TEXT: Revelation 22:13-15
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
The Free State of Glory (Part 48): Those Within and Those Without, Part 6
In John 10:10, Jesus Christ declared, “I am come that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” In John 14:6, He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” When man sinned, he immediately experienced spiritual death, he began the process of physical death, and if he continues in sin, he eventually experiences eternal death. But, for those who are within the city, the New Jerusalem, all three types of death are reversed. In the New Jerusalem, we will be spiritually alive because of our relationship with Christ, we will be physically alive with new resurrection bodies, and we will be eternally alive, living with God forever and ever.
So, it makes sense that the next type of person mentioned as being without the city of God is “murderers.” The word murder means one who kills another intentionally or one who commits homicide.
According to Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, “Although the Israelites did not have a term that precisely fits our present-day idea of murder, they differentiated among killing, manslaughter, and murder in their legal terminology. The Hebrew word that was used in the Sixth Commandment for ‘kill’ (or murder) was the somewhat rare term ‘rasah.’ Although its exact meaning has defied explanation, in other contexts it could refer to killing that was inherently evil. The death penalty was posed for one who killed with premeditation, but not for accidental manslaughter. In fact, premeditated murder did not require a trial. Thus, the Old Testament saw a fundamental difference between the two types of homicide, providing two levels of meaning for ‘rasah’. Although the New Testament writers lived in a different legal environment, they were consistent in their view of murder with their Old Testament counterparts. Jesus interpreted the sixth commandment differently than the contemporary Jewish scholars (who had a narrowly literal view), and agreed with the spirit of the Old Testament law on homicide. The death of Christ was the supreme example of murder in the Scriptures. Christ was symbolized as the slaughtered Lamb, signifying his humble obedience and innocence.”
According to the Oxford Dictionary of the English Language, murder is “the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another.”
Every day we read stories of men and women taking the lives of other people. Family disputes have ended in murder. Terrorists perpetrate acts of indiscriminate murder on innocent people. Mass murderers, like the one who killed 26 people in a Texas church two weekends ago, end lives on a large and horrific scale.
In Genesis, we read that God breathed into man the “breath of life.” The taking of this life at the hands of another sinful man is an irreversible crime and an assault on God’s image which every human being is made in. Taking a life is the opposite of God’s will. In John 10, Jesus said that Satan comes “only to steal, kill, and destroy.” The devil deals in death, and those who traffick death like him will not have a place in the New Jerusalem. Within the walls of the New Jerusalem is life, and those who enjoy it more abundantly.
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If you are not a believer, you will be condemned to remain without the gates of Heaven. Make sure you are within by placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Allow me to show you how you can do that right now.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 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 whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! Congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door.” Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
The Gospel Light Minute X 