Heaven Is An Awesome Place: How To Get There!
In the Bible, Heaven is depicted as a place of ultimate peace, joy and the presence of God. A place with streets of pure gold, gates of pearl and foundations adorned with every kind of precious stone. Best of all, in Heaven we will be dwelling with God, what an awesome experience that will be!
A favorite tombstone epitaph of Dr. David Jeremiah on heaven, is one that he shared with his congregation in a sermon on heaven. It goes like this:
Here lies the body of old man Peas,
buried beneath the flowers and trees
But Peas ain’t here, just the pod,
Peas shelled out and went to God.
Dr. Jeremiah continues with, “It’s a very appropriate epitaph because it’s very accurate. That is what happens when you die as a Christian; you shell out and you go to God while your pod stays here.”
If you plan to spend eternity in Heaven, it would be good to know more about it- wouldn’t it?
Let's have a look at life at the beginning and what it will look like in Heaven.
The Beginning and the End: The Bible records for us the beginning of the world and the end of the world. The story of mankind, from beginning to end- from the fall into sin to redemption and God’s ultimate victory over evil- is found in the pages of the Bible. (Credit to NIV Life Application Bible for the comparative Chart below and this paragraph.)
Genesis:
- The sun is created
- Satan is victorious
- Sin enters the human race
- People run and hide from God
- People are cursed
- Tears are shed, with sorrow for sin
- The garden and earth are cursed
- The fruit from the tree of life is not to be eaten
- Paradise is lost
- People are doomed to death
Revelation:
- The sun is not needed
- Satan is defeated
- Sin is banished
- People are invited to live with God forever
- The curse is removed
- No more sin, no more tears or sorrow
- God’s city is glorified, the earth is made new
- God’s people may eat from the tree of life……….
- Paradise is regained
- Death is defeated, believers live forever with God Revelation 21:4
Sin Enters The World and Separates Us All From God and Heaven
In Genesis, we see the creation of the world and the creation of the first humans, Adam and Eve. Truly, all was perfect in the Garden of Eden! When God looked at His creation he said it was very good!
Furthermore, Adam & Eve enjoyed the presence of God daily in the Garden!
Until! Until what? Adam and Eve were not sinners when they were created but they chose to disobey God and ate from the tree in the middle of the garden. God had told Adam they were not to eat of the fruit or they would surely die. Genesis 2:15-17
As a result, we are now separated from God because God is perfect and we are not.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— Romans 5:12
The serpent- Satan, the great deceiver tempted Eve with the fruit and questioned God’s command to them saying to Eve, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
So we see here, Satan’s first attack was leveled against the Word of God. His tactic was to make Eve confused about what God said, or to doubt what God said, then his battle was partially won.
Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5
Why did Eve eat the forbidden fruit?
The woman Eve was convinced seeing that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it and gave some to Adam who was with her. At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves. Genesis 3:6-7
The consequences of their sin is that sin and death entered the world and is now the reality of every person born into the world. We are all born with the sin nature we inherited from Adam and Eve. Romans 5:12
In an article by gotquestions.org, there is a description of sin. “The sin nature is that aspect in man that makes him rebellious against God. When we speak of the sin nature, we refer to the fact that we have a natural inclination to sin; given the choice to do God’s will or our own, we will naturally choose to do our own thing.
Proof of the sin nature abounds. No one has to teach a child to lie or be selfish; rather, we go to great lengths to teach children to tell the truth and put others first. Sinful behavior comes naturally. The news is filled with tragic examples of mankind acting badly. Wherever people are, there is trouble. Charles Spurgeon said, “As the salt flavors every drop in the Atlantic, so does sin affect every atom of our nature. It is so sadly there, so abundantly there, that if you cannot detect it, you are deceived.”
Several other Bible verses that speak of our sinful nature:
1 John 1:8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.
Psalm 51:5 For I was born a sinner—
yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.
Isaiah 64:6 We are all infected and impure with sin.
When we display our righteous deeds,
they are nothing but filthy rags.
Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall,
and our sins sweep us away like the wind.
Heaven is Very Beautiful and Perfect!
Revelation 21: 1-27 and other Bible references give us a description of Heaven.
