Who Will Be Lifted Up With Christ?

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

Regardless of your race, nationality, or gender, you can be saved by Christ and lifted up with Him.

Introduction

In last week’s sermon, we saw that Nicodemus’ mind was trained on the kingdom of God when he came to Jesus, seeking assurance of how he could make himself fit to enter the kingdom.

In my sermon this week, we are once again going to train our sights on the kingdom of God, as Nicodemus continues to learn from Christ.  As I said last week, this life will either be your stepping stone to the kingdom, or a stumbling block leading to a dead end.  One’s goal ought to be the kingdom of heaven, yet there are many of us who either don’t believe in the kingdom or don’t believe they can or will be lifted to the kingdom.

So, I want to share John 3:13-17 with all of you today because I want you to know that you certainly can be lifted from this world.

The Kingdom Is Real

First and foremost, let me say to you that the kingdom of heaven is not a man-made construct.  We know that heaven is not a man-made construct because we have a witness of the kingdom.

In John 14:2, Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, testified of the kingdom, saying, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.”

Now, many will say that they don’t believe those words because they don’t believe the witness of the apostles nor the written word.  Of those who say such, I will ask this question:  How many would lay down their lives for what they believe?  Yes, many will say they believe in this thing or that thing, but how many are willing to actually die for this thing or that thing?

The apostles were under constant threat while ministering Christ, the good news of salvation, and the kingdom of heaven.  Aside from John, all of them were killed/martyred because they preached the gospel in a hostile world.  Those men died because they believed so strongly in what they witnessed with their eyes and that Jesus was/is the Messiah.

There is a morbid belief some have about the after.  There are those who believe that when we physically leave this world, there is nothing.  To all of you, I say, turn from such a hopeless thought, as that is of great wickedness.

Of such a mind, Jesus said, “This is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed (John 3:19-20).”

God did not breathe into mankind’s nostrils for our end to be nothing.  Do not fall in love with darkness (nothingness)!  Turn from darkness, and turn to the kingdom – the kingdom of heaven is real.

Jesus’ Authority Over the Kingdom

When it comes to who can or cannot enter the kingdom, man has no authority.  Jesus said it Himself, “No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man (John 3:13).”

Who has ascended and returned to tell us anything about the kingdom?  Before Christ’s sacrifice, when the faithful of the Old Testament died, they rested in a part of Hades known as Abraham’s bosom (or Paradise) (Luke 16:19-23).  Upon His death, Christ set free from sin the faithful captives who rested in Abraham’s bosom.

After Christ’s sacrifice, the saints of the Church Age now rest with Christ.  We have loved ones who have gone to rest with Christ, but how many of them have returned with word of who is or isn’t there?

Christ revealed the kingdom to the apostle John, and in the Revelation of Christ, John shares with us all that he witnessed.  Now, while John saw the bride of Christ in the prepared place, he didn’t list the names of those who are or are not in the kingdom.  

It is no man’s place to judge with authority, saying this person or that person will be in the kingdom.  In John 6:38, Jesus said, “I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”  

When He laid down His life to fulfill the Father’s will, Jesus rose from the grave, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18).”  To be clear, when it comes to who can or cannot enter the kingdom, only Jesus has the authority.

Heaven’s Conditional Entrance

To the dismay of many, Christ makes it clear that there is a requirement to enter the kingdom; therefore, entrance is conditional.  Three times in their conversation, Jesus told Nicodemus the condition for being able to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Twice, in John 3:3,5, Jesus used the word ‘unless’ when it came to seeing and entering the kingdom.  Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Unless one is born again, one cannot see (or is not fit for) the kingdom.”  Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, one cannot enter the kingdom.”  

Then, in John 3:16, Jesus told Nicodemus that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life – those who believe will enter the kingdom.  

Why is there a condition to enter heaven?

Having to believe in Christ to enter the kingdom frustrates many because they cannot understand why the God who loves unconditionally has put a condition on His kingdom.  Now, why would the God who loves unconditionally make entrance into the kingdom conditional?

First and foremost,  it’s God’s domain – He can and has set the condition (rules) for entry into His house!  Who are we to be mad about that?

If you believe God is wrong for putting a condition on entrance into His kingdom, I’ll ask you whether or not you allow just anybody to enter into your house?  Surely there are conditions that one must meet before they enter your home, and when they do, there are set rules in the house as well, right?

Secondly, there is a condition to heaven because of what Jesus revealed will not be present in the kingdom.  In Revelation 21:4, Jesus revealed that neither death, sorrow, crying, nor pain will be present in the kingdom.  Death, sorrow, crying, and pain are all symptoms of what entered the world through the sin of one man (Rom. 5:12-14).  

As you have heard me say before, I will say again to you, God does not dwell with or in sin today, nor will He dwell with or in sin in His kingdom!  There is a reason why Christ is preparing a place for us, and there is a reason why John saw a new heaven, a new earth, and a New Jerusalem in Christ’s revelation (Rev. 21:1-2).  

The reason:  Satan rebelled, and other angels joined with him in his rebellion.  Satan and those angels who joined with him were cast down due to their sin.  Satan defiled and polluted the place, to which the Lord’s response is to make a brand-new kingdom where sin will have no access. 

Who Will Not Be Lifted Up

In John 3:18, Jesus does not mince any words about who will join Satan in the condemnation that is prepared for him.  Jesus said that He who does not believe will not be lifted up, but is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

When one believes in the name of the only begotten Son, they believe in what Christ ministered (preached).  Christ preached the need for repentance, turning away from living sinfully, to living under the grace of God.

