Here Because of You — E.A. Johnston

Hell as a Place of Accusation and Regret

My message today friends. It's on heaven and hell and I want to begin by making a statement Which I believe is true. Hell is a place of Accusations and hell will be full of accusing fingers saying I'm here because of you.

I Remember Rolf Barnard who grieved his entire life over his classmates. He influenced for hell by being the president of a campus infidel Club. Every Friday night Rolf Barnard would stand on a platform on the campus of his Christian College.

And say that there was no God. He had 300 members in that atheist Club. Then he would go back to his dorm and get on his knees and pray that God wouldn't destroy him. He would always say about that time in his life where he influenced people for hell.

The Consequences of Leading Others Astray

I Was a big shot in those days. I was the most prominent man on the campus. When I organized my Infidel Club, I led a lot of people to hell. Well, I thought long and hard about our subject today friends because I don't want to stand before you in any Hypocrisy so I took a walk in my memory and Reviewed my life and I wept over the souls that can in hell at this time.

Point up at me with an accusing finger saying I'm here because of you. Oh the numbers of individuals. Influence for bad in my life. That I led in the sinner's prayer and told them they were now Christians and I gave them a false assurance.

And some died and woke up in hell. I'm thinking particularly of a ice cream man. It was a hot afternoon in July in the south and I and another man were going door-to-door in a neighborhood. Ringing doorbells and handing out tracks and I heard the ringing bell of an ice cream truck.

The Ice Cream Man and Presumptuous Evangelism

So I high-tailed it over there and with great enthusiasm I asked the young man Selling the ice cream if he'd like to go to heaven when he died. He smiled and said sure. So I let him in the sinner's prayer and when he was done Shook his hand and told him he was now a Christian.

My ignorance in evangelism back in those days did more harm than good. It's one thing to hand somebody a track but quite another thing to tell somebody. They are now saved because only the Holy Spirit can do that.

The Holy Spirit's Witness to Adoption

We read in Romans. The spirit itself beareth witness with or spirit that we are the children of God. But I believe it's true friends that hell will be full of Accusing fingers saying I'm here because of you.

Repentance and the Call to Salvation

If you're not saved and if that's not reason enough to become a Christian right now. To fall on your face and repentance of God and beg him to give you the grace for saving faith. It's enough to make you afraid to go out in the dark for fear.

You might see those accusing fingers of those already in hell that can point to you now in the first epistle of John and Chapter 1 and verse 9 we read if we confess our sins He is faithful and just To forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Assurance of Forgiveness Through Christ

Do we believe that to be true friends that if we come to Christ because we are sick of sin and Desire pardon from him is he faithful and is he just to forgive us our sins? I believe you can stand with both feet on that first friend and believe it.

That if you come in repentance to the Lord Jesus Confessing you are sinner and own him as your Savior and Lord. You can be certain he will take your stain of sin away and cleanse us from all unrighteousness By washing our sins in his blood.

Listen to me friend. If you do that, you can rest assured that the past is under the blood and the future is with God. I'd hate to go to hell and be faced with those accusing fingers Pointing at me saying I'm here because of you.

The Hope of Influencing Others for Heaven

But do you know what friend? I can't wait to get to heaven so I can see somebody Point at me saying I'm here because of you.