough serious thoughts about death and about judgment
and about eternity to inquire with me into the subject, the
true way to heaven? Do you have enough serious thoughts?
Do you believe you're going to die? The Bible says it's appointed
unto me and wants to die, and after that the judgment. Boast
not thyself of tomorrow even, for thou knowest not what a day
may bring forth. Do you think about these things
seriously? And do you have enough serious
thoughts about them that you'll inquire with me into the subject,
the true way to heaven and the true way to peace? Moses was
interested. Moses said in Exodus 33, Lord,
show me your way. Show me your way. Show me your
glory. Reveal to me your way. Second
question, are your desires for a true knowledge of God and the
way of salvation, are they really sincere? Are they genuine? Are you honestly seeking the
truth? Are you seeking with a sincere
heart to know the true way to heaven. Do you really want to
know? And then the third question, are you willing to do this? Now
this is so difficult for most people. Are you willing to surrender
your thoughts and listen to God's Word? Are you willing to surrender
your traditions? We're so steeped in religious
tradition. Are you willing to surrender
your preconceived notions to the Word of God? In other words,
like one of the writers said, let God be true. And every man
a liar, you, me, everybody else. But let God be true. Do you think
on this subject? And if you do, are you serious?
And then thirdly, are you willing to lay aside what you've always
thought about the way to heaven? what you've always been taught,
tradition, thoughts, preconceived notions, and just listen to God
speak. You know, two or three times
in the Scriptures it says, there's a way that seemeth right unto
men, but the end is destruction. And then Isaiah 55, Isaiah said,
let the wicked forsake his thoughts and the unrighteous man his ways
and let him return to the Lord. Here's the fourth question. Are
your desires for eternal life, are they honoring and glorifying
to God? Are you willing to come on God's
terms? That's what I'm asking. Are you
willing to come to God on His terms? After all now, we're the
guilty ones. We're the offenders. We're the
mercy beggars. God does not owe us anything.
I hear people arguing about the way to heaven, and they argue
like that God owes them heaven, that heaven wouldn't be heaven
without them. But I tell you this, God must
be just and justifier. God must be a just God and a
Savior. God must glorify and honor His
law and His justice and His true attributes and character if He
saves you. He's laid down some terms, and
are you willing to come to God on His terms, on God's terms? Matters not what we think, it's
what does God require. And then the fifth question,
are your desires for God and eternal life Are they permanent
or is this just a passing fancy? I know people get an interest
in religion at certain seasons of the year, Easter and Christmas.
People get an interest in religion and the things of religion, the
Bible and other things. When they get sick or somebody
dies, everybody gets real religious or when a baby is born or a wedding
or something of that sort, people get interested in religion. But
what I'm asking you is this, are your desires for God and
a relationship with God and to know the true way to heaven,
is it permanent or is this something you've just, just a passing fancy? Well, I tell you this, it better
be permanent. James said this in James chapter
1, I believe it's verse 5, 6, and 7. If any man lack wisdom,
let him ask of God who giveth wisdom. But he said, let him
ask in faith, let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, nothing
wavering, uncertain. If you're asking for knowledge
and if you're asking for wisdom, if you're asking for a revelation
of God's gospel and God's way, be careful you're not wavering
now. Be careful that you're sincere
and you mean this thing and it's not just a passing fancy, something
you're inquiring into for the moment. For it says, he that
is wavering, he that is uncertain is like a a wave of the sea driven
with the wind. Let not that man think he shall
receive anything of God." See, God looks on the heart. And He
doesn't play games with men. And those who, He said, you'll
find me when you seek me with all your heart. So I mean this
now when we go into this subject here, the true way to heaven.
Do you have some serious thoughts about it? Well, are you sincere
in wanting to know? And are you willing, am I willing,
to lay aside our own thoughts, our own traditions, our own preconceived
notions and just listen to the Word of God? Are we willing to
come to God on His terms? Let Him lay down the terms. We're
seeking the mercy. A man who's guilty of a crime
who stands before the judge, he doesn't lay down the terms,
the judge lays down the terms. And this man's willing to receive
mercy on the terms that the judge lays down. Who's the judge of
the earth? And I'll tell you this, I'm sincere.
There's no passing fancy with me. I want to know God. and Jesus Christ whom he has
sent. And I know this. I know that everything that calls
itself religion today claims to be the way to God. I hope
in the years if you listen to this program at least you've
noticed a little difference. There's a whole lot of difference.
I hope you've noticed a little bit. We're not playing games.
I'm not entertaining people on the road to hell. We're not putting
on a show here selling things or Seeking support and building
schools and buildings and churches and having telethons and all
that foolishness I'm trying to teach people the Word of God
The Word of God and I know everything that calls itself religion today
claims to be the way to God and the way to heaven But they can't
all be right because it's the difference But our Lord defines the way
to heaven, and if you want to know, you listen to me for a
few more. Take your Bibles now and turn to John 14. John 14,