- A place prepared for God’s people to spend eternity with Him! John 14: 2-3
- First Heaven and first earth passed away. No longer any sea Revelation 21:1
- The holy city of Jerusalem comes down out of heaven from God. Revelation 21:2
- God will be dwelling with us. Revelation 2:3
- God will wipe away every tear, there will be no more death, mourning or crying, no pain. The old order of things passed away. Revelation 2:4
- God makes everything new. Revelation 2:5
- He gives those who are in heaven water from the spring of the water of life. Revelation 22:1
- A place with streets of pure gold, gates of pearl and foundations adorned with every kind of precious stone. Revelation 21:19-21
- We will have new physical bodies-bodies like Jesus- unlimited to physical properties John 20:19- 26; 1 Corinthians 15: 35-49
- We shall be like Jesus 1 John 3:2
- Our experience in Heaven in is unimaginable! 1 Corinthians 2:9
- A new experience of God’s presence 1 Corinthians 13:12
- There will be riches and rewards in Heaven – we can invest in heavenly treasures while on earth. Matthew 6:19-21
Ways People Believe or Hope Will Take Them To Heaven
The Bible clearly tells us the way to Heaven but just before we study The Way, let’s have a look at some ways that people believe or hope that they will enter Heaven when they die:
- “Be a Good Person” a very wide-spread belief
- Follow the 10 commandments
- Follow your religion as best you can
- All religions are different paths to heaven.
- Universalism: the belief that everyone will eventually go to heaven.
- Do enough good deeds that will outweigh the bad deeds; recite extra prayers, fast, go on pilgrimages, and perform good works in the hope of tipping the scales.
In Matthew 19:16-22, there is a story about a rich your man. He asked Jesus: “What good deed must I do to have eternal life?” Jesus answered that he must keep the commandments. The young man replied that he had kept all the commandments.
Jesus, knowing this man’s heart, said to him: “go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, then come follow me”. Jesus told him that he would then have treasure in heaven. The man went away sad for he had many possessions.
The problem was not that the man had riches- we know of bible characters who were very wealthy. The problem was the priority his wealth had in his heart. The important lesson here is to make following Jesus the most important thing in our life.
The Bible Tells Us How To Get to Heaven- Jesus is The Way, The Truth, The Life!
To be sure, Jesus explained very clearly how we can be sure of Heaven when we die. It is not complicated; in fact, it’s difficult for many to accept because it does not rely on ‘what we do’ to earn our own way there.
In John 3: 1-21, there is the story of Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee, a member of the Jewish ruling council and a learned teacher himself. (Keep this in mind- the Pharisees were a group of religious leaders whom Jesus and John the Baptist often criticized for being hypocrites.)
Therefore, Nicodemus secretly came to Jesus at night -after dark- probably so that his peers would not know of his visit. He had been listening to Jesus and had some questions for him.
Nicodemus Meets With Jesus
Nicodemus greeted Jesus saying:
“Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous sign you are doing if God were not with him.” John3:2
Jesus declared,
“I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” John 3:3
Nicodemus says:
“How can a man be born when he is old” Surely he can not enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” John 3:4
Jesus answered:
” I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘you must be born again.’ John 3:5-8
Further, Jesus revealed to this devout Pharisee that the kingdom would come to the whole world and that he wouldn’t be a part of it unless he was personally born again. John 3:5 Importantly, This was a revolutionary concept: the kingdom is personal, not national or ethnic, and its entrance requirements are repentance of sin and spiritual rebirth.
Jesus Makes a Way For Us to Have Eternal Life in Heaven With Him.
That same night Jesus said these very important words:
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone (insert your name)who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.
“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.
All things considered, it seems that Nicodemus was born again that night but kept it secret for some time out of fear of his peers, the Pharisees. However, we know that in John 7:51 Nicodemus sometime later speaks up for Jesus to his fellow Pharisees.
As well, we know that Nicodemus accompanied Joseph of Arimathea in picking up the body of Jesus after his death. Together they wrapped the body of Jesus in linen with about 75 pounds of spices, a mixture of myrrh and aloes. Finally, his faith and boldness in declaring Jesus was increasing!
What Does It Mean To BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus Christ?
Going back to the verse John 3:16-18 where it says to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ”. We need to understand the in-depth meaning of the word BELIEVE.
To “believe” is more than intellectual agreement that Jesus is God. It means to put our full trust and confidence in Jesus that He alone can save us. It is to put Christ in charge of our present plans and eternal destiny. Believing is both trusting His words as reliable, and relying on Him for the power to change your life. Just as you would trust a parachute- and put your full faith in it – as you are about to jump out of an airplane.
