Losing Heaven (Part 3 of 3)

 To explain this blog, you really need to read "Losing Heaven" (parts 1 and 2). Here's how it started:

As some of you already know from my prior blogs, from carefully reading what Jesus said in the Gospels, once a person is initially born again, it is necessary that he goes on in godliness. Jesus requires what He called fruit for us to achieve heaven. We cannot call ourselves “Christian,” yet desecrate our Lord by sinful behavior and by ignoring God 6 days a week, after publicly claiming Him as Lord of our lives.

I have taken on a big task in these three blogs: I will provide all verses from the Gospels that our great Teacher gave as fruit—both bad and good.  In EVERY ONE, is mentioned life if you do it, or eternal death if you don’t. Most of those 100 verses make it clear that even if you lack that particular fruit--you are excluded from heaven.

I have devoted the first blog to 10 of the 17 areas I cover. Please read on for 7 more "danger" areas.

Next, a more severe one: DO NOT BLASPHEME THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. THERE IS NO FORGIVENESS.

Mark 3:22, 29:…the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”… ²⁹  (Jesus said) but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— ³⁰ because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

They said Jesus had power from demons. This is blasphemy, a serious false charge. Their judgment has been so corrupted that they can’t tell the works of God. They are therefore beyond repentance, they have lost any possibility of forgiveness; they are doomed for hell. Does this have any application today? There are still those cults that say that about Jesus, though few of those are in the U.S. They are most prevalent in lands where the majority are ruled by pagan demons. I do have to say this: We need to be Very careful how we speak of charismatic groups in the U.S. Many are fake; perhaps some even demon-ruled. But some have been, or are, experiencing an occasional miracle of God. But we don’t know who is who, so we cannot judge. Jesus told us not try to separate tares from wheat (except in obvious cases of church discipline). So says Matthew 13:30.

OTHER REFERENCES: Matthew 12:24-31 and Luke 12:10.

Next, DENIAL OR BEING ASHAMED OF CHRIST OR HIS WORDS will result in His denial of us for heaven.

We’ll start with Matthew 10:33:

…whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

This is straightforward, yet why do pastors refuse to talk about this? A slightly different requirement is in Mark 8:38:

³⁸ For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

This life vs death statement about denying our Lord, also adds being ashamed of His Words. If we know a Bible quote that would be relevant in a conversation, we should not hesitate to use it. If you have extra time waiting at the doctor’s office, what would be wrong with bringing a Bible and reading while you wait? You might actually get into a good conversation, and please the Lord by not being ashamed of His Word. If folks at the job only use our Lord’s name for profanity, we should speak up against hearing it. If they don’t, we should spend time with other folks instead. If TV programs inure us to that profanity, we need to shake up our sensitivities and watch a different program. I remember a guy who, in casual conversation no less, spoke of Jesus getting hooked up with Mary Magdalene. I spoke to him in disbelief, like “how can you say that? That’s dangerous; you could be in trouble before God by saying that.” He never thought that God would be listening or offended. He was speechless. Few care about defending our Lord against scandalous charges, or against blaspheming His name. The day might come, in End Times, that we are facing martyrdom if we say that our respect for the dictator will never mean we place him above our Lord Christ. In those days, we cannot deny our Lord; the penalty for so doing is forever in hell, no matter what the pressure you feel to “chicken out.” Let them take your life; there are many, many, more years in heaven that you will be so, so glad you made the right choice. If it means the kids die, you should prepare them for the possibility ahead of time. Remember, Jesus says we MUST love Him above our own family. (We can offer to trade: we will give our life so a family member can gain theirs). God will not accept any excuses or weakening out in that time of evangelistic crisis. The effect on any crowd watching us stand up for our Lord like that will be explosive. It could, if enough people do it, break the back of the persecutor’s aims; and it could save many people. The church always grew in number when fed by the blood of its martyrs. Don’t deny our Lord that glory.

Please look at Matthew 12:30:

³⁰ He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

Jesus is offering no middle ground, no way to procrastinate; it’s either “all the way” with Him, or it’s not abiding in Him. He says He is God; the Word claims He was born of a virgin, He was resurrected, He ascended into heaven. He will not abide with you if you just call Him a “prophet,” or a “greatest teacher who ever lived” We must make our choice now. If we don’t, what happens if we die unexpectantly? We are on our way to hell

OTHER REFERENCE: Luke 9:26

Next, we consider a warning, not quite a “heaven or hell:” IT IS HARD FOR A RICH MAN TO ENTER HEAVEN

We’ll start with Matthew 19:23:

²³ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

The fact is, I have talked with several guys that I knew were well off; none of them were worried about this verse, which clearly says that the odds are much higher for a rich person to end up in hell. It’s true that there are many distracting phrases, to keep us off what the Scripture is saying here. Such as, a camel going through a needle makes some people feel that this verse is not relevant to real life. Plus, Jesus says “with God all things are possible.” After reading that, my rich “Christian” friends feel no self-examination is necessary. But I see them with beach lots, several cars, so if I were them, I would rethink my purchases. They are happy giving 10%. The fact is, Jesus’ teachings on not accumulating assets overrides the Old Testament 10%. The point is, Jesus knows how complacent and involved in the world that being rich tends to make us. He wants to warn rich people that He is first in our lives if we want to make heaven, not money, or reputation, or power. Money has no intrinsic value for the long run. When we die, what can we take with us? Nothing.  All these things are like a monopoly game. When the game is over, when this life on earth ends, the game leaves us with nothing meaningful, and then real life comes, with a huge issue—eternity in heaven or hell? Importantly, the choice was yours, and you already decided which place you end up.

