Eternal life
Hell is for Real, 16 November 2025
Hell is for Real
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
One Minute After You Die
November 16, 2025
Mark 9:43-48
Big Idea: Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
Scripture Reading: Mark 9:43-48
Several years ago my friend, Jim, died…for about fifteen minutes. Doctors were able to revive him and he lived another year or two before dying…and remaining so. Shortly after being revived, I asked him if he saw a bright light during those fifteen minutes. He thought for a moment and said, “No.” After a brief pause, I asked, “Did it get hot?!”
Last Sunday we began our two part series one minute after you die with a look at “the good place,” heaven. Today, we’re going to explore “that other place.”
You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die.
The subject makes many uncomfortable, but the odds you will die someday are quite good! Are you ready? Do you have a will? Have you planned your funeral? Most importantly, are you ready to meet your Maker? Judgment Day is coming for all of us.
Heaven is for real. Hell is for real, too. C.S. Lewis wrote,
There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this, if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture and, specially, of Our Lord's own words; it has always been held by Christendom; and it has the support of reason. If a game is played, it must be possible to lose it.
In a world full of gray, Jesus seemed to indicate we will all spend eternity in one of two places, destinations we commonly call heaven and hell. One of the most common objections to the Christian faith is, “Why would a loving God send someone to hell?” Lewis again,
There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done”, and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in hell choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find to those who knock, it is opened.
God has granted each of us free will, the ability to make decisions. We make thousands of them each day, but the greatest decision is whether to follow God or violate the first two of the ten commandments and make ourselves god, to create an idol of the person in the mirror. To put it plainly, heaven is where God dwells, and, therefore, it’s for people who want to be with God. Hell is where God is distant and, therefore, it’s for people who don’t want to be with God. We all get to choose, and our decision will be honored for eternity.
Judgment Day is coming. Are you ready?
Our Churches of God, General Conference denomination describes it like this:
We believe in the judgment of God.
We believe those who have trusted in Jesus for salvation will stand before the judgment of Christ to give account for their works done for him (2 Corinthians 5:10). It is there they will receive crowns for lives pleasing to him (Hebrews 6:10). We believe the judgment of the believer’s sin was taken by Christ on Calvary and has been forgiven and purged from the memory of God (Hebrews 10:17).
We believe those who have rejected God’s offer of salvation and have not received Christ as their Savior will stand before the great white throne judgment. Their names will not be found in the Lamb’s Book of Life. They will suffer the eternal consequence of that rejection and their sin (Revelation 20:11, 15).
Just as Led Zeppelin sang about a stairway to heaven, AC/DC sang about being on a highway to hell. It’s not a pleasant destination. People have many ideas of hell, many shaped more by Dante’s Inferno or medieval imagery, like that in the Sistine Chapel, than the Bible. There are even jokes like this (that are funny, but hell is no laughing matter…and accordions get a bad rap!).
Let’s look at Jesus’ words:
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,
48 where
“ ‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:43-48)
Is Jesus speaking literally or metaphorically when he says, “The fire never goes out?” Does it really matter? Do you want to find out?
Here’s Jesus again:
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (Revelation 22:12-13)
Judgment Day is coming. Are you ready? We talked about heaven last week, but what exactly is hell?
Hell has been defined as “the state of utter and irrevocable damnation to which the unregenerate soul is condemned after death.” – Van A. Harvey
The subject of hell has been debated for thousands of years. There are four primary views on hell:
1. Purgatory is a Catholic belief involves a state between death and heaven for purification. Last Sunday I mentioned a state between death and heaven but it’s like a waiting area, not a place of preparation.
2. Universalism implies people will have a second chance after death to get right with God, where hell is not eternal punishment but merely a state for correction. It sounds great but seems to contradict Jesus’ teachings.
3. Annihilation or terminal punishment is where people are destroyed rather than suffering forever.
4. Eternal Conscious Torment, the traditional view where the wages of sin are punished for eternity.
Before speaking of the new heavens and the new earth, the text in Revelation says,
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)
Hell is for real.
