HELL'S CORRIDOR: THE OLD MAN CHAPTER 3

Hell’s corridor

The old man

““…What shall it profit a man (woman), if he (she) shall gain the whole world (fool people with outward, religious phoniness), and lose his (her) own soul?” (Mark 8:36 KJV). “…EXCEPT YE REPENT, ye shall all likewise PERISH…” (Luke 13:3 KJV).

“… [ALL have become]…..unclean and [their so-called] righteousnesses (efforts to do good is) as filthy rags….” (Isaiah 64:6 KJV).  

“…Apart from [Jesus, the Holy Spirit]… [YOU can]... do nothing [you can “not” truly BECOME GOOD]…” (John 15:5 NIV). “…The fruit of the Spirit is ... GOODness …” (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV). "....The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives …” (Galatians 5 NLT).

 “…[God’s people]... can do all things (produce the fruit of goodness, ONLY) through Christ which strengtheneth[s them to do it...” (Philippians 4:13)

*

Williams asked the old man: “...What are you doing here?...” He shrugged. “...How old are you?...”

“...You ask a lot of questions. I’m here because I choose not to accept Jesus Christ. I’m 94 years old...”

The man was Jack Emerson. He, like the rest of them, had had many opportunities to become saved, but had chosen not to.

Jack’s whole family were Christians, but he wanted to be different. He wanted to be his own man and find his own way. He wanted to prove to them he could be good without Christ. Thus, he made a vow, within his heart, he would never conform to Christianity.

He saw his family’s encouragement to come to Jesus as nagging. He would bite their heads off if they mentioned his need for salvation or invited him to any of their holy roller functions.

When he was younger his family would share the gospel with him, but many of them stopped after a while. His mother was NEVER threatened by his attitude and even if he accused her of nagging him with her religious rhetoric, she didn’t listen.

After watching his life’s VIDEO he could CLEARLY see she was only trying to save his soul. His mother loved him and she was persistent, until the day she died, in pleading for his salvation.

His mother lived the life she preached, but he never wanted that life for himself. He saw too much evil in the world and didn’t trust in the goodness of “this” loving God his mother spoke so much of.

Jack’s heart became hardened and after his mother died nobody said another word, to him, about accepting Jesus.

Jack was married for 78 years, had four children, 9 grandchildren, and 27 great-grandchildren, and 13 great-great grandchildren when he died. Every one of them were Christians, but they had been instructed not to say anything to Papa Jack about Jesus Christ.

However,  while in hospice, one of his great-great grandsons came to visit him. He favored Jack’s mother. The young man begin to tell Jack about Jesus, but Jack wouldn’t listen.

Jack kept interrupting him and never let the boy say what he wanted to say. The boy finally demanded he be quiet and listen. “...Papa, I know you keep interrupting me on purpose. You won’t give me a chance to say anything about Jesus. But I had a dream about a lady who said she was your mother. She said she was hoping to see you again, but she wouldn’t and told me to tell you good-bye. Bye, Papa..” Jack closed his eyes and woke in HELL.

Jack couldn’t let go of his pride or stubbornness in regard to Christianity. He FELT he still had to PROVE his independence by NOT becoming a Christian and PROVE, if there was a heaven, he’d be there.

In fact, while his great-great grandson spoke to him and tried to caution him about his condition, he was too set, in his ways, to open his heart to what he was saying.

Jack panicked over what his great-great grandson had said. He thought what if what he was saying was true. What if f he didn’t accept Christ and truly risk the possibility of NEVER seeing any of his family again.

His mother said  there was ONLY “one way” and as he looked around HELL’S CORRIDOR he knew he’d lost his family for all eternity.

Jack KNEW the gospel story and had heard the “good news” more than he cared to admit, but HIS PRIDE made him remained unsaved.

Jack also liked liquor and a good cigar. He’d smoked and drink for over 80 years and it never affected his health. What had affected his health was his secret sins of pride and arrogance.

He wasn’t a Christian, but he thought he was just as good as them without God. He had been a decent provider and his family had never wanted for nothing. He had given his children some of the best fatherly advice and they all turned out to be decent and productive human beings. He taught them how to be strong. He had freely allowed them to follow the family’s faith system, regardless of his private choices.

His wife often told him he was a “good” husband, but he still ended up in HELL. Jack had stubbornly and rebelliously cling to his belief he didn’t need God or his Jesus.

Jack got more compliments about his “good” behavior than the rest of his so-called Christian family. It was easy to THINK and BELIEVE  his “ETHICAL” and “MORAL” behavior would certainly get him into heaven, if there was one, without Jesus. He was determined to prove it!

He had PROVED nothing, but that his mother was right and he was wrong. Jesus is THE WAY. He couldn’t even TELL anyone in order to WARN them. It was too late.

Turns out all Jack was, upon earth, was an “ETHICAL” and “MORALLY” finite man. Jack boasted about his “ETHICAL” and “MORAL”  goodness, but it had not earned him eternal life.

“ETHICAL” and “MORAL” behavior without Jesus had profited him NOTHING. Jack was in HELL.

His compliments and accolades, upon earth, for all his “ETHICAL” and “MORAL” deeds and behaviors was ALL the reward he would be getting.

It turns out,  he needed SALVATION after all and  PROVES it was NOT what did. His mother told him: “…There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not…” (Ecclesiastes 7:20 KJV).

