A strange thing to say is it not? We read many passages that seem to say the opposite.
Before anyone decides to start arguing...indeed the INVITATION to enter Heaven is there for all who believe in Jesus Christ and are saved by His blood on the cross.
Only those who's names are written in the book of Life are permitted entry.
There are no people in Heaven who got there based on how good they were in life.
There are no people in Heaven who entered based on their own merits.
Two keys, Grace and Mercy, are in the hand of those who enter those gates.
This is a continuation of what was posted yesterday about Hell.
Matthew 7:13-14 NASB "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it."
Matthew 7:21-23 NASB "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; leave Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
The Way to Heaven is only through Jesus Christ. John 14:6 NASB "Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me."
There's much theological debate on things such as the age of accountability. My view on this is this: Until and unless a child or person knows enough to know good from evil, knows right from wrong, they will enter into Heaven. Millions of babies and developmentally challenged people enter Heaven.
Your life could be spent, from beginning to end, doing fantastic things for humanity and you, my Dear Reader, would, not could, end up in Hell. Good works, good deeds, are not enough. Jesus had to become the sacrifice necessary to create the free gift of salvation. Jesus had to live a sinless life, be tortured on the cross, die and rise again from the grave 3 days later to make it possible for anyone to enter Heaven.
A very horrific event that is also the most glorious, depending on whether or not you are saved, is about to come upon this Earth. The Return of Jesus Christ.
In that moment that the Father has determined, a shout will go out to all who have died in Christ to arise first, then those who are alive and remain will join them in the air.
Many millions of people will find themselves in shock and horror that their children and those developmentally challenged leave this world in an instant.
There will be lies spoken by governments as to what happened. The truth of the Rapture will be covered up by deception and lies.
For those who leave with Jesus they receive a new glorified body. Forever will they be with Jesus.
The sad state of much of the so-called Christian Church today is that many millions of people think that they are saved but aren't because they really didn't mean it. They aren't living a changed life. They said some words and continue to live in sin like nothing ever happened.
Churches indeed will be filled after the Rapture of the true Church. People only then getting it, understanding it, that they missed out.
Salvation is a real, personal, change of life. It's not a get out of Hell free card that lets you continue to live as you please.
It's not about seeing how close you can get to obeying yet keep on embracing this world.
A Christian life is about obedience to Jesus Christ. It's wrapped up in Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit. It's loving your neighbor as yourself. It's living for the One who saved You.
On many occasions Jesus told parables that ended with the bitter truth: for those who only thought they were saved but weren't "Depart from Me for I never knew you".
Does Jesus know you?
Do you live a life that reflects a changed life? It is more than you saying some words. It's more than even you spending your life taking care of others.
Millions and millions of people will claim they did great things in Jesus's name. Those will be told to depart from Him for He never knew them.
In the Final Judgment everyone's deeds in life will be reviewed that were not saved. After everything is seen for every single person, the Book of Life will be opened. If anyone's name was not written in it, they were cast into the Lake of Fire. This Final Judgment is after the thousand year reign of Jesus Christ after the 7 year Tribulation. Read it yourself in the final chapters of the book of Revelation.
Heaven is home to God's Holy Angels. It's home to those who have put their faith and trust in Christ Jesus alone for salvation. It's not home to those who think they are or were good enough.
Hell is filled with both angry people enraged at God because His spoken truth of the Judgment against them put them there, and it's full if millions of people crying out because they want a second chance. That they want someone to return to our physical world to warn those they cared about to not make the mistake they did in rejecting salvation in Christ Jesus.
Heaven is a perpetual place for worshipping God. The praise of all who are there is continually on their lips toward Jesus.
Rest is in Heaven. The peaceful rest that nobody has in Hell. Peace as Jesus gives is what those in Heaven have. They have no infirmities that they endured in this life.
There are no handicapped people. Nobody ill or disabled.
You can experience Heaven, but first you must come to Christ for salvation. You must mean it when you ask Him to come into your life to save you. You must strive to live an obedient life. A life lived for the One who saved you. Forgiveness, Grace and Mercy are available to all who believe. Heaven is the destination of those who have put their faith and trust in Christ Jesus alone for salvation.
My personal take on death is that Jesus escorts the saved and unsaved to where they will spend Eternity. People will look upon Him whom they pierced. They will see the one who is either their Savior or their Judge.
Treating people well all your life, giving sacrificially, living out a life of good things, will never be enough to enter Heaven without salvation in Christ Jesus.
Jesus is still the Only Way.
Horrible things are happening in our world right now. As Jesus said these are merely the birth pangs of what's coming. The Tribulation described in the book of Revelation. We who are in Christ are looking for His glorious appearing. We are listening for that shout that calls us out.
As the song goes "This world is not my home, I'm just passing through..."
No comments:
Post a Comment