So What?
I imagine many of you shrug your shoulders after a sermon about hell thinking, “I’ve got nothing to worry about. I prayed that magic prayer and have my ‘get out of hell free’ card.” I always find these words of Jesus sobering:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)
Are you doing the will of the Father? Are you obeying God and His word? It’s easy to say yes to Jesus on Sunday, but what about Monday? We are saved not by works, but by grace, by the blood of Jesus on the cross. But true faith is shown through our actions. Jesus’ half-brother wrote,
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder…faith without deeds is useless…dead. (James 2:19, 20b, 26b)
We get to choose where to spend eternity. God will honor our choice.
Heaven is for real and Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
Hell is for real and Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
Even if you are faithfully following Jesus, what about your friends, neighbors, and family? Do they know Jesus? If not, are you praying for them? Have you had spiritual conversations with them? Have you shared your story? Have you invited them to join us here on Sunday morning? Perhaps a great next step for you is to spend the next month praying for them each day and then invite them to one of our four Christmas Eve services (3, 5, 7, 9 PM).
We all deserve hell. We all deserve eternal separation from God for our sins. All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, His perfect standard. He doesn’t grade on a curve. The real scandal is not that there’s anyone in hell, but that there’s anyone in heaven! This is why Jesus died…so we can know God, have our sins washed white as snow, and live an abundant life now and beyond the grave.
Perhaps some of you have had a wake-up call this morning. You know you’re not following Jesus, even though you’ve joined us today. I’m glad you’re here. It’s not an accident. Today is the day of salvation. I’m not merely trying to scare the hell out of you, I want to introduce you to Jesus. This isn’t about religion or rules or taking away your fun, but it’s all about freedom, hope, peace, joy, and purpose. Jesus went to great lengths to become one of us, to model what it means to be human, to die for us, to conquer sin and death, and to invite us to follow him. You can begin by saying, “Jesus, I give you my life.” If that’s you, please tell me. I want to give you some gifts and celebrate with you.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
That’s incredible news, but not everyone knows it…and not everyone accepts it. Say yes to Jesus. He said yes to you! Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
For further study:
· Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright
· Erasing Hell by Francis Chan
· Stop Erasing Hell by Preston Sprinkle
· One Minute After You Die by Erwin Lutzer
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
One Minute After You Die
November 16, 2025
Mark 9:43-48
Big Idea: Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
Scripture Reading: Mark 9:43-48
Several years ago my friend, Jim, died…for about fifteen minutes. Doctors were able to revive him and he lived another year or two before dying…and remaining so. Shortly after being revived, I asked him if he saw a bright light during those fifteen minutes. He thought for a moment and said, “No.” After a brief pause, I asked, “Did it get hot?!”
Last Sunday we began our two part series one minute after you die with a look at “the good place,” heaven. Today, we’re going to explore “that other place.”
You’re not ready to live until you’re ready to die.
The subject makes many uncomfortable, but the odds you will die someday are quite good! Are you ready? Do you have a will? Have you planned your funeral? Most importantly, are you ready to meet your Maker? Judgment Day is coming for all of us.
Heaven is for real. Hell is for real, too. C.S. Lewis wrote,
There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this, if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture and, specially, of Our Lord's own words; it has always been held by Christendom; and it has the support of reason. If a game is played, it must be possible to lose it.
In a world full of gray, Jesus seemed to indicate we will all spend eternity in one of two places, destinations we commonly call heaven and hell. One of the most common objections to the Christian faith is, “Why would a loving God send someone to hell?” Lewis again,
There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, “Thy will be done”, and those to whom God says, in the end, “Thy will be done.” All that are in hell choose it. Without that self-choice there could be no hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find to those who knock, it is opened.
God has granted each of us free will, the ability to make decisions. We make thousands of them each day, but the greatest decision is whether to follow God or violate the first two of the ten commandments and make ourselves god, to create an idol of the person in the mirror. To put it plainly, heaven is where God dwells, and, therefore, it’s for people who want to be with God. Hell is where God is distant and, therefore, it’s for people who don’t want to be with God. We all get to choose, and our decision will be honored for eternity.