 Jack thought he could be “ETHICAL” and “MORAL” through his own efforts and STILL make it into heaven, if there was one.  He thought that being “ETHICAL” or “MORAL” made him just as good if not better than some so-called Christians. Many members of his family were NOT as ethical or moral as he was.

Jack had the better reputation as one of the “GOOD” people, upon earth, compared to many of them. Yet, his mother said he was just another modern-day Pharisee like a man in the book of Luke. “… Jesus told this story to some who had great confidence in their own righteousness and scorned everyone else: “Two men went to the Temple to pray. One was a Pharisee, and the other was a despised tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed this prayer: ‘I thank you, God, that I am not like other people—cheaters, sinners, adulterers. I’m certainly not like that tax collector!  I fast twice a week, and I give you a tenth of my income.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.’  I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted…” (Luke 18:9-14 NLT).

Unfortunately, for him, with all his good deeds and good intentions, Jack didn’t have that “one” thing: the indwelling Holy Spirit.

It wasn’t  what people DID or he wouldn’t be in HELL today. It was WHO they BECAME, through Jesus Christ. If he hadn’t been so stubborn he would be in heaven, right now, with the rest of his family.

Thus, after seeing the video, Jack realized he had been an ethical man who did ethical things, but he was not a righteous man. Inside his heart he was mostly depressed, unhappy, and miserable. His friends and family tolerated him, but pride and arrogance were besetting sins, which he saw hurt so many people over the course of his life. “… [ALL have become]…..unclean and [their so-called] righteousnesses (efforts to do good is) as filthy rags….” (Isaiah 64:6 KJV).  

No matter how “good” he thought he was, his deeds didn’t help him actually BECOME a “righteous” man.  His mother told him his flesh or its good deeds would NEVER make him righteous.  “...The trouble is with me, for I am all too human ... And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. …I [am] …a slave to the sin that is … within me (within my sin nature) …” (Romans 7:14-25 NLT).

Mankind, whether Jack agreed or disagreed, was NOT basically GOOD, but they are basically SINFUL by NATURE!!! So ALL his “good” deeds were TAINTED by the sinful nature and therefore were considered defiled by a Holy God.

JACK’S SINFUL NATURE COULDN’T AND DIDN’T HELP HIM BECOME RIGHTEOUS OR GOOD. “….“…I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t…” (Romans 7:14-25 NLT).  Jack wanted to be “GOOD” his WAY and not God’s. He actually wanted to do the OPPOSITE of what God wanted him to do. “…The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants ...so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. … …” (Galatians 5 NLT).

Jack’s sinful nature prevented him from becoming a truly righteous person and his human, finite efforts benefitted him NOTHING! “… [ALL have become]…..unclean and [their so-called] righteousnesses (efforts to do good is) as filthy rags….” (Isaiah 64:6 KJV).  “... APART FROM [Christ]... you can do nothing  …” (John 15:1-11 NASB).

Ethical behavior , no matter what good deeds it produces, was NOT righteous behavior. “…The flesh (ethical behavior which produces ethical deeds) profiteth nothing…” (John 6:63 KJV). “…Human effort (ethical behavior which produces ethical deeds) accomplishes nothing….” (John 6:63 NLT). “…If I bestow all my goods to feed the poor (ethical behavior which produces ethical deeds), and if I give my body to be burned (ethical behavior which produces ethical deeds), but have not love (God is LOVE), IT PROFITETH ME NOTHING (there is NO heavenly reward)…” (1 Corinthians 13:2-3 ASV).

It was the GOSPEL.  The GOSPEL would have benefitted him, his family, and his friends MUCH MORE had he actually BECOME a righteous man. “… [The] Good News about Christ (the GOSPEL)… is the power of God at work (miraculously), saving (redeeming, making righteous) everyone who believes…” (Romans 1:16 NLT).

But his pride and arrogance had such a stronghold that he remained unsaved and unrighteous. People always wondered what was the secret of his long life.

As he stood in HELL’S CORRIDOR he realized his long life was not about him, but about God’s GRACE. God had given Jack ALL those extra YEARS to REPENT and he NEVER did!

Jack HEARD God’s call over the years, but he refused to answer. “...I did it to prove a point. I wanted to prove I could be GOOD without God or his indwelling Holy Spirit. All I proved was that I WAS WRONG...” “…Apart from [Jesus, the Holy Spirit]… [Jack realized, he could]... do nothing [he could “not” truly BECOME GOOD]…” (John 15:5 NIV).

His mother had said, one of “…The fruit of the Spirit is ... GOODness …” (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV). "....The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives …” (Galatians 5 NLT).

She told Him: “…[God’s people]... can do all things (produce the fruit of goodness) through Christ which strengtheneth[s them to do it]…” (Philippians 4:13 KJV).

Jack had argued with his mother for years and years. He told her he didn’t need her Christianity to be GOOD, but she always told him he couldn’t BECOME truly good without God or his indwelling Holy Spirit.

He thought he was proving her wrong, but all he had done was proved her right.

Apart from “his mother’s” Jesus, mankind, which included him, could do NOTHING truly GOOD. Jack could hear the witness of his mother through the story or the RICH MAN and THE BEGGAR.

 “...There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 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; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented...” (Luke 16:19-22 NIV).

Jack, the Old Man heard himself weeping and gnashing his teeth as William P. Parson greeted the intellectual.