Luke 16:19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
(One man went to heaven and the other man went to hell.
However, in the passage itself, it doesn't say why one went to heaven and the other went to hell.
So, without more information, we're tempted to jump to conclusions, or to come up with our own reasons for this, which is not wise.
Today, what about being detectives, in order to solve this mystery?
Actually, there are plenty of answers, and clues all over, waiting to be found.
Then, why not try to solve this mystery, why one went to heaven and the other went to hell?)
(A first premise might be related to two people being mentioned, one poor and one rich, with two destinations, heaven and hell.
But, upon closer examination, we realize that a third person is also mentioned, Abraham, who was already in heaven.
So, what can we find out about Abraham, to test our premise, about poor and rich, with heaven and hell?)
Genesis 13:2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
Genesis 24:34 And he said, I am Abraham’s servant.
35 And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.
Luke 16:22b and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom:
(Right in the passage we see that Abraham, a very rich man, was in heaven.
So, the first premise, that only poor people go to heaven, and that the rich people go to hell, is not correct.)
(The next premise might be to consider the two men's spiritual condition, by how blessed they were.
The one man was rich, well dressed, well fed, and well sheltered; so, others, and he, himself, would consider him well blessed.
Whereas the other man was poor, covered with sores, desiring even crumbs, and lay out in the open; many would consider him cursed.
But can that premise sometimes be wrong? Here are two examples of how they can both be used as the completely wrong premise:)
Judges 17:2 And he said unto his mother, The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursedst, and spakest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it. And his mother said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son.
I Samuel 14:28 Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint.
(So, the second premise is not correct, because the "apparently cursed" went to heaven, and the "apparently blessed" went to hell.)
(What about works? Almost everyone in the world believes good people go to heaven & bad people go to hell.
How many of us, though consciously denying it, still hold to this & consider ourselves not too bad, that we don't deserve to go to hell?)
Luke 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
(The one thought he was "good enough", and the other realized that there is no such thing as "good enough".
Or, how many of us have told our children, when their grandma died, that she was a good person, and is now in heaven?
Since the moment that Adam and Eve committed the first sin, we all naturally think that we must do something.
We naturally consider that we must do something to appease God's anger toward our sin, to keep us from hell.
And we naturally consider that we must also do something to win God's favor, in order to go to heaven.
Once we figure that we've done that, appeased his anger & won his favor, then we always worry about losing this hard-won condition.
Then we try to continue to do good & to not do bad, to not get God angry at us again, to not worry again about going to hell.
And that's the way that all lost people naturally think, and that's exactly how all of us naturally thought before we believed the gospel.
However, very, very sadly, that is still how so many of us, that name the name of Jesus, may still be thinking in our hearts.
Even though the scriptures tell us the very opposite:)
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
12c there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Titus 3:5a Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us,
(Yet, too many of us still think that we must work to appease the LORD's anger and to earn his favor.
That's why when we ask someone if they're saved, many will immediately answer with something like, "I've been baptized", or, "I said the prayer".
Also, there could be some of us that may be still thinking that we have to work, after we're saved, in order to stay saved.
It's like we seem unable to believe that Jesus' blood can keep us saved, even after we have sinned again, so, we think that we have to keep ourselves saved.)
(So, that's the third premise to this mystery: that we need to work to keep ourselves from hell, and work in order to go to heaven.
Consider the rich person: clearly, he must have been a self-made man, who worked very hard for everything that he had.
And because he knew that it took hard work to be rich, that it must also take hard work to get to heaven, like this other rich man thought:)
Luke 18:18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
23b for he was very rich.
(On the other hand, the beggar was laid at the gate, full of sores - clearly, he couldn't work at all.
But, wait a minute! The one that worked for it went to hell, but the one who didn't work for it went to heaven???
How can that be? Do the scriptures say anything about that?)
Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
(So, what about working our way to heaven? What about all those works that we do in order to be saved, or we work to stay saved?
Is it possible that words and emotions of Solomon and Isaiah, can also be a picture of the worthlessness of our attempting to work to be saved, or working to stay saved?)
Ecclesiastes 2:11 Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.
17 Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
Ecclesiastes 3:9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
Isaiah 41:29a Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing:
Isaiah 64:6b and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
(So, the third premise is not correct, because the one who didn't work went to heaven, but the one who did work went to hell.)
(The fourth premise may be, whether Jesus knew them or not:)
John 10:14a I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep,
John 10:27a My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
II Timothy 2:19b The Lord knoweth them that are his.
