THE END GAME........GETTING INTO HEAVEN

THE END GAME...............GETTING INTO HEAVEN

After having written other articles about Christian spirituality, and having become a ‘senior’, I started to think about the end of the road of this physical life? Being human can at times tend to be pessimistic; as one bright spark once said, ‘there are only two certainties of life....... taxes and death’!!!
That also made me realise that the only real difference between an atheist, and me as a believer, is life after death!
We both believe that we are born, live a physical life, and then die with our bodies returning to the earth, just like everything else in nature! But that’s where the similarity ends.
My article titled ‘A VEHICLE FOR THE SOUL’ should be read as a precursor to this one, because that explained the existence of the soul, whereas this article will explain how to get the soul into heaven!

There is a lot of ‘touchy feely good stuff’ out there about getting into heaven, with comments like ‘Uncle Fred is up there looking down on us, or she’s now safely with Jesus etc’ but these things are assumptions used to appease those who are mourning; they are not biblical truths!
Our souls are held until judgement day which is 1000 years after Christs return! (Read 2Peter 2:9 and all of Rev 20) That may seem to be a long time to wait to know if you’re going to heaven or not, but time means little to God, as Peter stated “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day”. (2Peter 3:8)
The word ‘judgement’ is used many times in the New Testament, from Mathew right through to Revelations, obviously as a reminder that we will be judged if we don’t change our ways.
That then raises the question of what will cause us to be judged, and are we able to actually avoid being judged? We’ll come to those answers shortly but first let’s establish the following facts.

The bible doesn’t describe what heaven is like, except to say that our physical bodies don’t go there, as the apostle Paul stated in 1Corinthians 15:50. ‘Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God’. Reading all of chapter 15 adds much more description!
So what does that mean? It means that the physical body is nothing after it has died; it is the soul that lives on. Therefore, worrying about whether to bury or cremate or if bones found should be reburied in another place etc is only following mans’ traditions, it doesn’t help the person get into heaven!

Jesus made a statement to his disciples in John 14:6, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’. By the ‘Father’ he obviously meant God! This means we can only pray to God, or get into His Kingdom via Jesus Christ. This was reinforced by Paul in 1Tim2:5. ‘For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus’
So, a priest, a temple or a certain day is not going to get you there!! Jesus is the end all of everything; the only way to have sins forgiven and the only gateway to heaven (not St Peter as is usually portrayed!!!!) and he is also the one who will judge us. (John 5:22)
Although fellowship, (or going to church) was greatly encouraged by the apostles, it was not made a ‘prerequisite’ for entry to heaven as claimed by some! Otherwise people living in isolation like farmers and miners etc would be excluded from heaven!
In Mathew 6:6-16 Jesus explained how to pray, which included the ‘Lord’s Prayer’, but it was aimed at the individual, so therefore the criteria for entering God’s Kingdom is also aimed at the individual!  
Jesus was very critical of the scribes and Pharisees and the way they controlled the worshipers using traditions that were not from God. In Mathew 5:20* he stated “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” If you also read all of Math 23 plus Mark 7:1-9 you will begin to understand how a lot of the clergy today are no better than those that Jesus criticized back then!
(The more things change, the more they stay the same!!?)
So, based on that, and if you are a church goer, it’s a good idea to compare what you are seeing and hearing at church with what is in the bible, thus watching out for your own righteousness?

So now we have established those facts, we can look at the things that will really preclude us from heaven! Although there is nothing physical we can do for God, (Acts 17:24-25) there are plenty of things we must not do, in order to enter heaven!
The first step we must make is to ask God for forgiveness of all our past sins, (repentance) through Jesus Christ. (Not a priest!) This can be done at any stage of our lives; mine didn’t happen until I was about 58, even though I had always been a believer!!! (John 3:3)
So, it doesn’t matter what you did in your past, you can clean the slate and start again. BUT, contrary to what some will tell you, you only get one bite at the cherry!!! Christ went to the cross once; we can’t keep taking him back there! (Read Hebrews 6:4-6; also 2Peter 20-22) As we all know, our physical bodies can die at anytime, at any age and for many different reasons. We don’t all have the luxury of living to a ripe old age first, so cleaning the slate before death is important!!
This issue of forgiveness is covered by my article ‘A PERSPECTIVE OF FORGIVENESS’.

