Heaven is probably the most familiar eternal promises.
But what do you actually know about Heaven?
God’s Word has much to say about Heaven. What we know is this: Heaven is good, peaceful, pain-free, eternal, and in the presence of God, His angels, and those in the past who have have faith in the Lord and walked with God.
John the Baptist equated the ministry of Jesus with the Kingdom of Heaven:
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:1-2)
And Jesus used the word paradise to describe heaven:
Then he [the convicted thief] said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)
You might be wondering why this thief would be going to Heaven when others who had good social standing where warned they would not enter Heaven. The secret is with an individual’s heart and their choices.
The many who looked good on the outside, but inwardly had hardened their hearts toward God, were told they would not enter Heaven unless they repented (had a change of heart). But this thief was crucified as a guilty man next to Jesus, who was not guilty. The thief, unlike the others who were self-righteous, recognized his need for God and for a Savior. He repented of his sin and humbled himself from the Lord Jesus Christ. And that was enough for this man to go from condemned before God to reconciled to God.
Contrast the repentant thief to this rich man, who apparently wasn’t very rich toward God in his heart:
So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ (Luke 16:22-26)
Cryptic Currency
Some have erroneously thought the rich man was condemned because of his riches, but this is not the case.
The rich man was not rich in his heart toward God. And this heart condition showed up in that he passed by someone in need everyday and did nothing to help Lazarus. The rich man’s cold heart was the problem.
Lazarus, on the other hand, loved God. He was the richer of the two, spiritually speaking. Lazarus invested wisely; he loved the Lord and stored up riches in Heaven. And when He died, God kept His promises in that Lazarus was the rich man, whereas the earthly rich man had become shockingly impoverished for eternity.
And lastly, in the Revelation of Jesus Christ, we see this picture again of Heaven, the presence of God, described as the Paradise of God:
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’ (Revelation 2:7)
Will you be able to enter into Heaven?
Why do you think you will or won’t? Well, according to Jesus Christ, the only way to enter into the presence of God and spend blessed eternity with God in Heaven, rather than an eternity of torment in Hell, is to humble yourself before Jesus Christ. Admit your need for Him. Confess you are a sinner and ask for Him to save you. Then live a life for Him, for God’s glory. Living for Jesus Christ is the only way to be sure you will be going to Heaven!
One last note: if you feel like you’re not worthy of Heaven, you’re probably closer to the Kingdom of Heaven than you think. Just keep learning from the Lord. Keep trusting in Him and loving Him. Obey Him in the small things. He will greatly reward you. If you err, get up, get right with God, and keep walking! Always draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
