What will heaven be like?
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Heaven is a place more wonderful than we can ever begin to
imagine. It is a place of joy and beauty, of peace and happiness
that will never end.
Why? Because heaven is also a place where there will be no sin or
suffering, no sorrow or pain. It's a place where there will be no
quarrels or disagreements, no disappointments or weeping–because
there will be nothing there to make us sad. And in heaven we will
never do anything to displease God.
We will then know perfect joy. Psalm 16:11 says, "In Thy presence
is fullness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures
forever." Everything that now makes us groan will finally be done
away with, and we will find ourselves in the very presence of
God, where the purest and truest kind of joy is possible.
In heaven we will also have perfect knowledge. The Bible says,
"Then shall I know even as also I am known" (1 Corinthians
13:12). We will have no more unanswered questions, no confusion,
no ignorance, and no more need to walk by faith rather than by
.
We will live in perfect comfort. We will love God perfectly and
will be loved perfectly by Him. His love will engulf us forever.
Stated simply, heaven is a place of perfect joy forever.
Think of it! We will be perfectly free from evil forever. We will
be set free from captivity to sin, and finally able to do that
which is absolutely righteous, holy, and perfect before God. With
sin and its effects erased forever, the promise of heaven is an
everlasting life of unimaginable blessing!
How good do I have to be to go to heaven?
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Most people understand that doing evil can keep us out of heaven.
But few realize the Bible also teaches that doing good cannot get
us in.
None of us could ever gain enough merit to deserve heaven. We are
sinful, and God's standard is utter perfection. Jesus said,
"Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and
Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew
5:20). He added, "You are to be perfect, as your heavenly her
is perfect" (v. 48).
Who then can go to heaven? Who can be saved?
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Jesus' disciples asked Him this same question (Matthew 19:25).
His answer? "With men this is impossible, but with God all things
are possible" (v. 26). In other words, being saved so that we can
go to heaven is not something we can accomplish. It is something
God must do for us.
What if I stopped sinning now and never sinned again?
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No matter how hard we try, we could never stop sinning because we
are hopelessly in bondage to sin. The Bible tells us even our
hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). In
other words, we are sinful to the core. Furthermore, even a
single sin would be enough to destroy us forever: "Whoever keeps
the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty
of all" (James 2:10). But even if we never sinned from now on, we
would still be guilty of our past sins. And as the Bible says,
"The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).
But the good news is that God has provided a way to free us from
the guilt of sin!
What has God done for me to take away my sin so I can go to
heaven?
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When God forgives, He cannot merely overlook sin. Full payment
(atonement) must be made for our sin. Christ's death made full
atonement for those who trust Him. If we believe in Him, His
dying counts in our stead, paying for our sins in full. The Bible
says, "The blood of Jesus... cleanses us from all sin" (1 John
1:7). It is only through the blood of Christ that we can ever be
cleansed from the terrible guilt of sin.
But that only erases the guilt of our sin; we still need perfect
righteousness in order to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew
5:20).
Where do we get that perfect righteousness?
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If you truly believe in Him, the full merit of Jesus' own
righteousness is credited (imputed) to you–to all those who trust
Him alone for salvation.
The Bible teaches that God "justifies the ungodly" by reckoning
(or crediting) Christ's righteousness to them (Romans 4:5).
Believers are clothed in His righteousness, and God accepts them
solely and exclusively on that basis. That's why the Apostle Paul
was willing to did all his own efforts to earn God's favor,
preferring instead to stand before God robed in a righteousness
that was not his own (Philippians 3:8-9).
If you are not a Christian, you need to lay hold of this truth by
faith: the sin that will keep you out of heaven has no cure but
the blood of Christ. If you are weary of your sin and exhausted
from the load of your guilt, He tenderly holds forth the offer of
life and forgiveness and eternal rest to you: "Come unto me, all
ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"
(Matthew 11:28).
How can I be sure Christ will save me?
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The Bible promises that no one who believes in Christ will be
turned away: "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out"
(John 6:37). In the closing words of the Bible, Christ invites
all to come to Him and receive the promise of heaven: "... Let
him that heareth... come. And let him that is athirst come. And
whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely"
(Revelation 22:17b).
If you would like to know Jesus Christ as your Savior and have
the promise of heaven, we would encourage you to receive Him
right now wherever you are. Simply pray:
Dear Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I know that You died
for me to pay for my sins. Please forgive me and make me one of
Your own, that I may live in Heaven with You for all eternity.
Text adapted from the book The Glory of Heaven by John F.
MacArthur ©1996 Crossway Books.