08/16/2026
Sunday Morning - If Christ is the Way, there can be NO OTHER WAY.
In Revelation 21:8, the “cowardly” are not describing ordinary moments of nervousness or natural fear.
In context, it is fear that causes a person to retreat from faithfulness to Christ—a fear that governs
them until they compromise, deny, refuse obedience, or abandon their allegiance to Him.
Revelation 21:7–8 (NKJV)
“He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly,
unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part
in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
That immediate contrast is important:
v.7 — OVERCOMES → inherits
v.8 — COWARDLY → second death
So let's examine what Scripture shows can make cowardice spiritually deadly.
1. Fear can cause us to deny Christ
Jesus gives perhaps the clearest example:
Matthew 10:28, 32–33
“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul... Therefore whoever confesses Me before men,
him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also
deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
Notice the sequence.
Fear of people → failure to stand with Christ → denial of Christ.
That can destroy a person's eternal hope.
This makes cowardice much more serious than simply saying, “I'm scared.”
2. Fear can make us ashamed of Christ
Mark 8:38
“For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man
also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father...”
A Christian can become afraid of:
being laughed at,
losing friends,
being rejected,
being called strange,
speaking biblical truth,
admitting that he follows Christ,
standing alone when everybody else chooses sin.
The danger comes when fear becomes stronger than our willingness to obey Christ.
3. Fear of people becomes a trap
Proverbs 29:25
“The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.”
That word snare gives you excellent imagery for the lesson.
Fear can trap us:
“What will they think about me?”
“Will my friends still like me?”
“Everyone else is doing it.”
“I don't want anyone angry with me.”
“I'm afraid to tell them that's wrong.”
When fear of man determines our conduct instead of Christ, the fear has become our master.
4. Peter shows us exactly what this looks like
Peter provides an extraordinary example because he genuinely loved Christ.
He boldly said:
Matthew 26:33
“Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.”
But when pressure came:
Matthew 26:69–75
Peter denied Jesus three times.
Why?
Fear.
Yet Peter's story also teaches something essential for your “stay far from this list” approach:
Cowardice did not have to become Peter's permanent identity.
Peter repented.
Later, the same man who denied knowing Jesus publicly proclaimed Him despite threats:
Acts 4:19–20
“Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
And: Acts 5:29
“We ought to obey God rather than men.”
That's a powerful transformation:
Peter controlled by fear → Peter governed by obedience to God.
5. Timothy was warned against this danger
2 Timothy 1:7–8
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love
and of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord...”
Again, notice the connection:
fear → shame → failure to stand openly for Christ.
Chirst through Paul tells Timothy and us not to allow that progression.
6. Courage doesn't mean you never feel afraid
This distinction will be important, especially if this lesson reaches children or new Christians.
Scripture does not teach:
“If you ever feel afraid, you're one of the cowardly in Revelation 21:8.”
Jesus Himself experienced tremendous anguish before the cross (Matthew 26:37–39), yet He remained obedient:
Philippians 2:8
“He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
Biblical courage therefore isn't necessarily:
I FEEL NO FEAR.
It is:
I WILL OBEY GOD EVEN WHEN I AM AFRAID.
That distinction makes Revelation 21:8 much clearer.
7. Jesus repeatedly commands perseverance under pressure
This connects Revelation 21:8 directly to the rest of Revelation.
Revelation 2:10
“Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer... Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
And: Revelation 12:11
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
Now compare that with Revelation 21:
FEARFUL / COWARDLY
Fear governs me → I compromise → I retreat from Christ.
versus
OVERCOMER
I may experience fear → I trust Christ → I remain obedient → I remain faithful even unto death.
So, can cowardice destroy our lives?
Absolutely—if fear is allowed to govern us into disobedience, compromise, denial, or abandonment of Christ.
But the lesson should not teach people to fear having fear. It should teach them what to do when fear comes.
A strong “STAY FAR FROM IT” section for #1 COWARDLY would therefore be:
DON'T LET FEAR MAKE YOUR DECISIONS.
Fear says: “Protect yourself.”
Faith says: “Protect & Obey the sanctity of God.”
Fear asks: “What will people do to me?”
Faith asks: “What does Christ command me?”
Fear can lead to: shame → compromise → denial → falling away.
Instead:
Fear God — Matthew 10:28
Confess Christ — Matthew 10:32
Do not be ashamed — Mark 8:38
Obey God rather than men — Acts 5:29
Be faithful unto death — Revelation 2:10
Overcome — Revelation 21:7
Revelation 21:8 Deadly Sins lesson: Teaches us - HOW TO STAY FAR, FAR FROM the type of Sins that cause certain death. ”
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2.“Unbelieving” in Revelation 21:8 deserves careful treatment because Scripture's definition of unbelief is broader
than simply saying, “I don't believe God exists.” A person may acknowledge God, acknowledge Jesus, and even know
Scripture, yet demonstrate unbelief by refusing to trust, obey, continue in, or submit to what God has spoken.
Revelation 21:7–8 (NKJV)
“He who overcomes shall inherit all things... But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable... shall have their part in the lake
which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
So again our question should be: What does Scripture call unbelief, and how do we stay far from becoming unbelieving?
2. UNBELIEVING — When we refuse to trust and obey God
One of the clearest biblical explanations comes from Israel.
Hebrews 3:18–19
“And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that
they could not enter in because of unbelief.”
