Is there a Christian You Wouldn't Want to See in Heaven?
A certain son of mine, likes to put me on the spot, by asking challenging questions. He would pick the most horrible, most notorious criminal in the news, and ask:
Anonymous son: Mom, which one would you rather see in heaven? Mr. X, a suspected mass murderer, or Mr. Y, a known crooked politician?
Me: That's impossible! Those are terrible people! They're fake and try to look like they're innocent, but they're not!! I am NEVER going to see them in heaven!!
Anonymous son: "But what if, IF . . . after doing all those terrible things, they realize they sinned, repent, receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior and-------"
Me: Argh!!! Go, ask your Pop!
Truth is, I am uncomfortable with the idea of seeing certain people in heaven, especially those whom I think have sins far more terrible and shameful than mine.
Where is the fairness in that, right? If, after living your life to the best of your ability, some ex-gangster ends up going to heaven to be your next door neighbor?
Here are some reminders that have helped me see this through a Biblical perspective:
1. God knows absolutely more than I'll ever comprehend.
One of the descriptions of God is that He is omniscient, all-knowing:
Omniscient: - having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things.
God is not some ancient, bearded dude who is sleepily lying on a cloud, half-aware of what's happening in the world. I don't have to worry if God sees what's happening in my life. He knows. He knows everyone's past, present, and future.
The Bible describes it this way in Hebrews 4: 12-13 (ESV):
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
He is 100% aware and 100% discerning. He is no one's fool. Neither can he be bought. No man or woman can fake and fool God. We all will face Him one day and give an account of our lives.
2. I'm more of a sinner than I realize.
It is easy to compare myself with a mass murderer, and think that I'm so much of a better person than he or she is. ?God reminded me of a piggy birthday party we held at our garden one summer. Our 3 sons, ages 9, 11, and 12, had invited their friends for an afternoon of fun and games.
I called it a piggy party because it was bound to be a mess! There were plastic basins overflowing with water balloons, water pistols loaded and ready, and a stash of raw eggs guarded by each team. That afternoon was literally filled with mud-slinging, egg-throwing, dirt-flying galore, as the children chased each other around the backyard.
At the end of it, no one left unscathed. Everybody was a MESS soaking wet, with dirt and mud all over their faces, hair, and bodies (even in their ears!), egg yolk dripping from hair and noses
There was absolutely NO WAY I was going to allow them in my nice, clean house!
No one could argue and say,
"Hey mom! Let me in! My hands have less mud than William's! I'm better than him!" or,
"Look mom! Joseph is THE worst! He has egg white and egg yolk and mud AND dirt AND EARTHWORMS and Everything all over him!!!"
Neither could Joey pull his weight and argue, "I'm the father! I dont care if I'm a horrible mess! You have to let me in!!!"
As far as I was concerned, they were ALL dirty. Sure, their degree of mud did vary, but even the cleanest of them wasn't qualified to enter my house! It didn't matter how cute they looked, or how much I loved them, not a single one could enter until they got cleaned up!
That's when it hit me. Here I was, proud of that fact that I have, at least, less dirt than someone else, when the truth is we are ALL UNQUALIFIED to enter the spotless presence of God.
Romans 3:23 says so accurately that we ALL have sinned and FALL SHORT of Gods standards. Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins. Ecclesiastes 7:20
I don't earn heaven by my clean hands in the good works I do, by the prayers I pray, or the number of people who pray for me after I'm dead. No one earns a right to be in heaven. Salvation is a GIFT given by a spotless Savior. A GIFT by a sovereign God to a repentant, yet undeserving people. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8
3. God is SOVEREIGN, not me. His ways are higher than mine.
Instead of being prideful (I'm better than they are) or resentful (That's not fair! They dont deserve it!), I believe God is pleased when we are humble.
How does this translate to my life?
- Live Gratefully Just like the thief on the cross who didn't deserve it, let's always remember we all need Jesus desperately. Holy Week is coming, and Easter Sunday too. What Jesus did on the cross for our sake is the only reason we are deserving of heaven.
- Live with a healthy fear of God God is not a pushover that you can take for granted. One day our lives will end. His mercies are here, but we won't live forever. While we are alive, with breath in our nostrils and life in our bodies, this is the day we can surrender our lives to the Lord.
My Comments Policy
While my site offers visitors the ability to converse, I have a few ground rules so that our conversations will remain civil and courteous.
1. You must register in order to leave a comment. I don’t entertain pseudo, anonymous or bogus individuals. This site is my home (it has a Home Page, get it). I don’t let strangers who don’t introduce themselves into my home.
2. I love questions. I love them because a lot of times they are similar to someone else’s questions and can even trigger other questions from others. Questions also keep us all sharp. This is also why I respond to them as best as I can and at the soonest possible time. I believe that group answering benefits more people than private email exchanges.
3. We don’t have to agree. Debates are welcome. However, whether it is with me or any other visitors of my site, my rule is this: disagree if you must but keep things civil. That’s just how I run my home, and you are a visitor here. No shouting; I have seen it done in writing. No cursing and no insulting.
4. I reserve the right to delete your comments. Like I said, this is my home. I do not have an obligation to publish your comments. As a human being, you may enjoy the freedom to express your opinions on your own site but not on mine. To be specific, I will delete your comments if you post content that is in my sole opinion: (a) snarky; (b) off-topic; (c) libelous, defamatory, abusive, harassing, threatening, profane, pornographic, offensive, false, misleading, or which otherwise violates or encourages others to violate my sense of decorum, civility or any law, including intellectual property laws; or (d) “spam,” i.e. an attempt to advertise, solicit, or otherwise promote goods and services. You may, however, post a link to your site or your most recent blog entry.
5. You retain ownership of your comments. I do not own them and I expressly disclaim any and all liability that may result from them. By commenting on my site, you agree that you retain all ownership rights in what you post here and that you will relieve me from any and all liability that may result from those posts.
6. You grant me the license to post your comments. This license is worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free. By posting comments on my site, you automatically grant me the right to store, use, transmit, display, publish, reproduce, and distribute your comments in any format, including but not limited to a blog, in a book, video, or presentation.
In short, my goal is to host interesting conversations with caring, honest, and respectful people. I believe this clear and simple comments policy will facilitate this.