Judgment Day is coming. Are you ready?
Our Churches of God, General Conference denomination describes it like this:
We believe in the judgment of God.
We believe those who have trusted in Jesus for salvation will stand before the judgment of Christ to give account for their works done for him (2 Corinthians 5:10). It is there they will receive crowns for lives pleasing to him (Hebrews 6:10). We believe the judgment of the believer’s sin was taken by Christ on Calvary and has been forgiven and purged from the memory of God (Hebrews 10:17).
We believe those who have rejected God’s offer of salvation and have not received Christ as their Savior will stand before the great white throne judgment. Their names will not be found in the Lamb’s Book of Life. They will suffer the eternal consequence of that rejection and their sin (Revelation 20:11, 15).
Just as Led Zeppelin sang about a stairway to heaven, AC/DC sang about being on a highway to hell. It’s not a pleasant destination. People have many ideas of hell, many shaped more by Dante’s Inferno or medieval imagery, like that in the Sistine Chapel, than the Bible. There are even jokes like this (that are funny, but hell is no laughing matter…and accordions get a bad rap!).
Let’s look at Jesus’ words:
If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,
48 where
“ ‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:43-48)
Is Jesus speaking literally or metaphorically when he says, “The fire never goes out?” Does it really matter? Do you want to find out?
Here’s Jesus again:
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (Revelation 22:12-13)
Judgment Day is coming. Are you ready? We talked about heaven last week, but what exactly is hell?
Hell has been defined as “the state of utter and irrevocable damnation to which the unregenerate soul is condemned after death.” – Van A. Harvey
The subject of hell has been debated for thousands of years. There are four primary views on hell:
1. Purgatory is a Catholic belief involves a state between death and heaven for purification. Last Sunday I mentioned a state between death and heaven but it’s like a waiting area, not a place of preparation.
2. Universalism implies people will have a second chance after death to get right with God, where hell is not eternal punishment but merely a state for correction. It sounds great but seems to contradict Jesus’ teachings.
3. Annihilation or terminal punishment is where people are destroyed rather than suffering forever.
4. Eternal Conscious Torment, the traditional view where the wages of sin are punished for eternity.
Before speaking of the new heavens and the new earth, the text in Revelation says,
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)
Hell is for real.
So What?
I imagine many of you shrug your shoulders after a sermon about hell thinking, “I’ve got nothing to worry about. I prayed that magic prayer and have my ‘get out of hell free’ card.” I always find these words of Jesus sobering:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)
Are you doing the will of the Father? Are you obeying God and His word? It’s easy to say yes to Jesus on Sunday, but what about Monday? We are saved not by works, but by grace, by the blood of Jesus on the cross. But true faith is shown through our actions. Jesus’ half-brother wrote,
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder…faith without deeds is useless…dead. (James 2:19, 20b, 26b)
We get to choose where to spend eternity. God will honor our choice.
Heaven is for real and Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
Hell is for real and Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
Even if you are faithfully following Jesus, what about your friends, neighbors, and family? Do they know Jesus? If not, are you praying for them? Have you had spiritual conversations with them? Have you shared your story? Have you invited them to join us here on Sunday morning? Perhaps a great next step for you is to spend the next month praying for them each day and then invite them to one of our four Christmas Eve services (3, 5, 7, 9 PM).
We all deserve hell. We all deserve eternal separation from God for our sins. All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, His perfect standard. He doesn’t grade on a curve. The real scandal is not that there’s anyone in hell, but that there’s anyone in heaven! This is why Jesus died…so we can know God, have our sins washed white as snow, and live an abundant life now and beyond the grave.
