Read through the Bible in 2 years: Matthew 13

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind. When it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into containers but threw away the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 13:47-50

From beginning to end of Matthew 13, Jesus was faithful to tell the whole truth, not just half the truth, for half the truth isn’t really the truth. If you only say “When you die the angels will come and take you to heaven,” but you don’t also explain that all the evil people (that’s me apart from my faith in Christ!) will be thrown into the fiery furnace, you are not really telling the truth.

Friends, please know that I’m writing these words to myself, because I need to hear them, but I hope they will encourage you as well. I want so desperately for people to be saved, that sometimes I only want to tell them the “Happy News about Eternal Life” … but the truth is that no one can fully appreciate the good news of the gospel until they’ve understood that every single one of us are sinners who deserve hell apart from the saving work of Jesus Christ.

So long as you think that you are a good person, and that you are going to heaven by your own merit, then, who needs Jesus?

May the words of Christ fall on fertile soil and bear much fruit! Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace in telling us the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Thank You for explaining to us that every one of us is a sinner deserving of hell. Thank You for the best news I’ve ever heard – that Jesus Christ paid the price for my sin by His death on the cross, and that by believing in Him I have been saved from the fiery furnace of hell and will live with You in heaven for all eternity. This is truly the most awesome, wonderful, fantastic, marvelous news I could ever hear! May we share this truth every day of the year, but especially this weekend as we remember the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus, my Savior, I pray, Amen.