When one believes in the name of the only begotten Son, one believes in the testimony of Christ.  Christ proclaimed that He was the only begotten Son who came down from eternity to be a light in the dark to those who seek the kingdom of God.

When one believes in the name of the only begotten Son, one believes in what He laid down His life for!  One believes that through His sacrifice, their sins are washed away.  Let me tell you something: it is truly a relief to the soul when one believes and knows that their sins are taken away through the atoning blood of Christ.

However, when one does not believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God, one’s sins remain, as Jesus’ atoning blood hasn’t touched them.  One who is not covered by the atoning blood of Jesus is seen as an unclean thing by God (Is. 64:6).  Again, I must repeat:  Do not think for a second that God is going to welcome the unclean thing into His kingdom.

God’s Authority Is Just

Is it unfair that not every single person will be lifted up, regardless of if they believe or do not believe?  Is it unfair that those who aren’t covered by the atoning blood of Jesus won’t be permitted entry?  Is the Lord being unfair in His authority?  

Well, who are we to judge whether or not God is just?  Wouldn’t it be unfair to those who did their best to live faithfully if God made an exception to His rule to permit some sinners to enter His kingdom who never chose Him?  

Yes, those are a lot of questions that I just asked back-to-back, but I hope I am making you think and leading you to the point.  To think for a second that God is unjust in His authority is to put your righteousness above the Lord.  To think in such a manner is to commit the very sin that Satan committed!

God is and will be just in whom He permits to enter His kingdom, and I will explain how in these three reasons:

Mercy and opportunity to all through Christ

When Jesus spoke of God loving the world and giving His only begotten Son, Jesus spoke of God’s compassion – His grace and mercy.  This is the first reason why God is just in His authority over the kingdom of heaven.

I feel we need to understand what it means when we speak about God’s unconditional love and the giving of Christ.  Yes, the Lord gave His only begotten Son out of unconditional love, but let us not forget that He gave His only begotten Son because of man’s disobedience.  Let us also not forget that Christ preached against the sins of man.

I have to be honest with all of you when I say that I can’t think of one person whom Christ said was perfect while He walked the earth.  Again, Christ called for all to repent!  Christ said to the scribes and Pharisees, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance (Luke 5:31-32).

When we talk about God’s unconditional love, let us consider that God did not have to send His only begotten Son.  The Lord could have ended His creation at any moment!  Yet, as Christ said, “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3:17).”

The unconditional love is that God gave His Son to a world filled with people who loved darkness and would reject Him.  The unconditional love is that God knew there would be some who would reject sin and would need a helping hand!  The unconditional love is that God chose not to leave behind those who wanted out of a sinful world.  

The unconditional love is that God gave His only begotten Son to whoever believes in Him.  So, regardless of race or nationality, God will lift you up if you believe in Him.  Regardless of the sins you have committed against the Lord, it is the unconditional love that shows mercy and forgives those sins!

Again, I say, God is and will be just because He has offered grace and mercy to all people through His only begotten Son!

Free will to all people

The offer of grace and mercy from God leads me to the second and third reason that God is and will be justified in His authority over His kingdom.

You have heard me speak about this before:  Because of Christ, there is choice.  One can either choose to believe in the only begotten Son of God or not.  God does not force faith onto anyone!  

So, reason two as to why God is and will be justified in His authority over the kingdom:  Knowledge and free will.  Because of Christ’s preaching, one now knows of the kingdom, and again, one can choose to believe what they wish to believe.

Because of free will, we have reason three as to why God is and will be justified in His authority over the kingdom of heaven:  God is faithful.  

Should one choose to meet the conditions of living holy according to God’s word, God will be justified by being faithful to what He promised.  However, should one reject Christ and choose to live according to their own way, God will be justified by being faithful to what He promised in letting them live without His Son, just as they did in life, for everlasting life.

Lifted Up By Christ

Don’t let anyone ever tell you that you cannot be lifted up unto the kingdom of God.  Jesus said that it is the Father’s will that everyone who receives Him be raised with Him at the last day (John 6:40).

Three times, as Jesus was teaching Nicodemus, Jesus spoke of who would have everlasting life.  In John 3:14-15, after speaking of how He would die, Jesus said, “Whoever believes in [the Son of Man] should not perish but have everlasting life.”

In John 3:16, Jesus said, “Whoever believes in [the only begotten Son] should not perish but have everlasting life.”

In John 3:18, Jesus said, “He who believes in [God’s Son] is not condemned.”

In all three of those statements, I want you to notice the words “whoever” and “he who believes”.  In neither of those statements does Christ bring up race or nationality!  In neither of those statements does Christ mention anything about gender.  Whoever means whatever person; no matter who.

Let me be perfectly clear when I say this:  Anybody can be saved and lifted up with Christ, so long as they believe in Him.  I also want to make it clear that I do not speak those words by my authority, as those are the words of Christ.  It is by Christ’s authority that we know that those who confess Christ with the mouth and believe in their hearts shall be saved.

I am a big proponent of the gospel truth that all who choose it can be saved by grace through faith in Christ.  It is a sick, twisted, and demented world that would preach emptiness, darkness, and nothingness.  The Lord created us for far more than dwelling in a sinful world.  I want you to know that God can and will lift you or anyone else up from this world of sin should you cry out to Him.