Notice what the Holy Spirit places together:
v.18 — DID NOT OBEY
v.19 — UNBELIEF
Their unbelief was revealed by their disobedience.
They certainly believed God existed. They had witnessed His works. The issue was that they would not trust Him enough to obey Him.
This becomes even clearer in Hebrews 4
Hebrews 4:2
“But the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.”
They heard God's word, but hearing alone did not save them.
Then:
Hebrews 4:6
“Those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience.”
And finally: Hebrews 4:11
“Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”
That's extremely important for Revelation 21:8.
God isn't merely warning atheists.
He is warning against developing a heart that hears Him but will not obey Him.
Jesus defines believing and disobeying as opposites
This is particularly clear in: John 3:36 NASB
“The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life,
but the wrath of God remains on him.”
Look carefully at the contrast:
BELIEVES THE SON → eternal life
DOES NOT OBEY THE SON
→ will not see life
→ wrath remains
That prevents us from reducing biblical faith to:
“I believe certain facts about Jesus.” But at the same time do not obey Him - this Light must come on!
Saving belief receives Jesus Himself as Lord, and then >>>>>> therefore receives His words.
Jesus encountered people who “believed” but would not remain in His word
John 8 is particularly instructive.
John 8:30
“As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.”
Then Jesus immediately tells those believers:
John 8:31 - “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.”
That's revealing. - Jesus doesn't say:
“You believed once, therefore nothing else matters.”
He tests their belief by whether they will remain in His word.
And as Jesus continues speaking truth they dislike, their response deteriorates terribly (John 8:33–59).
So there is a difference between an initial profession of belief and the continuing, obedient faith of a disciple.
Unbelief can develop in someone who was following God
This is especially important for a “stay far from this list” lesson.
Hebrews 3:12
“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.”
Notice every part:
BRETHREN
↓
HEART OF UNBELIEF
↓
DEPARTING FROM GOD
That means the warning isn't merely:
“Don't become an atheist.” a none totoal believer
It is:
Don't allow your heart to change until you stop trusting, obeying, and remaining with God.
Many people NEVER had this type of Faith that Saves - to begin with. They never because free from sin.
Never leaving - doctrines and commandments of Men and becoming faithful to the doctrine of Christ.
And the next verse tells us one way that happens:
Hebrews 3:13
“Exhort one another daily... lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”
There's your progression:
SIN
→ DECEPTION
→ HARDENING
→ UNBELIEF
→ DEPARTING FROM GOD
That is exactly the kind of progression we want people to recognize before they reach the end of it.
For me, I say, when you miss your first next step.... ((( SIN ))).
Unbelief can say, “I know what God said, but...”
Unbelief can manifest itself when God's word says one thing and we decide:
“I don't think that's necessary.”
“I know Scripture says that, but I feel differently.”
“God will understand why I don't obey this.”
“I don't believe God would condemn someone for that.”
“Everybody does it.”
“That's just your interpretation.”
The fundamental danger is allowing our judgment to overrule God's revealed word.
Jesus asks: Luke 6:46
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?”
Calling Jesus Lord while refusing His authority is not the faith Jesus is seeking.
Romans also connects faith with obedience
Paul describes his apostolic mission as bringing people to: Obedience of Faith !
Romans 1:5 - “obedience to the faith among all nations...”
And Romans closes with: Romans 16:26
“made known to all nations for obedience to the faith.”
Romans therefore begins and ends with obedient faith.
And Romans 6 describes Christians as those who: Romans 6:17
“obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”
The believer doesn't say:
“My obedience saves me instead of Christ.”
The believer says: “Because I believe Christ, I obey Christ.”
How do we stay FAR from unbelief?
1. Believe whatever God has spoken
Romans 10:17 — “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
2. Obey what you hear
James 1:22 — “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
3. Don't harden your heart - Move Now! Act Now!
Hebrews 3:15 — “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”
4. Don't allow sin to deceive you - Move Now! Act Now!
Hebrews 3:13 — Sin can harden us through its doubt, discouragement, deceitfulness.
5. Continue in Christ's word
John 8:31 — “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.”
6. Keep believing to the end - Hebrews 3:14
“For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end.”
So our second Revelation 21:8 contrast becomes very strong
☠️ UNBELIEVING
“I hear what God says, but I will not trust and obey Him.”
Unbelief leads toward:
Hearing without doing → disobedience → repeated sin → hardened heart → departing from God.
✝️ STAY FAR FROM IT
HEAR GOD.
BELIEVE GOD.
OBEY GOD.
REMAIN IN HIS WORD.
DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEART.
ENDURE TO THE END.
And Hebrews gives us perhaps the perfect warning line for this section:
“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” — Hebrews 3:12
That also shows why “cowardly” followed by “unbelieving” is such a sobering beginning to Revelation 21:8.
These first categories can begin inside the heart long before anyone sees the final outward departure:
fear can cause us to retreat from Christ, while unbelief can cause us to stop trusting and obeying His word.
But by our true "CONVERSION" from sinner to saint - I am free, free from the rule of my flesh because only here are we no longer
"CONDEMNED" Because we now are led by the Spirit and no longer our flesh. Rom. 8:1-8; 1 John 1:7, walking/living in the light as
God is in the Light. Delivered from all sin - 1 John 3
Close:
ASK YOURSELF THIS TODAY BEFORE WE CLOSE......
Before we leave today, there is one question that every soul should honestly place before God:
AM I RIGHT WITH GOD ACCORDING TO HIS WORD?