Perhaps some of you have had a wake-up call this morning. You know you’re not following Jesus, even though you’ve joined us today. I’m glad you’re here. It’s not an accident. Today is the day of salvation. I’m not merely trying to scare the hell out of you, I want to introduce you to Jesus. This isn’t about religion or rules or taking away your fun, but it’s all about freedom, hope, peace, joy, and purpose. Jesus went to great lengths to become one of us, to model what it means to be human, to die for us, to conquer sin and death, and to invite us to follow him. You can begin by saying, “Jesus, I give you my life.” If that’s you, please tell me. I want to give you some gifts and celebrate with you.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
That’s incredible news, but not everyone knows it…and not everyone accepts it. Say yes to Jesus. He said yes to you! Judgment Day is coming…are you ready?
For further study:
· Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright
· Erasing Hell by Francis Chan
· Stop Erasing Hell by Preston Sprinkle
· One Minute After You Die by Erwin Lutzer
Life, 29 June 2025
Life
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Series: 1 John
June 29, 2025
1 John 5:1-12
Series Big Idea: One of Jesus’ best friends offers timeless teaching on following Jesus.
Big Idea: No Jesus, no life. Know Jesus, know life.
Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:1-5
Benjamin Franklin famously said, “…in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” We spend our lives trying to avoid both!
The subject of life and death has been very personal for me, especially this year. I have attended more funerals this year than any year of my life…and we’re not even halfway through the year! Some deaths are tragic, even horrifying. Others are expected, though none of us know our expiration date. As many of you know, I officiated the funeral of my grandma last weekend Missouri. It was truly a celebration of a life well-lived, serving people and loving Jesus. She was a remarkable lady. You can read about her in Proverbs 31! Our text today says,
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:12)
Grandma knew Jesus. Grandma knew life.
We’ve been studying the book of 1 John for several weeks and today we’ll cover the first part of the final chapter, finishing next Sunday. It begins…
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. (1 John 5:1)
We frequently use the expression “Jesus Christ.” Christ is not Jesus’ last name. It’s a word that means anointed. Tragically, it has become a swear word to some people.
Do you believe Jesus is the Christ? This is not merely do you believe in God. Most USAmericans believe in God, but what do you mean by God? When we say Jesus is the Christ, we are declaring he is the promised Messiah of the Jews, the son of God, fully God, fully human, and worthy of not merely intellectual belief, but surrender, commitment, allegiance.
When we say yes to Jesus, we are adopted into his family. I often refer to you, church, as family because that’s what we are…brothers and sisters, spiritual siblings. If you love our heavenly Dad, you love His other kids, too.
This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. (1 John 5:2)
We love others by loving God. We love God by loving others. We should never separate them. Jesus said the entire law is summarized by loving God and loving others as ourselves.
In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. (1 John 5:3a)
I’ve said obedience is God’s love language. You can’t love God and hate people. You can’t love God and hate immigrants or Iranians or Jews or Palestinians or Wolverines or Buckeyes or whites or blacks or browns or anyone else. Love means love! Jesus died for every illegal alien, prostitute, drag queen, corrupt politician, drunk driver, child abuser, and preacher.
My heart is heavy when people claim to love God but hate people…any people!
This is so simple, but not easy. Love never is, because it requires humility, sacrifice, and service. One thing about loving God is He made the first move. Our love is a response to His.
And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:3b-5)
Without God’s love, we can’t love others. We’ve been given power to resist evil, the fruit of the Holy Spirit which includes self-control, and the hope of heaven, eternity with God. We are not victorious because of what we’ve done, but we’re victorious because of the work of Jesus through the cross and the empty tomb.
Some of you saw the Cleveland Guardians and St. Louis Cardinals yesterday. It’s like being on the winning team not because you got a hit, but rather your teammate hit a home run. He gives us the victory. He gives us the power. He has overcome the world. Hallelujah!
Side note: the Greek word here for victory is nike (NEE-kay). Perhaps you’ve heard of it!
This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. (1 John 5:6-8)
Some taught Jesus was a man who became the Messiah when the Holy Spirit came upon him at his baptism…and left before the crucifixion. John is saying Jesus was already the Christ at his baptism—water—and crucifixion—blood. Jesus is fully God and fully human and the Holy Spirit, baptism, and death all bear witness to this reality…to say nothing of the empty tomb.
