Saying 5 of 10
Jesus' sharpest warning was for the religious
Jesus warned the religious leaders of His day, who looked holy on the outside, that they were in danger of the judgment of Gehenna. Being religious does not save anyone.
What Jesus said
In Matthew 23 Jesus pronounced woes on teachers of the law and Pharisees who were careful about outward religion but neglected justice, mercy and faithfulness. He told them they were in danger of the judgment of Gehenna.
23“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
Matthew 23:23 (WEB) · context
27“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones and of all uncleanness. 28Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Matthew 23:27-28 (WEB) · context
33You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna?
Matthew 23:33 (WEB) · context
Why this is good news
If religious effort could save, the people Jesus warned would have been safe. Instead the Bible says salvation is a gift, received by faith in Christ, not earned by anything we do. That gift is open to the most religious and the least religious alike.
8for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, that no one would boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (WEB) · context
13But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18:13-14 (WEB) · context
The good news
Jesus came to save you from this
God loves you and gave His Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish.