Why You May Not Make Heaven

Text: Matthew 7:13-29

Where are you going?

The hope of every believer is to eventually make heaven and spend eternity with Christ in a city with streets of gold and vast splendors. But so often do we ignore the fact that the way to this eternal bliss is hard and thus, requires we prepare diligently and tenaciously, leaning on the Holy Spirit and God’s grace to have our names written in the Book of Life.

“Enter through the narrow gate and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find” (Matthew 7:14). The truth remains that very few would eventually make it to heaven. The question now is whether you would be among the chosen few?

History has something to say about this aforementioned point of the few making it to heaven. Remember the great flood that consumed the whole earth in the days of Noah? How many people were saved aside from the animals? (Genesis 7:1-14). Also consider the destruction of the two great nations of Sodom and Gomorrah. How many eventually made it out alive? (Genesis 19). These are vivid pointers to the underlining reality behind the chosen candidates of heaven.

It is, however, God’s desire that all make it to heaven but “many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able” because of various factors that will be highlighted. One of such factors is that some have seared their heart and have chosen the wide and easy way that lead to death- the way of the flesh that cannot please God (Romans 8:6-8).

Mankind has always devised ways of doing things themselves without acknowledging the Supreme Maker of all, God Almighty. We seek the easy way out of everything and desire shortcuts to get what we want. Sadly enough, there is no shortcut to heaven and the easy way out has never been in the dictionary of true believers anchored on the Lord Jesus. You have to work out your salvation by faith in Christ and persevere until the very end.

Back to the topic why you may not make heaven, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven”. Here we see that the first step to make heaven is to do the will of the Father, and this cannot be possible if you haven’t repented, confessed your sins and given your life to Christ.

Only Christ can save and in Him lays the power and grace to do the will of the Father. Even having given your life to Christ by faith, it doesn't end there. Yes, you are saved and justified with power to be called the son of God. However, trusting in His Word, walking in all of His ways, obeying His commandments and serving Him in holiness, truth and reverential fear must be a part of your life.

Without carefully and faithfully observing all of these duties, backsliding is imminent and “no one who puts his hands in the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). The grave consequence of backsliding is death and unless you repent and turn back to God in penitence, heaven is not for you.

Also put this in mind that “the just shall live by faith; and if he draws back and shrinks in fear, My (Christ) soul has no delight or pleasure in him. But our (true believers in Christ) way is not that of those who draw back to eternal misery, perdition, and are utterly destroyed…” (Hebrews 10: 38-39). Remember Lot’s wife?

Conclusively, “unless your righteousness is more than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). The Scribes and Pharisees are hypocrites who hold a form of piety (true religion) but deny, reject and are strangers to the power of it (their profession).

"They preach but do not practice...they do all their works to be seen of men; ... and they take pleasure in (thus) and love the place of honour at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with honour in the market places, and to have people call them rabbi (master)" (Matthew 2:2-7). You mustn't be like them. They are blind guides and know nothing of "The Truth" (which is Jesus Christ).

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and .....heaven will be yours. If Christ already dwells in you and you in then, endure till the end and never look back. For those who endure till the end shall be saved.

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=== Written by: Jacobs Adewale (Admin, The Truth) ===

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