I will now set out the things that will preclude you from heaven. I have summarized some to save space. However, they really need to be read to appreciate context, and the bible version you use doesn’t matter; the meanings are still the same, and they have come only from the New Testament as proof that the moral laws of the Old Testament were carried forward.

Math 5:20. I have already quoted above*.
Math 12:31-32. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, never forgiven. (third commandment)
Math 18:3-6. We must practice humility as little children.
Math 19:16-19. Obeying 5 of the commandments; murder, adultery, stealing, lying and honouring father and mother; to enter into life.
Luke 9:62. Not looking back after following Christ.
Luke 13:3. Perishing if no repentance.
John 3:3. Having to be born again; cleaning the slate.
John 8:51. Believing in Christ and his word.
Romans 1:18 to 2:8. This was mostly about homosexuality, but covered other things as well; emphasising judgement if these things were practised, but also those who go along with it!
1Corinthians 6:9-11. Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, sodomites, thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers and extortioners, will not inherit the Kingdom of God!
Galatians 5:19-21. Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness and revelries, will not inherit the Kingdom of God!!
Ephesians 5:3-7. Same as above, but adding foolish talking and course jesting. Stating that a covetous man is also an idolater; which appear to go hand in hand!
Colossians 3:5-9. Same things but adding malice, blasphemy, filthy language and lying, which brings the wrath of God!
1Timothy 1:8-11 and 2Timothy 3:1-5 list similar things, but are more of a reinforcement?
Hebrews 13:4. “Marriage is honourable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge’.
1Peter 4:3-5 and 15-19 also lists things we will be judged on.
Revelation 21:8. Similar things listed, with the threat of the lake of fire.
Revelation 22:11-19. Explains that righteousness will end with the right to the tree of life!

To reiterate, there is no mention of failing to ‘go to church’ or observing a particular day!

All that said, if we truly have faith in Christ, then we would not deliberately do any of the above, as Paul explained to Timothy. Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”  (2Tim 2:19)
At the end of the list in Galatians 5:19-21, Paul ended by saying, ‘just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God’. However, in verses 22-23 he followed that up with this. ‘But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.’
An atheist can be a very moral person, not doing any of those things; problem is they won’t get to heaven without judgement because they don’t believe in Jesus Christ! (John 3:18, 2Thesssalonians 1:8-9)
If we die without repentance, judgement day will come to all of us without exception (Romans 14:10-12), however, getting into heaven is achievable, but there is a criteria to be met, and as you can see, there is much more to it than just sexual immorality!?

Now, can we avoid the judgement?
Well, it seems it is possible as Jesus stated in John 5:24. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgement, but has passed from death into life.”
So, if we ‘hear His word’, that would mean all of the New Testament, because Jesus made apostles out of all the NT writers and their writings were inspired by Him! Therefore, all those things I listed above go against the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, so it’s no good saying, ‘Oh Jesus never said anything about that, therefore it’s OK’!!?
Jesus summarized all the laws when he said to love God, and to love your neighbour as yourself. (Math 22:37-40) A very simple objective!!

When I read the bible, (particularly the NT) it was with the attitude of ‘what does God really expect of me in order for me to enter His Kingdom’? And I was as surprised as you have probably been after reading the above??! I have heard it said, that as long as you have faith in Christ, the law becomes ineffective, and your sins are continually forgiven???! If that’s true, why did Jesus and the apostles bother to list all those things, and hang all those threats over us?
So to summarise; if you have repented and not continued to sin wilfully (Hebrews 10:26), upon Christs return, whether you have died or not, you will be taken up to Christ (1Thes 4:13-17) (1Cor 15:52) (also compare Math 24:36-42), and will rule with him for the thousand years (Rev 20:4). Those not included will have to face the judgement!

I have tried to keep this article short, without ‘waffle’ so hopefully it will hold your interest, not bore you to tears! If you want to expand on it or test what I’ve written, and if you believe in God, His son and His Kingdom of Heaven, and wish to get there, just follow the instructions we have been left with........the bible!
It’s fascinating that the word B I B L E could stand for, Basic-Instructions-Before-Leaving-Earth!
I hope this has provided some food for thought?

Peace to all, Colin Bowater.

Another good post Brother Colin!!!!! God Bless you!!