Knocking on Heaven’s Door

Knocking on Heaven’s Door 2022 05 01

Matthew 7:13

“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” is a song made famous by Bob Dylan from the movie, “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.” This very short (only two verses), very melancholy song is referring to a man dying of gunshot wounds. The song says that he feels like he is knocking on Heaven’s door. Sadly, many people are trying to knock on Heaven’s door, but it doesn’t open. They are going to church or doing good works or living a good life, etc. They are knocking and knocking, expecting the door to Heaven to swing wide to them, but they’re knocking on the wrong door.

Matthew 7:13

The strait, or narrow gate is Heaven’s Door.  It is the only way to Heaven.  It’s not hard to find, but it is only found on a very specific and narrow path.  A lot of people follow the wrong path because so many people are on it.  It would be like picking a lineup at the airport because there’s such a crowd waiting there, rather than finding the gate marked on your boarding pass for the city you really need to go to.

Even worse is the fact that the gate you’ve chosen is leading to a plane that has been hijacked by the greatest terrorist of all time, named Satan, and is going to be crashed into an eternally burning lake of fire!

A first-time flyer traveling across the country asked the attendant how often planes crash. The attendant answered, “Only once.”

We only get one life on Earth and then the judgment.

I. The natural condition of man is truly terrible. 

  1. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Romans 3:10 – 18      

II. The miserable and natural state of mankind:

  1. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23
  2. “For the wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23a
    1. This death is both physical and spiritual.

III. God has given us hope

  1. When we read all of Romans 6:23, we realize that God never gave up on us. God has offered everyone a wonderful gift.
    1. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
    2. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 

IV. There is something worse than the death of the body

  1. “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” 1 Corinthians 15:22
    1. Just as Adam sinned and died physically and spiritually, all his descendants also die physically and are spiritually dead (separated from God), but even though this is the absolute, unchangeable truth, all who put their faith in Jesus Christ are made alive, spiritually, and will be raised with a perfect, immortal body. 1Co 15:52
    2. All who reject Jesus Christ in this life will also be raised with an indestructible body. But they will not be raised to everlasting life.
      1. Those who reject Christ our creator in this life will be made alive to stand before the judgment seat of almighty God, and, having been judged, will be cast into the lake of fire. “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:14, 15

V. There is a right way to knock on Heaven’s door

  1. The Bible says, “That 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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” Romans 10:9 – 11
    1. In other words, you must put all your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, the risen Son of God, as your Saviour.
    2. The life you live is not what saves you, but life you live after you put your faith in Jesus Christ must demonstrate your faith.
    3. As James wrote, in James 2:20, “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” His meaning is that real faith really changes you and will be proven in the way you live.
      1. When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, it will change you!

VI. Salvation is for everyone

  1. No one who comes to our Creator the way He tells us to will be rejected. No one.
    1. “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13
    2. We must put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Saviour and in no other. Jesus said, “ I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
      1. Knocking on any other door but Jesus Christ will open to the lake of fire. But all who go through Jesus Christ enter into Heaven and everlasting life.

VII. Jesus saves

  1. We were enemies of God, but Jesus gives us peace with God. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” Romans 5:1
  2. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1 (God never changes, but He changes us)
    1. What God does for us when He saves us cannot be undone by anyone, including you. “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22
    2. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38, 39

You are descended from Adam, and as such, have a sin nature that you inherited from Adam.  This means that as soon as you were old enough to know right and wrong, you chose to sin.  You chose the wages of sin for yourself, which is death, both physically and spiritually.  If you have already put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you have have already gone through Heaven’s door and have forgiveness of all your sins and eternal life, and will be raised bodily from the dead never to die again.  If you have not put your faith in Jesus Christ, the risen Son of God, already, you need to do so, right now.  Time is short!  You’re on the wrong path, knocking on the wrong door, with all the wrong people!  You need to trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour, right now.