Thieves And Robbers

John 10:1, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”

Jesus said in John 10:1 that anyone who tries to enter Heaven apart from Him is a thief and a robber. Jesus plainly states 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.” Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to Heaven.

I am NOT trying to be mean or unkind, but Jesus calls the Pope a thief and a robber. That's exactly what Jesus said. The Catholic Vatican perverts the Scriptures by claiming that the Catholic Church is the Body of Christ, and that water baptism is the door into the Church. Thus, Catholicism teaches that the way to God and Heaven is through the Catholic Church. That is simply unbiblical and a lie.

The Bible teaches that Jesus, and Jesus alone, is the Christ, our only way of salvation. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” How much plainer could the Word of God be? If you want to go to Heaven, then you MUST come to God the Father by way of God the Son.

Sadly, nearly all Jews and Arabs are thieves and robbers, because both Judaism and Islam adamantly deny that Jesus is the Messiah. Both religions deny Biblical Christianity. There are also hundreds-of-millions of Hindus, who according to the Bible, are thieves and robbers. It's because they deny that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, Who came into the world to SAVE SINNERS.

Why does Jesus call such people thieves and robbers? It's because they are trying to break into Heaven “some other way,” rather than entering through the Son of God. If you try to get to Heaven by your own self-righteousness, or by some religion, or by some organization, or by religious ceremonies, or by water baptism, or by keeping the Sabbath Day, or by keeping the Sacraments, or by joining a church, or by doing good works, or by committing your life to living holy... then you are a thief who's trying to sneak into Heaven SOME OTHER WAY!

Jesus said we must enter through the DOOR, and Jesus is that DOOR according to John 10:9. Please don't try to break into Heaven. Do you know what is the saddest thing? It's the fact that the entrance to Heaven is freely open to anybody who wants to go through it, yet so many people aren't going to Heaven. Billions of people are scheming, working very hard at religion and lying awake at night trying to figure out how to get into Heaven; while the Door is wide open.

John 8:32 and 36, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free ... If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

There are MANY thieves and robbers in the world today, who are trying to illegally enter Heaven. There is only one way to Heaven—God's way—which is by faith in Jesus Christ alone (John 14:6). Anyone who ADDS self-righteousness to faith is going to Hellfire, because genuine faith EXCLUDES all else. Many religions today teach the damnable heresy of Baptismal Regeneration, i.e., the false doctrine that a person MUST be water baptized to be saved. Many religions require good works of people in order to get to Heaven; BUT, Romans 4:5, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Are you a thief or a robber? Have you been trying to get to Heaven some OTHER WAY, i.e., other than Jesus Christ alone? Acts 4:10-12 plainly states: “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” The Word of God couldn't be any clearer.

So many people today have their own way of doing things, and falsely think God is going to pardon them on Judgment Day. Think again! Cain was very sincere, but God refused his grain offering (Genesis 4:5). In Matthew 7:21-23 we read about some very sincere religious folks, but God rejected their professed goodness and religious commitment. Many people have a problem being told what to do. By nature, our rebellious sin-nature is selfish, and desires to do things it's own way.

This is why most religious people are going to Hell—because they want a part in their own salvation—whether it be performing good works, forsaking their own sins, or being a faithful church member in a certain denomination. What most people FAIL to realize is that salvation is 100% of God, and not of man at all. Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” If you want to go to Heaven, then you need HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS! Self-righteousness is a guaranteed road to Hellfire.

Judaism is of the Devil. Lutheranism is of the Devil. Seventh-Day Adventism is of the Devil. Mormonism and Jehovah's Witnesses are of the Devil. Islam is of the Devil. Catholicism is of the Devil. The Church of Christ is of the Devil. United Churches of Christ are of the Devil. The Charismatic Movement is of the Devil. The Church of England is of the Devil. These are all thieves and robbers, who are attempting to sneak into Heaven by SOME OTHER WAY (John 10:1).

You don't need to attempt to break into Heaven, by sneaking over a wall as a thief, or digging a tunnel underneath like some robber. The Door is wide open, a free gift if you'll receive it, paid for by the precious blood of Christ Jesus (1st Peter 1:18-19). Jesus Christ IS THE DOOR (John 10:9). Yes, there are many thieves and robbers today, who are seeking to enter Heaven apart from faith ALONE in Jesus Christ. Tragically, they will one day be in horror when they are pronounced GUILTY and then cast into the Lake of Fire forever.