OTHER REFERENCES: Mark 10:23 and Luke 18:24

Next, it is important that WE MUST SEEK THE NARROW WAY THAT LEADS TO LIFE.

There are two relevant Scriptures: Matthew 7:14:

¹³ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ¹⁴ Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Many Christians will be fooled on Judgment Day, as Scripture indicates (Matthew 7:22). I have to question a frequent doctrine: Many pastors tell us there are two seats that Jesus takes to judge. One, the so-called “bema” seat, He says nice things to Christians and passes out reward crowns. The other, the “official” Judgment seat, is for the unsaved. Presumably the Christians get complimented in a separate seat because they are supposedly there before the Tribulation, but the bad guys get judged after the tribulation. Well, I’m sorry to interrupt all these sweet thoughts, but I don’t buy the pre-Tribulation rapture (other blogs).  And there is no “bema” seat anywhere in Scripture. I buy what Paul says in Romans 14:12 (GW) All of us will have to give an account of ourselves to God.

Back to my point: Many people will be deceived, Scripture says. Perhaps that’s because they have no idea of Christ as Judge, who does not give heaven because of a one-day turnaround that you did 20 years ago and have not changed since. As we are seeing in His commandments, He will restrict who enters heaven. It will be narrow, it will be difficult, and few will find it. They will fail, not because God hid it away; it is blazoned on His Word for all to see. But you have to have a discriminating eye. “Oh, yeah, we must love God for real. We must live in public for godliness, that’s hard these days.” Many “Christians,” especially in the U.S., are on the broad path. Lots of distractions, lots of reasons to be complacent, life is fun. “Hey, I thought the reason I was so well off economically was because God loved me, so I figured heaven would therefore be a sure thing.” We are a rich nation, so you have to believe when I conclude the Bible says, not too many in our country will end up in heaven. Satan’s job relative to churches in the U.S. is easier. What we think is a church ‘on fire’ means a church growing its numbers rapidly. Preaching ‘easy-believism’ will do that; and I think that is a path too frequently done. So Satan doesn’t have to worry much about us REALLY being on fire. He can “let sleeping dogs lie.” He’s just fine with how we’re so sure that we can just “go through the motions,” and get the grand prize.

Luke 13:23-24 has a slightly different wording:

²³ Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, ²⁴ “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

“Not be able” to enter through the narrow gate is a different wording than “few who find it.” Though they both comprehend the same thought. If you “fail to find it,” or are “not able,” you might have the same blockage—read the Sower parable again and determine what soil you present to the Lord’s teachings. Do you separate from the world’s lusts? Do you not go on and dig further and find the rock foundation? Are you so lost in the world that you haven’t time for God? Do you hate Christianity so much that any seed someone tries to deposit, your mind immediately throws it away? Are you thinking Science, or Rationality, will defeat the primitive Bible? So, you have never given it a chance.

Next, WE MUST ENDURE TO THE END TO BE SAVED

Of course, we don’t know when our “end” comes. So we need to “endure” all the time. As you can guess, “endure” suggests that in times of hard persecution, or if you have severe tragedy, it’s not time to blow off steam against God—or to abandon Him. Our natural tendency would give in to the pressure, but if we are abiding with Christ, we have put aside our “natural” tendency. It is insulting to Him for us berating in public how our life has gone, because He could come back and say, “How do you think I had it? The most excruciating pain-inducing death that men could offer, being classed as a criminal, naked on the Cross, all done just for healing people—and I knew all this ahead of time. Did I fold? No. And neither can you, if you are Mine. Do not be a coward at the mention of My name. Abide with me, stick with me. You know heaven awaits.” Two Scriptures:

Matthew 10:21-22:

²¹ “Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. ²² And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.

Having your child tell the state, let’s say, that we turned to the illegal doctrine of fundamentalist Christian, and then the child wanting us to die for “treason” against the dictator who wanted worship—I can’t imagine anything worse. Not wanting to be “hated by all” will make many people become apostate, deserting our Lord.

Matthew 13:21 agrees with this turning apostate:

²¹ yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. 

This verse was covered in the Sower. For some reason there is no root to keep you abiding in Him. You’re likely to wilt and fail under the heat of trials. In such cases, you will not endure to the end, but only for awhile. This is a failed crop in the Sower; it does not have much fruit; that is, you would be back on hell’s membership list.

