Hardly anyone thinks they’re going to hell. But if anything the Bible says about heaven is true, most people wouldn’t want God to send them there. It would violate everything they’ve believed in and committed themselves to. Let me explain.
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heaven
Brian McLaren says, “The kingdom of God is not a ticket to heaven but a call to transform this world through love and justice.” Have we got it wrong? Are Christians too preoccupied with the life to come? If we stop talking about heaven will that make us more useful here on earth? The Bible presents an interesting balance.
Is heaven the next stop for those who trust in Jesus? Or do we go through a cleansing fire first? Understanding the history and biblical basis for purgatory helps us prepare for the afterlife and appreciate the great hope of the gospel.
“If there is a God, surely, He’ll just forgive everyone. The idea of judgment is just religion trying to scare people.” Ever heard that? Ever thought it yourself? It seems reasonable, right? Or does it?
When people say that they think they’ll go to heaven because they’re a good person, not only do they think they can define what good is, but they assume they know how good is good enough.
Pascal’s wager is a famous idea that employs game theory to help people to think through the implications of countering the offer of Jesus’ good news with a response like, “I just don’t have the faith to believe.” The wager asks a person to think through their response to Jesus as they would a bet or any other important decision. He lays out a cost-benefit analysis for people to consider.
We all have things we know we should think about but keep putting off. Some of them don’t matter much in the long run, but others have lasting consequences. What if the thing you’re avoiding now is the most important of all?
A visit to a Japanese home taught me something surprising about heaven. Just as a host sets the rules for entering their house, God sets the terms for entering His kingdom. Jesus’ parable of the wedding feast reveals what keeps people out.
Some people live in denial about death. They just don’t want to think about it. Others have decided that it’s impossible to know and so they’re just going to wait until it happens. Those who care about what the Bible teaches, look to the Scriptures but can often be confused. This week, a person asked me to reconcile the verses that speak of death as “sleep” with those that describe other things going on after death. What really happens when die? And did Jesus teach that we just go to sleep?
It’s hard for some people to believe in heaven because they can’t touch it or see it. It can feel too far to grasp onto and too distant to find assurance in. Other people hope in heaven but go through life uncertain that they’ll ever get there. The doubts are too strong and the promises too abstract. Wouldn’t it be great if God gave us a down payment on heaven, here and now? Wouldn’t it help if heaven came with a guarantee for those who had truly put their faith in Jesus? Amazing at it sounds, the Bible says that, in the Holy Spirit, God has done exactly that.