In the last two weeks, heaven has been on my mind.
A young man in my church passed away unexpectedly. For years, he had endured seizure after seizure. Many times in my Young Professionals class or in our Bible studies, he had thoughts to contribute, but he struggled to get the words out—a side effect from a seizure he had endured as a young child. He loved volunteering to read Bible verses aloud when needed, and we patiently waited while he read slowly. He laughed easily. He delighted in playing games and living life. His parents faithfully brought him to Young Professional events, and we enjoyed spending time with them.
Two weeks ago, he was in our class on Wednesday night. On Thursday, he was gone.
Another dear family experienced the loss of a loved one. Someone much older, yet just as dear. Just as hard to comprehend that the loved one is no longer on earth with them.
It is always hard to know how to help friends experiencing grief. Often, all we can do is cry with them. Give them a hug. Pray with them and pray that we say words that will comfort instead of sting. Do what we can to lift the load of daily living so they can grieve. Give food or gift cards. Let them know we are praying for them. Comfort them with the hope of heaven while acknowledging the sadness and difficulty of the temporary separation.
Jesus’s Words of Comfort
During the last night Jesus spent with His disciples, Jesus told them He would soon be leaving. This made His disciples confused and sad. But Jesus told them not to be troubled. He promised,
I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. –John 14:2–3
God is the great homemaker. The beauty of the homes we create on earth are merely a reflection of the beauty of the heavenly home God is creating for us. In Revelation 21–22, the apostle John describes heaven as a place where even the wall’s foundation is made from a kaleidoscope of sparkling jewels. The streets are made from purified gold. The entire city is filled with the light of God’s glory. And a beautiful, pure river flows from the throne of God throughout the city. There are also individual homes for people to dwell in (John 14:2).
When Jesus told His disciples about this home He was leaving to prepare for them, He told them they already knew how to get there. Yet the disciples still did not understand. The disciple Thomas voiced this confusion, essentially saying, “No, we don’t know where You are going, so how are we supposed to know the way there?”
Jesus’s reply echoes down through time to us today:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”–John 14:6.
The only way to get to this beautiful, eternal home is through Jesus. The Bible says,
He that believeth on him [Jesus] is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. –John 3:18
You see, every person comes into the world already condemned to eternal death—eternal separation from God in hell. Why? Because we have all broken God’s laws. The smallest disobedience to our parents or the tiniest white lie or the single lustful thought is utterly abhorrent to the righteous, pure, holy God.
God tells us that all have sinned[i] and fallen short of His perfect standard of living (Romans 3:23). Because of this, we earn for ourselves an eternal home in hell, a place of torment and separation from the God of love and goodness (Romans 6:23). We do not have the ability to purge ourselves from sin or make up for the bad with our good works. According to God, “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Even as we try to clean up our lives, the stains of sin remain on us. God cannot allow the filth of our sin to enter His spotless, holy home—heaven.
So what do we do? To be welcomed into God’s beautiful eternal home, we must take three simple steps.
Admit that we are sinners and unworthy of heaven.
In humility, we must recognize we have done wrong by breaking God’s laws. We must acknowledge that we can never be good enough to get to heaven based on our own merit (Romans 3:10–12). In fact, we deserve judgment for our sin. We deserve eternal death (Romans 6:23).
Believe that Jesus, God the Son, died to pay the penalty for our sins and rose from the dead.
Remember, Jesus said He is the only way to heaven. God the Son left heaven to be born as a human baby, live a perfect life, and die on a cross. While Jesus was on the cross, all our sins were poured onto Him, and Jesus became “sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (Second Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus did not just die. During that time on the cross, God the Father turned His back on Jesus, and Jesus suffered the separation from God that we deserve. We know this because Jesus cried out, “My God, my God! Why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Jesus suffered the punishment that we should have suffered.
But He did not stay dead. Three days later, He rose from the grave. Because He is God, He overcame death and again appeared to His disciples. Now He has ascended back to heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father.
Do you believe these truths? Do you believe that Jesus is God, that He died for your sin, and that He rose from the grave? In Romans 10:9, God’s Word says,
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Call out to God to save us from the punishment of sin.
If you believe these things, call out to God and tell Him. God promises,
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”–Romans 10:13
You do not have to say certain magic words. You simply tell God what you believe and that you accept what Jesus did for you. Although there is no formula, here is an example of what you could say to God:
God, I know I’m a sinner, and I’ve done wrong. I can never be good enough to be right with You. I believe Jesus died to take the punishment for my sin. I accept what Jesus did for me, and I ask You to clean me from sin. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me eternal life in Heaven. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
Eternal life in heaven is a gift from God. But we cannot receive gifts we refuse to accept. Have you ever rejected a gift? Maybe someone once offered you money and you refused it.
People sometimes refuse God’s gift of eternal life. They do not accept the gift God holds out to them. The gift of eternal life is wrapped up in Jesus. The apostle John tells us,
And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. –First John 5:11-12
Have you accepted Jesus? Have you called out to God to accept the gift He is offering to you? If not, do it now! Do not wait.
The Hope of Heaven
In the last few weeks, two men who accepted God’s gift of eternal life entered heaven. If they could speak to us, I think they would remind us that this life on earth is short and merely a shadow of the life to come. They would tell us how much they are enjoying heaven—the place abounding with joy, love, and peace. They are now living the greatest life and experiencing the richest joys. They are seeing God face to face and worshiping at His throne. And in His presence, they are truly—finally—home.
May it be true of us what was said of people throughout time who placed their faith and trust in God:
But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. –Hebrews 11:16
[i]. Sin is anything that we say or do that displeases God. Since we have all committed sin at some time, we are sinners.
I am sorry for these recent losses, but thanks for the reminder of Home in heaven.