It's worth noting some have seen water and blood as referencing the ordinances of baptism and communion, and still others note both came from Jesus’ side when pierced on the cross.
We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (1 John 5:9-11)
The Greek word for “life” here is zoe. Eternal life is found in Jesus. It’s not from our good works, but his amazing grace.
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:12)
This is where we started. Jesus is life. No Jesus, no life. Know Jesus, know life.
Do you know Jesus? Do your friends? Family? Neighbors?
It doesn’t take long for any of us to encounter people who don’t know Jesus. I’m not talking about religion, but a relationship with Jesus. We have the privilege of introducing people to Jesus, the Christ, the anointed one, the Messiah.
We live in exciting times when people are looking for answers. Young people are searching for freedom from anxiety. Chaos and stress surround us. Uncertainty fills the air. We can’t even trust the news. What is really true anymore?
Good news needs to be shared, and the greatest news is that Jesus is LORD. No president, king, prime minister, scientist, athlete, movie star, or social media pundit can back up that claim. Jesus is LORD means God is in control, this world has a purpose, heaven is for real, hope is here, love is boundless.
One of my favorite tools for sharing great news is a question: where are you on your spiritual journey? Many people today claim to be spiritual but not religious. Ask them about their spirituality. It may open a door for them to ask you to give the reason for the hope that you have (1 Peter 3:15).
We can also participate in global evangelism—proclaiming good news—by praying, giving, and serving with Global Reach of the Churches of God, General Conference, our denominational family.
In a conversation with Thomas,
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Jesus is life. He is the life. Do you want more out of life? Do you want more life? Do you want to experience life to the max? It’s not found online. It’s not found in money or pleasure or power. It’s not even found in roller coasters or ice cream, though I love those! Listen to Jesus again.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)
Again, John uses the word zoe for life. Jesus came to give us life!
So What?
Perhaps the only thing worse than someone dying is someone who never really lives.
At my grandma’s gravesite, we sang an old Gaither song, Because He Lives. I often think of it as an Easter song, but it was fitting as we said “see you later” to one of the most godly women I’ve ever known. The final verse says,
And then one day, I'll cross the river, I'll fight life's final war with pain; And then, as death gives way to victory, I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!
The chorus:
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone; Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!
Paul wrote,
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 2:21)
Jesus is life.
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:12)
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Series: 1 John
June 29, 2025
1 John 5:1-12
Series Big Idea: One of Jesus’ best friends offers timeless teaching on following Jesus.
Big Idea: No Jesus, no life. Know Jesus, know life.
Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:1-5
Benjamin Franklin famously said, “…in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” We spend our lives trying to avoid both!
The subject of life and death has been very personal for me, especially this year. I have attended more funerals this year than any year of my life…and we’re not even halfway through the year! Some deaths are tragic, even horrifying. Others are expected, though none of us know our expiration date. As many of you know, I officiated the funeral of my grandma last weekend Missouri. It was truly a celebration of a life well-lived, serving people and loving Jesus. She was a remarkable lady. You can read about her in Proverbs 31! Our text today says,
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:12)
Grandma knew Jesus. Grandma knew life.
We’ve been studying the book of 1 John for several weeks and today we’ll cover the first part of the final chapter, finishing next Sunday. It begins…
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. (1 John 5:1)
We frequently use the expression “Jesus Christ.” Christ is not Jesus’ last name. It’s a word that means anointed. Tragically, it has become a swear word to some people.
Do you believe Jesus is the Christ? This is not merely do you believe in God. Most USAmericans believe in God, but what do you mean by God? When we say Jesus is the Christ, we are declaring he is the promised Messiah of the Jews, the son of God, fully God, fully human, and worthy of not merely intellectual belief, but surrender, commitment, allegiance.
When we say yes to Jesus, we are adopted into his family. I often refer to you, church, as family because that’s what we are…brothers and sisters, spiritual siblings. If you love our heavenly Dad, you love His other kids, too.
This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. (1 John 5:2)
We love others by loving God. We love God by loving others. We should never separate them. Jesus said the entire law is summarized by loving God and loving others as ourselves.