(When Jesus told this account, it had already happened, and Jesus gave us the name of the one that went to heaven, Lazarus.
So, clearly Lazarus must have been saved by Jesus and known by him, then when he passed, Lazarus was taken to heaven.
But what about the rich man? Jesus never mentioned his name, and he went to hell, so what can we learn from that?
Could the following also picture what it may be like for someone whom Jesus does not know?)
Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Matthew 25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
(The rich man was never saved, Jesus never knew him, and he went to hell, so, for those who don't get saved, will be something similar to this?)
Matthew 25:41b Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
(It appears that half of the mystery is solved: the rich man wasn't saved & went to hell, but Lazarus was saved & went to heaven.
The other half, which is the main thing about this mystery, is: what went on with Lazarus, so that he was saved?
Well, we find that something is necessary, similar to what Jesus said to the Pharisees, and some of the others:)
Luke 5:32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
Luke 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
(Repentance is a change of mind, which leads to a change of direction.
So, what is this change of mind? We must realize that we have sinned against a holy God, and we are on our way to hell.
The change of mind also involves realizing that there is nothing we can do about it, that we absolutely need a Savior:
Psalms 51:4a Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:
Luke 18:13c God be merciful to me a sinner.
(The change of direction is turning to Jesus, the only one who can save us; not turning to religion, but turning from ourselves to Jesus.)
Acts 20:21b repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
(When we turn to Jesus to be saved, this repentance is not about us stopping our sinning, but a change of mind, that we are guilty sinners.
We must repent, but repentance, itself, doesn't save us - so how are we saved?)
Acts 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
(We absolutely can NOT be saved by works; we are only saved by believing on Jesus:)
Romans 10:9 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.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
(The apostle Paul told the Corinthians what the gospel is:)
I Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
(It says that Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures - how did he die? Jesus bled to death on that cross, to take away our sins:)
Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
20a And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself;
Revelation 1:5b Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
(It says that Jesus rose from the dead according to the scriptures:)
Acts 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Romans 6:4b that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father,
Revelation 1:18a I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen;
(We need to believe the gospel: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and by believing that, we're believing on Jesus to save us.
This was dramatically pictured by the two thieves crucified with Jesus, who initially, as lost men, reviled Jesus.
But, when one of them heard the word of God, he repented, believed on the Lord Jesus, and was saved:)
Matthew 27:38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
Mark 15:32b And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
Luke 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
(The only difference between going to heaven, or perishing in hell forever, is whether we will believe on Jesus, the Son of God, to save us.
This is well pictured in what Jesus said to Nicodemus, but the picture is still true, whether to the Jew under the law, or even to those not under the law.
Only two things: believe on Jesus or don't believe on Jesus, resulting in only two things: everlasting life or perishing.)
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.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
(There is only one way to go to heaven, believing on Jesus for eternal life.
And there is only one way to go to hell, to die without Jesus, by not believing on him for eternal life.)
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
John 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
(To believe on Jesus for eternal life, is to trust him to save us, knowing that without him we'll go to hell.
That kind of trust, trusting Jesus to save us, rather than simply acknowledging the stories about him, can be pictured, somewhat, like being rescued by a fireman:
If we are in a building, up a few stories, and we start to smell smoke, we look out the window and there is smoke coming up from below - the building is on fire.
We run to the door, only to feel that it is hot, and there is smoke coming in under the door.
We run back into the room, and realize that it's getting hot, and smoke is coming up.
Then as we start to see some flames, in panic we race towards the window and open it.
The smoke coming from below is so thick that we can't see anything outside.
In terror, we know that if we jump we will fall to our death, but if we stay where we are, we will burn!
Then we hear a voice outside our window, but cannot see anything.
The voice says to us, "I'm a fireman. I'm here to save you from the burning fire! I'm on a ladder right in front of you. Jump towards me and I will catch you!"
We can't see him, we only hear his voice, and his promise to save us from the burning fire.
Can we trust him, only by his voice, that he will do what he promised, to save us from the fire?
Stay like we are and burn, or trust him to save us? Can we trust him to keep his promise?
Of course it's not the same thing, but it dramatizes the difference between simply acknowledging Christmas & Easter stories we've heard, and actually trusting Jesus to save us as he promised.)
(So, it appears the mystery is solved, the rich man worked hard, but had not believed on Jesus to save him.
Therefore, Jesus never knew him, then because he died not believing on Jesus, he died lost, and so, he went to hell.
On the other hand, at one point, Lazarus must have repented, believed on Jesus, thus was saved, and he went to heaven.)
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