‘Believing’ also means we recognize and acknowledge our sin. Whether we have lived what most people would consider a pretty good life or on the other hand -one of great sin – not one of us can go to heaven without Jesus blood cleansing us from our sin. Why is that? Because His standard for Heaven is sinlessness. There is no grading on the curve.
We receive forgiveness of sin through Christ and Righteousness through Faith.
All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood. Romans 3:21-27
Since Jesus was the only sinless person to live, He alone is God’s remedy for cleansing our sin. Jesus is and was the perfect sacrifice for sin that God accepts. We are not saved by keeping the law. (However don’t misunderstand, Christ’s followers live their lives to honor God through the power of the Holy Spirit. (I will speak of this later)
Is Jesus the ONLY WAY we can go to Heaven?
Further references to Jesus being the only Way of salvation are found in the Bible.
In John 14: 1-7, Jesus was speaking. You can read the encounter there.
Jesus was talking about Heaven and that He was going there to prepare a place for them (for us too) and assured them that He would be coming back to take them with Him to be where He was going – to His Father’s house.
Thomas was there and said to Jesus:
“Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus answered Thomas:
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Confirms that Jesus is the only way of salvation:
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
Not saved by our own righteousness
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5
Good works do not save us.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8-10
To summarize that verse, it would sound like this:
We are not saved BY good works; we are saved FOR good works.
Notice that ‘works’ – the good things planned for us long ago-are mentioned in verse 10. Works are the result of the new nature at work in a believer! These works do not earn us salvation, they are the natural result of salvation. Just as an apple tree bears the fruit of apples, Christians bear the fruit of good works for Christ.
After You Are Born Again- Then What?
The term born again was first coined by Christ himself in response to a question from Nicodemus, as seen in John 3:2-6
To point out, being born again is not just walking forward at a church service or repeating the words of repentance or a matter of water baptism.
Being born again is a life-changing experience. A new believer receives the Holy Spirit when born again and begins a brand new life in Christ.
Things that are of the world suddenly lose their importance. Jesus Christ becomes the focus — not just in church, but every moment of your life.
A new believer needs to be fed by God’s Word to grow in their faith. The Bible actually speaks of this in 1 Peter 2:2
“Like newborn babies, crave spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
It’s important to find a church family that believes in God’s Way of salvation through Jesus Christ alone, to read God’s Word daily, to pray often, learn to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit as He speaks truth into your life through His Word. These will help you grow into a mature Christian.
The fruit of the Spirit will begin to increase in your life as you grow in your walk with Christ. The fruit of a life that is being lived for Christ is characterized by love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Galatians 5:22
Conclusion: God's Gift of Salvation -A Costly Gift of Heaven To Be Received!
In Conclusion, to have assurance of Heaven, we need to be born again. That means trusting in and believing that only Christ has the power to save us. It is only through Christ’s sacrifice for our sin, by His blood shed, that we can come and freely receive the gift of salvation.
Billy Graham explained it this way:
One of the Bible’s greatest truths is that God offers us our salvation as a free gift. It isn’t something we can buy, nor is it something we can earn by our own good works. The Bible puts it this way: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
But the Bible also tells us two important truths about God’s gift of salvation. First, it tells us that it is a costly gift. Think of it this way. Suppose you wanted to express your love for someone by giving them a very fine gift. What would you have to do? Well, you’d first have to go to the store and buy it—and the finer the gift, the more it would cost you. To your friend, it’s a free gift, but it wasn’t free on your part.
The same is true with God’s gift of salvation. To us it’s free, but it cost God the life of His Son. The reason is because on the cross Jesus Christ became the final sacrifice for our sins. He paid for our salvation with His blood.
But the Bible also tells us a second truth: Like any other gift, God’s gift of salvation doesn’t become ours until we accept it. Just as we can refuse the gift someone offers us, so we can refuse God’s gift of salvation. But why would we? Don’t let this happen to you, but by faith reach out and accept Christ into your life today.
Don’t miss out on God’s plan of salvation, It is the ONLY WAY to be be assured of Heaven! The Bible offers us some intriguing glimpses of Heaven but that is all they are – glimpses! In fact, the Bible says this about Heaven:
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him. 1 Corinthians 2:9
A Beautiful Worship Song! Thank You Jesus For The Blood!