I’ve got verses that are just for the End Times. Because I think we might be close, I’ll include them. They’re in Revelation 14:9-10:

⁹ Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰ he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb

Since taking the Mark of the beast will give you access to food, you would want desperately to “fake worship” the beast and take the mark, and hope God will understand that you still love Him, you just want to feed your family. But these verses allow for none of that thinking. Taking the mark is the same thing as worship. This is one of those “one mistake, you’re done.” The beast has been blaspheming God, trashing Him, and you think you are going to basically cave when challenged by this son of perdition by taking his mark? No way. You have let Satan win. You have to stand up for God’s Name and deny, even at the cost of your life, any idea that you agree with his blasphemy. You have to be on the Right Side the day you die. All your service for Him will be wiped away if you do this single treason from Revelation against your Master. Christ gave His life for us, He loves us, He owns us. The price for staying with Him will be steep, but we must pay. You will be so glad in heaven of your right choice.

Last, we have Luke 21:36:

³⁶ Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Jesus spoke these words while talking of the End Times. If we are worried so much about meals and whether we can all just “stay alive,” we are operating in the world’s game. If we are “watching,” or looking for the Lord’s coming near the end of the Great Tribulation (no, we don’t get raptured out of it); and if we are praying to God, we are showing faith that heaven is more important than our body hanging on to life on a dead-end planet. We thus show we are determined to endure in Him—then we can stand before Him, and say, we stayed with Him all the way. Those stuck in the “world’s game,” however, have dishonored Jesus’ Words, and may not be counted worthy to escape God’s wrath and judgment.

Another verse in the Gospels that bear risks of hell is on the subject DO NOT HARM A CHILD

This does not mean that we can’t discipline our children. The Bible encourages doing that if they misbehave.

The verses are Mark 9:37, 42:

³⁷ “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.” ⁴² “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.

Harming a child like the Hamas does—using them as shields, so they are in the middle of a bomb or a gunfight—this will earn them a bad circle of hell. Telling a child “we will not teach you the Bible; we want you to decide on your religion yourself” is another bad choice. God’s Word says we should train up a child in the way they should go. Do we believe that Scripture is the way to go? Then teach it.

Matthew 18:6, 10 says:

⁶ “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea…¹⁰ “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

Here’s one that gets one mention in the Gospels: THOSE WHO PURSUE CONTINUAL COMMISSION OF SERIOUS SIN cannot enter heaven.

It’s in John 8:34-35. (But it’s a big part of John’s letters). Let me do it in the Pure Word translation. Pure Word gives you the most accurate definition of each Greek word. It upsets the flow of reading, but is for those who want the real meaning of what the author is trying to say:

“…whoever is continuously by his choice doing sin nature and sin is a slave of sin nature and sin. And moreover, the slave is definitely not continuing in the house forever but a son abides forever”

It says the slave does not stay in the house forever, but a son does. The one who finally ends up as a slave (to sin) may be initially saved, and have at that time the potential of entering the house, or heaven, forever; but if he stays a slave of sin—continually doing it—then he loses that status. An adopted son (like saved people are) gets to go to there.

So, in summary, these are the things that we must—or must not do—to attain heaven. Note again, these are AFTER the initial salvation, defined as the realization of our great sin offending God, our sorrow and repentance, our belief that Christ is God, and had supernatural events proving that. So this is after the initial faith; these are showing godliness, showing fruit, showing works—all necessary to continue salvation to the end. Here is my list again.

1. We must abide in Christ
2. We must have continuing fruit
3. We must be humble, recognizing our sinful self
4. We must separate from the world
5. We must love God with everything in us, and our neighbor as ourselves
6. We must give to the poor
7. We must forgive
8. We cannot accumulate wealth in this life; we must accumulate it in heaven—by selling/giving away excess assets
9. We must do the will of God
10. We must leave family members who abuse and even threaten to kill us as an infidel
11. We cannot blaspheme the work of the Holy Spirit; there is no forgiveness
12. We cannot deny, or be ashamed of Christ or His Words
13. We must heed the warning, as needed, that it is hard for a rich person to enter heaven
14. We must seek the narrow way that leads to life
15. We must endure to the end to be saved
16. We must not harm a child
17. We must avoid the continual commission of a serious sin

There are exactly 101 verse/verses that Jesus spoke in the four Gospels, that each place a certain activity on a heaven vs hell warning. Please, do not dismiss 101 items in God’s Word as “legalism” and live your life free and easy with no spiritual obligation. All 17 major themes have a “heaven or hell” designation by Jesus. Life goes to those who avoid these sins.

Let us end with Romans 12, which touches on many of the themes in these blogs:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. ³ For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. ⁴ For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, ⁵ so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. ⁶ Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them…⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; ¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; ¹² rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; ¹³ distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. ¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. ¹⁹ Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.