When you think of heaven, what instantly comes to mind? I believe one of these words or phrases is involved: God, joy, peace, love, no more pain, no more sorrow, no sickness or disease amongst many other words. When someone dies, his or her family and friends will normally encourage themselves by saying they have gone to heaven: God’s abode is heaven (Acts 7:49). So is heaven real, and if it is, does everyone who passes on (dies) go there or is it only the ones who have been inherently good?
God cannot be confined to time and place, He is omnipresent. He is at multiple places at the same time and that’s why though we know heaven is God’s abode (Acts 7:49; Isaiah 66:1), we can confidently say that He is always with us no matter where we are (Psalm 16:8; Acts 2:25). Time and place are aspects related to being a human being living on earth. This is why when Jesus who is God (John 16:28) came to earth in the form of man, He was restricted to time and place and that is why He promised us another Helper, the HolySpirit (Acts 1:4-5), who now abides with us always; Who is not constrained by the physicality of the world.
So therefore, we now know that heaven is real because Jesus is there presently (Revelations 19:13 Acts 1:9-11) and is seated at the right hand of God the Father (1 Peter 3:22; Hebrews 12:2). Jesus also told us that in His Father’s house there are many mansions and He is there right at this moment preparing a place for us who believe on him (John 14:1-2). This then can also be interpreted as heaven being God’s house.
Except Jesus Christ who was sinless, there is no human being who has ever lived who was or is without sin. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (New King James Version). God is holy and thus God and sin never interact or meet. Sin separated us from direct fellowship with God (Isaiah 59:2). But the good news is that Jesus came and died for all our sins thereby bridging the gap between God and man that had been caused by sin (Hebrews 10:12-14). The wrath of God was satisfied on Jesus for all time (Romans 5:9-10). The result then was that Jesus reconciled us back to God permanently (2 Corinthians 5:18). For this reason, anyone who believes in Jesus as the Son of God who came and took on sin and the curse of the law and nailed them to the cross, he or she is automatically made right with God.
No human act or goodness will take a person to heaven, it is only the works and goodness of Jesus Christ that give any of us access to heaven. If Jesus did not come and take on our sins and the curses that came with them, no one could ever make it to heaven. We get to heaven only because of Jesus. So what am I trying to say? I’m saying, it is not an individual’s goodness that takes him or her to heaven, it is whether they believe in Jesus and if they do, then His (Jesus) goodness is what takes them to heaven when they finally leave this world. Heaven is not for those who are good but for those who have believed in Jesus Christ ONLY.
Friend, there is a mansion waiting for you in heaven. Don’t trust in your good deeds or actions, trust in the love of God expressed through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, which is what produces His goodness in every area of your life.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (New King James Version)
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
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