The price of heaven – Part 2

Heaven is real. There is no doubt about its existence because Christ prayed on different occasions to the Father, Who is in heaven and promised to prepare mansions for us there. Lazarus has been enjoying in Abraham’s bosom in heaven. Two angels assured Christ’s disciples that He had ascended to heaven and would return to take us there. As certain as we are about the existence of heaven, the fact must never be lost on us that heaven is not for all-comers.

Getting there requires salvation experience and holy living. It requires that every believer “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). The pursuit of heaven is the reason believers attend church services regularly, pay tithes, separate themselves from all ignoble activities and practices in the world, teach others the way of God and deny self. So, we must not allow anyone or anything to hinder us from getting to heaven.

As hard as it is to say, the fact remains that “many” professing believers will not be in heaven. In the Philippian church, Paul the apostle revealed that “many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things”.

Their present-day counterparts also have the privilege of hearing the sound gospel message, but do not allow its power to transform their lives. Living for food, money and other earthly things, they lie, steal and live shameful lifestyles to prove they are backslidden or were never converted.

They speak evil of spiritual and secular leaders, aside instigating others to rebel against leadership. Audacious and fearless in doing evil among the brethren, they forget that there is judgment at the end of a wanton, willful and careless life. For them, “the mist of darkness is reserved for ever” (2 Peter 2:17).

Such people even loathe the truth about divine judgment. They choose to believe and always talk about God as too loving and merciful to judge anyone. Thus, they continue to be licentious and sacrilegious, and relish self-delusion, as they advance steadily towards hell. Irrespective of what anyone chooses to believe, the unchanging truth of Scripture is that “no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God…for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience” (Ephesians 5:5,6).

Without exception, those who do not believe the sound doctrine of holiness and the provision of salvation through Jesus Christ will be damned. The certainty of this truth should evoke tears for the lost, who engage in some activities in the church, as if they are serving God, when in fact, they are estranged from Him. The Lord wants us to live righteously with the consciousness that He is coming soon.

Jesus Christ is our Saviour. He gave His life to set all men free from the pollution, punishment and power of sin. He ascended and will soon return to take all saved and sanctified believers to heaven. We are, therefore, expectant and eager to see Jesus, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself”. With glorified bodies, there will be no more pain or need for any means of transportation and no restraint from the force of gravity anymore.

Believers of all ages have been full of expectation of this wonder. The Scripture reveals that the soul of the believer who dies physically will go to “be with Christ” to receive his reward or “inheritance”. So, heaven is real; “For the Lord Himself shall descend from HEAVEN…” He is coming for people that are saved, righteous and sober and not for the licentious and frivolous. Getting to heaven requires righteousness, holiness, seriousness, commitment, sincerity and transparency.

The Lord Jesus Christ commands every believer to “Watch ye therefore, and pray always” and “be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (Luke 21:36; 2 Peter 3:14). He is coming again and it will take righteousness of life to be ready for Him.