In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. (1 John 5:3a)
I’ve said obedience is God’s love language. You can’t love God and hate people. You can’t love God and hate immigrants or Iranians or Jews or Palestinians or Wolverines or Buckeyes or whites or blacks or browns or anyone else. Love means love! Jesus died for every illegal alien, prostitute, drag queen, corrupt politician, drunk driver, child abuser, and preacher.
My heart is heavy when people claim to love God but hate people…any people!
This is so simple, but not easy. Love never is, because it requires humility, sacrifice, and service. One thing about loving God is He made the first move. Our love is a response to His.
And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:3b-5)
Without God’s love, we can’t love others. We’ve been given power to resist evil, the fruit of the Holy Spirit which includes self-control, and the hope of heaven, eternity with God. We are not victorious because of what we’ve done, but we’re victorious because of the work of Jesus through the cross and the empty tomb.
Some of you saw the Cleveland Guardians and St. Louis Cardinals yesterday. It’s like being on the winning team not because you got a hit, but rather your teammate hit a home run. He gives us the victory. He gives us the power. He has overcome the world. Hallelujah!
Side note: the Greek word here for victory is nike (NEE-kay). Perhaps you’ve heard of it!
This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. (1 John 5:6-8)
Some taught Jesus was a man who became the Messiah when the Holy Spirit came upon him at his baptism…and left before the crucifixion. John is saying Jesus was already the Christ at his baptism—water—and crucifixion—blood. Jesus is fully God and fully human and the Holy Spirit, baptism, and death all bear witness to this reality…to say nothing of the empty tomb.
It's worth noting some have seen water and blood as referencing the ordinances of baptism and communion, and still others note both came from Jesus’ side when pierced on the cross.
We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (1 John 5:9-11)
The Greek word for “life” here is zoe. Eternal life is found in Jesus. It’s not from our good works, but his amazing grace.
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:12)
This is where we started. Jesus is life. No Jesus, no life. Know Jesus, know life.
Do you know Jesus? Do your friends? Family? Neighbors?
It doesn’t take long for any of us to encounter people who don’t know Jesus. I’m not talking about religion, but a relationship with Jesus. We have the privilege of introducing people to Jesus, the Christ, the anointed one, the Messiah.
We live in exciting times when people are looking for answers. Young people are searching for freedom from anxiety. Chaos and stress surround us. Uncertainty fills the air. We can’t even trust the news. What is really true anymore?
Good news needs to be shared, and the greatest news is that Jesus is LORD. No president, king, prime minister, scientist, athlete, movie star, or social media pundit can back up that claim. Jesus is LORD means God is in control, this world has a purpose, heaven is for real, hope is here, love is boundless.
One of my favorite tools for sharing great news is a question: where are you on your spiritual journey? Many people today claim to be spiritual but not religious. Ask them about their spirituality. It may open a door for them to ask you to give the reason for the hope that you have (1 Peter 3:15).
We can also participate in global evangelism—proclaiming good news—by praying, giving, and serving with Global Reach of the Churches of God, General Conference, our denominational family.
In a conversation with Thomas,
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Jesus is life. He is the life. Do you want more out of life? Do you want more life? Do you want to experience life to the max? It’s not found online. It’s not found in money or pleasure or power. It’s not even found in roller coasters or ice cream, though I love those! Listen to Jesus again.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)
Again, John uses the word zoe for life. Jesus came to give us life!
So What?
Perhaps the only thing worse than someone dying is someone who never really lives.
At my grandma’s gravesite, we sang an old Gaither song, Because He Lives. I often think of it as an Easter song, but it was fitting as we said “see you later” to one of the most godly women I’ve ever known. The final verse says,
And then one day, I'll cross the river, I'll fight life's final war with pain; And then, as death gives way to victory, I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!
The chorus:
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone; Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!
Paul wrote,
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 2:21)
Jesus is life.
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:12)
My grandma had Jesus. My grandma had life. Today my grandma has life. Do you?
No Jesus, no life. Know Jesus, know life.