Next question please

Next Question – ‘Does everyone go to heaven or do we get reborn?

      In brief -  no, not all go to heaven.

      -      we are not reborn, we will all be resurrected.

As mentioned in the previous article, heaven is God’s home, and only those in a right relationship with God will be accepted there.

Some people choose to not believe in God or heaven – would it be right to send them there? Other people choose to worship idols instead of the creator God. Others reject Jesus, whom God sent into the world to save all people. Would it be right to send them to heaven where Jesus is the name honoured and praised? Hardly fair to force them to listen the heavenly crowds sing “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.”   In our western world, most people choose to live for themselves  and ignore God and His Son Jesus Christ. If you were the judge, what would you say?

The Bible makes it clear that the present and future focus of God’s plan is to make Jesus Christ supreme. Among the astounding claims that the Lord Jesus made, one seems very relevant  I quote “I , if I be lifted up will draw all men unto Me “ John !2.  As a result of Him being lifted up on the cross, everyone becomes accountable to Him. Not only the living nations when He returns to judge the world, but all others as well. They will be raised from the dead and will be judged before the judgement throne of Christ. He has the official right to judge as  God’s Son (John 5) and He has the moral right to judge because He paid the ransom for all, that all might be delivered from condemnation. Some are drawn to Him as saved, the others will stand before Him in judgement.

“God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world through Him might be saved”  (John 3)

“This is the condemnation, that light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”  (John 3)

It seems rather clear that acceptance with  God is directly connected with our acceptance of His Son.

The Apostle John summarised it this way  “Whoever has the Son has life, whoever does not have the Son does not have life.” 1John 5

The Apostle Paul and Peter wrote of the “hope laid up for you in heaven” ( Colossians 1. 5  1Peter 1.4 )

Paul looked forward to the day when he would be absent from the body and present with the Lord ( 2 Corinthians 5 ).

By contrast, Peter asked, as I have done, “what shall the end be of those who obey not the Gospel of God?” ( 1 Peter 4.17 ) Peter answers  his own question –“the Lord knows how to keep  the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgement” (2 Peter 2.9 )

Some people would rather not think about final accountability, and turn to the sermon on the mount as a way of life. However the same sermon on the mount concludes with the following warning:

“On that day many will say to me ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophecy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then I will declare unto them ‘I never knew you, depart from me you workers of lawlessness’ “ Matthew 7.22

So much more could be written, and I welcome any request for more, but let me conclude  - heaven is not attained by what we do, or what we have or what we pay.  Heaven is only for the family of God and acceptance by God is for all who receive His Son, Jesus Christ our only Saviour and Lord.

We have the free will to ignore God, choose to continue in the habit of sins, choose to reject Jesus – but the consequences are tragic.

“Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts”

May God grant every reader faith to believe in His Son, and thereby have the assurance of acceptance with God, into the family of God and into the home of God.

“ to be forever with the Lord”!!

John McKee    johnmckee@internode.on.net