in which our Lord declares, verse 6. You're familiar with this
verse. You've read it so many times. I have. Our Lord said,
I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the
Father but by me. That's pretty plain. Well, what
was this all about? What had been said? To whom was
he speaking? What's this all about? He just
flat out, plain, declares, I'm the way, truth, and the life,
and no man, doesn't matter Baptist, Catholic, or Jew, or what, he's
not coming to the Father, but by me. Male, female, old, young,
intelligent, Not so intelligent. He's not coming to the Father
except by me. Well, here's what it's all about.
Back in chapter 13, one or two verses back, the Lord had told
His disciples that He was going away. He said, I go away, and
where I go, you cannot come. You cannot follow me at this
time. But He said, you will. I'm going away, but you can't
follow me at this time. Well, they didn't understand
what he was talking about. They didn't know what he was
talking about. What was he talking about? He was talking about he
was going to Jerusalem. He was going to the cross. He
was going to the grave. He was going to heaven, to the
right hand of God, where he made an atonement, where he entered
the Holy of Holies and obtained eternal redemption. He said,
you can't go with me now. You can't go to the cross with
me." By himself, he purged our sin. You can't go to the grave
with me. He walked the winepress of God's
wrath alone. He paid the debt alone. You can't
go with me now. I go to my father. You remember
he said, touch me not, don't cling to me. I go to my father.
Well, you can't make this trip. You can't make this journey.
You will later. You see that? You will later.
Well, they didn't understand that. They didn't understand
that. So Peter said, well, why can't
we? Why? He said, why can't we? He said,
well, I'll lay down my life for your sake. I'll die for you. To which the Lord replied, no,
Peter, no. You're a man like everybody else.
And you'll deny me three times before the cock crows this very
night. You see that? You're a man like everybody else.
You're just as sinful and just as weak and just as without ability
as anybody else, and you may boast and brag about what you
do, but you're just like everybody else. And you'll deny me three
times. And then they were all troubled.
They were troubled and had a right to be troubled. Peter was troubled,
and he was their spokesman. He usually spoke for the crowd.
And they had a right to be troubled, and we have a right to be troubled.
when we think what weak, sinful creatures we are, aren't you?
Romans 3 says there's none righteous, no, not one. There's none good,
no, not one. There's none that seeketh after
God. They're all gone out of the way. They all together become
unprofitable. Isaiah 53 says all we like sheep
have gone astray. We've turned everyone to his
own way. Isaiah 64, 6 says we all do fade as a leaf in the
winter. and our iniquities have driven
us away, even our righteousnesses are filthy rags. I tell you,
left to ourselves, we'll never stand or abide in God's presence. I know that. In fact, he said,
David wrote in Psalm 24, who shall ascend into the hill of
the Lord? Who shall stand in His holy presence? He that hath
clean hands, a pure heart, who's never lifted up his soul to vanity,
who's never even exaggerated. That lets all of us out, doesn't
it? And the disciples were troubled,
and I'm troubled, and you're troubled, and we need to try
to find out the true way to heaven, the way to God, the way to stand
in His presence. So here in John 14, 1, here it
is, listen. Then our Lord spoke. Let not
your heart be troubled. You believe in God. He's not
asking a question. He says, you do believe in God.
You do believe in God. You do, don't you? Of course
they do. Then believe in me. You believe
in God when I believe in me. You see, we believe in Christ
as our surety with the Father. The Father being holy, immaculate,
infinitely, unchangeably holy, we've got to have a surety. And
Christ, God made him surety of a better covenant. We believe
on me, he said, as your surety. You believe in God? Believe in
me as your representative. In Adam we die, in Christ we're
made alive. Representation. The first man
is of the earth earthy, the second man's the Lord from heaven. Believe
in me, I'm your representative. You believe in God? You believe
in eternal life? You believe in mercy? Well, believe
in me as your righteousness. He who knew no sin was made sin
for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
We got to have a righteousness. Believe in Me as your Savior.
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that
Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I'm cheap. Thou shalt call His name Jesus.
He'll save His people from their sin. Believe in Me. Believe in
Me. You believe in God, Believe in
me as your mercy seat. God has set him forth as a mercy
seat. Believe in me as your high priest,
seeing then that we have a great high priest who's passed into
the heavens, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Let us come boldly
before the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and grace
to help us in our time of need. You got to believe in him. Can't
believe in yourself. Can't put any confidence in the
flesh. You believe in God? Believe in the priest. He won't
help you. You believe in God? Believe in
the evangelist. He won't help you. You believe
in God? Believe in yourself. That's what
the preachers say, positive mental attitude. You're okay, I'm okay.
I'm not okay. I don't think you are. Christ
said you believe in God and who God is and what God is and where
God is. You better believe in me. because
I'm the way to God, and I'm the truth, and I'm the life, and
no man comes to the Father but by me. You better believe in
me. You better put your eggs in one basket, and that basket's
Christ, the Son of God. It's the only safe place. Believe
