The Promise of Heaven: What Jesus Said in John 5:24

A Sunday morning message from John chapter 5

The message in brief: In John 5:24, Jesus promises that anyone who hears His word and believes on the Father who sent Him has everlasting life, will not come into condemnation, and has passed from death unto life. Heaven is a sure promise, not a guess. Because there is no in-between, the people of God must be soul conscious and tell others.

Many people say they know what heaven is. Most of them only know the word. This message set out to change that, starting with Jesus' own words in John chapter 5.

"That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:23-24, KJV)

Where does John 5 take place?

John 5 opens at the pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, during one of the feasts. The pool had five porches, and crowds of sick, blind and crippled people waited there every day. When an angel stirred the water, the first one in was healed. One man had suffered for 38 years and had no one to help him into the pool. His situation was hopeless, until Jesus came along and healed him. In the same chapter, Jesus speaks plainly about heaven.

What does "verily, verily" mean?

"Verily, verily" means "so be it, so be it," "so it is, so it is," or "amen, amen." Jesus used it to get His listeners' full attention before something important. It was His way of saying, "Listen to me right now." What followed was the promise of everlasting life, and it was a big deal to Jesus.

Jesus also warned about hell, because He wanted people to be aware of it. A loving father warns his child away from a light socket, even if the warning stings. The alternative is far worse.

"I don't want anybody to go to hell. I don't want my worst enemy to go to hell."

Who is Jesus?

Jesus is God, the Creator, and one with the Father. His identity is made clear by God Himself.

• He is the Creator. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." (John 1:1-3)
• He is the Almighty. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:8)
• He is one with the Father. "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." (John 5:17)
• The Father confirmed Him. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17)
• He is the judge of all men. He is just, righteous and fair, and He cannot allow sin into heaven.

"If sin entered heaven, heaven would not be heaven."

His acts confirmed who He is. He made blind eyes see, made the crippled walk, and healed the sick. People watched and said there was something different about that man. The same question applies to us: what do people think of us by our acts, our language and the way we respond? What is on the inside comes out on the outside.

What has Jesus done?

Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for sin. He suffered sin's punishment in our place. Sin had to be paid for, and Jesus paid that payment, for each one of us. It is up to each person to accept it or reject it.

"He went down into hell and he took my hell for me. And he took your hell for you."

What can only Jesus do?

Only Jesus can give eternal life, and only He can take anyone to heaven. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (John 5:28-29)

Payday is coming for every sin. Either Jesus paid it on the cross, or a person tries to pay it alone, and it takes all of eternity in hell to pay for your own sin. Jesus stands ready to pay it for you.

"The most foolish business decision I've ever thought of in my life is to reject Jesus."

What must we believe?

We must believe the words of the Father: who Jesus is, what He did, and why His work of salvation was necessary. That starts with admitting we are sinners.

1. Believe you are a sinner. Every one of us has a sin problem, whether in thought, action, anger or putting ourselves first. "I'm not as bad as that guy" does not change it. Sin is sin.
2. Believe Jesus is the only way to heaven. No amount of good on the scale outweighs the bad. Sin has to be paid for.
3. Put your faith and trust in Him. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)

God's love is unconditional. No sin we could commit would change how He loves us. The list of our sins could fill a scroll stretched across the room, and because of the righteousness of God, they are gone.

Is there an in-between?

There is no in-between. It is heaven or hell, and it is not "six feet down and done."

"And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame." (Luke 16:24)

For the believer, the promise is clear: "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8) And: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21)

The preacher was saved at 12 years old. He grew up in a pastor's home, heard preaching every week, and thought he was a pretty decent kid. But he knew something was missing, and he would not take a chance on eternity. When he got saved, things changed, and he knew it was real.

Why should we be soul conscious?

Being soul conscious means keeping eternity in view every day and telling others about Jesus. The preacher took the phrase from his brother, who is always handing someone a tract and sharing the gospel.

How sad it would be to have the promise of heaven and go through the week without sharing it. Our responsibility as children of God is to tell others:

• who Jesus is
• what Jesus did on the cross
• the promise of heaven He made possible
• that they must believe on the Son of God and invite Him into their heart

Your testimony is something no one can argue with. It is what God has done in your life. Keep passing out tracts, keep inviting people to church, and above all, pray that they put their trust in the Lord.

Questions about the promise of heaven

What does John 5:24 promise? John 5:24 promises that whoever hears Jesus' word and believes on the Father who sent Him has everlasting life, will not come into condemnation, and has passed from death unto life.

Can good works get a person into heaven? No. No amount of good outweighs sin, and sin cannot enter heaven. It must be paid for, and only Jesus paid it.

Is there anything between heaven and hell? No. There is no in-between. Every person spends eternity either with the Lord or separated from God.

How can I know for sure I am going to heaven? Admit you are a sinner, believe Jesus is the only way to heaven, and put your faith and trust in Him (Romans 10:9).