1For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.2For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,3if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked.4For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.5Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
Throughout the book of Revelation, we see descriptions of this place where we will live with Jesus forever in the presence of God the Father. Revelation 4 describes the throne of God and the scene of worship there. Chapters 21 and 22 address the new Jerusalem, the Holy City where we will reside for eternity. And, the way to inherit the riches of heaven for eternity has been provided by Jesus - He said that He was preparing a place for us and that He was the way to the Father. Our entrance to heaven is assured as we have believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, who is risen from the dead, who will raised us up with Him and will take us to be with Him in eternity.
In John 14, during His final hours before His death, Jesus is teaching His disciples, and He comes to the topic of heaven:
1"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.2In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.4And where I go you know, and the way you know."5Thomas said to Him, "Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?"6Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
There may be a bit more about heaven in the collective consciousness today, with the celebration of Jesus raising from the dead, the One who promised us a home in heaven. And, after over $20 million at the box office, the movie, "Heaven is for Real," about a little boy who made some gigantic claims about visiting there, is a tool that can be used to stimulate discussion about our eternal destination and to share with people how they can actually get there.
We can study and be convinced of the reality of heaven based on the Scriptures, and we also know from the Bible how to get there. And it's not from good works.
I don't know how serious the former mayor of New York City was when he made some spiritually-tinged comments the other day in announcing that he intends to spend $50 million of his personal fortune on gun control legislative action. Here's what a Daily Caller report, quoting a New York Times story, says about Michael Bloomberg:
The New York Times reported Tuesday that Bloomberg plans to spend $50 million of his estimated $31 billion fortune this year to combat the National Rifle Association. Speaking of his advocacy of liberal causes like gun-control and preventing New Yorkers from enjoying “Big Gulp” sodas, Bloomberg told the Times, reportedly with a grin, “I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed.”
“I am heading straight in,” he went on. “I have earned my place in heaven. It’s not even close.”It adds, "In pursuing his self-professed heavenly mission to fight gun rights, Bloomberg says he plans to be ruthless in opposing politicians who refuse to fall in line on the issue."
I don't know what Bloomberg's spiritual bent is, but these are certainly statements that contradict what the Bible says about getting to heaven, which is no laughing, or grinning, matter. And, if he thinks that good works will get you there, then I might add that his administration's crusade to prevent schools from renting out their buildings to churches would count off on the heavenly scorecard. By the way, his successor has been supportive of the churches, many of whom met in schools throughout the city yesterday, even though a court ruling had come down against them - the case has been appealed, so the order did not go into effect.
Back to the former mayor's comments...he says, "if there is a God." Well, if you're not convinced about the reality of God's existence, then I don't see how you can expect to reside with Him in eternity. He also says that he has earned his place in heaven, and it's "not even close". This is indicative of a works-based view of heaven that rejects the work of Jesus at the cross, and emphasizes human effort - heaven becomes a reward for man's accomplishment, rather than what Jesus has accomplished for us.
So is heaven for real? Absolutely. The Bible clearly teaches that there is a place beyond the realm of this earth. A place where we will be with Jesus for eternity. Where we will receive glorified bodies and endure forever. A place where there is no more suffering or death, where tears are wiped away. The wondrous experience of God's holy presence. If we are convinced of the reality of Christ and have made Him our Lord and Savior, then we can believe what He has said about our eternal home.
But not everybody goes. Because Jesus lives, we know that we can live with Him. Because of the resurrection, which we have celebrated during this past weekend and should ideally celebrate on a consistent basis, we can be certain of that eternal reality. But, He also said that He is the way, the truth, and the life. We can only come to the Father through Him. The promise of eternity with Jesus is a provision of Jesus, and by accepting other ways to go to heaven, then we are contradicting His very words.
And, it's by faith, not works. We cannot be caught up in the mentality of trying to work our way into heaven - sure our rewards in heaven will reflect the lives we have lived on earth, but our entrance is provided. And, there will be an interview - Bloomberg will be numbered among them. The question, essentially, is "what have you done with my Son?" That's the question: now, if we have accepted Christ, then we will produce fruit for His glory, but the fact remains that our salvation in Him is what qualifies us to get to heaven. We must make sure that we have made that most important decision. You can be sure of your eternal destiny - heaven is assured for the Christian.
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