in me as your high priest. Believe in me as your mediator.
There's one God, one mediator between God and me, and you'd
better believe in Him. Believe in me as your advocate.
These things I write unto you, John, said that you sin not.
But if any man sin, thank God we have an advocate with the
Father." Who is it? Mary? She's no advocate. It's Jesus Christ the righteous. He has no competitor. He has
no rival. He has no stand-in. You believe in God? He said,
you believe in me. Abraham did. Abraham saw his
day and was glad, rejoiced to see his day. Moses did. He said,
Moses wrote of me. David did. David said, The Lord
said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine
enemies thy footstool. Job did. Job said, I know my
Redeemer liveth. He's going to stand on this earth.
I'm going to see him. Paul did. He said, I know whom
I have believed, and I'm persuaded that he's able to keep that which
I've committed to him. against that day. Peter did.
He said, Other foundation can no man lay than that which is
laid, Christ Jesus, the Son of God. John did. He said, He that believeth on
the Son hath life, and he that believeth not the Son shall never
see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. Do you believe in Him? They were troubled. And he said,
you believe in God, you believe in me. I can take you to God. I can take you to God. See, I
came from the Father. I and my Father are one. My Father
always hears me. He doesn't always hear you. The woman at the well was so
frustrated, she finally said to Jesus of Nazareth, she said,
She said, when the Messiah comes, He'll tell us all things. Christ
said, I'm He. I'm He. I'm the Messiah. And then in verse 2, He said,
now you believe in God, believe in Me. Put your hope and trust
and confidence in Me. I'll take you home. You see,
He said, in my Father's house are many mansions. Where? My Father's house. What are they? mansions, dwelling places. They're
permanent places. You sure? He said, there are
many. How many? Many. Many. Plenty of room. No vacancies,
but plenty of room. And he said, I go to prepare
a place for you. I go. Not the church, not the
preacher, not the priest, not the pope, not Brother Mahan,
not your mom or daddy. I go. Christ is the author and
finisher of our faith. I go. I go to prepare for you."
To prepare? How does He prepare a place?
You mean He's up there building something? All God has to do
is speak. No, He's not talking about preparing
a physical place, though it is, but He's talking about preparing
you for the place and preparing the place for you by substitution,
by satisfaction. In other words, you don't belong
in that place till He makes you holy. You don't belong in that
place till He puts your sins away. You don't have a title
or a right to that place till He makes you fit by His robe
of righteousness and by the cleansing of His blood. He makes you fit. He lifts the beggar from the
dunghill, that's us, dunghill dwellers, and exalts them to
the throne. He said, this is, I go to the
cross, I go to the grave as your scapegoat. I go to heaven as
your mediator and intercessor, as your great high priest, as
your atonement, as your blood and sin offering. I go to do
all this so you can go to that place. And I'll tell you this, he said
in verse... See, he's made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification
and redemption. He prepares a place for us and
he prepares us for the place by his precious blood. and his
perfect life. And he said, Now, if I go and
prepare a place for you, I'll come again and receive you unto
myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. That's sure and
certain. Sure, and he said, All that my
Father giveth me will come to me, and him that cometh out of
no wise cast out. If I go, if I prepare a place,
if I pay the price, I'll come back. If God spared not His own
Son, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things?" And
John said, Lord, I tell you, we're so slow, aren't we? So
were these men. Lord, we don't know where You're
going. How can we know the way? And
that's when he said, John, I'm the way. There's one body, one
spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one heaven, one God, one
Father, and there's only one Savior, and one way to heaven. Neither is there salvation in
any other. Other foundation can no man lay.
I'm the way. I'm the truth. The truth is a
person. It's not a system of doctrines,
not a creed. Christ is the truth. He's the
key of knowledge. He opens every door, every door. And he said, I'm the life. Martha
said to him, she said, Lord, I believe my brother's gonna
rise again at the resurrection. He looked at her and he said,
Martha, I am the resurrection, and I'm the life. And he that
liveth and believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. I am the way, I am the truth,
and I am the life. No man comes to the Father but
by me. Have I been honest with you?
Have I been truthful? You can't argue with the word,
can you? That's what it says. Whatever else we may think and
whatever else someone else, this is what it says. I am the way. You want this tape, write for
it. It's called The True Way to Heaven. Send two dollars,
we'll mail it to you. Until next week, God bless you,
everyone.

The True Way to Heaven

What does the Bible say about eternal life?

How do we know the true way to heaven?

Why is it important for Christians to believe in Jesus as the Savior?

What does surrendering to God's Word mean for salvation?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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The True Way to Heaven

What does the Bible say about eternal life?

How do we know the true way to heaven?

Why is it important for Christians to believe in Jesus as the Savior?

What does surrendering to God's Word mean for salvation?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

Comments

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