Am I Going to Heaven?

Eric wants to know how he might respond to a colleague that asks, “Are you going to heaven?”

And, let's add to that . . . Can we “know” that we're going to heaven?

Wow . . . Talk about an “open-ended” question! This one could go hundreds of directions, right?

But, the interesting thing about that is that if we answered in hundreds of different ways, we'd all end up having to say something about “being 'in' the Lord Jesus Christ.” And, that's the critical point.

The Bible develops several different points about Jesus Christ's “handling” of our sin . . . He is the sacrifice for sin (Heb. 9:26-28; 10:10-14). His blood “paid” for sin in some way – and that needs serious development (Rom. 5:8-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-25). He was the high priest that officiated for our sins (Hebrews, all over). See Romans 4:25. I'd like to say more here . . . But, John 14:6 is clear on this: Jesus is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE. It is only “in” the Lord Jesus Christ that humanity can find salvation.

But, it gets better . . . You know all of those struggles that we still have? Lust, speech, temper, neglect, etc., etc., etc.? (Oh, be honest! We all still face these struggles!) And, yes, they show themselves in hundreds of ways . . . Well, all of these struggles are “handled” in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The interesting bit is that God knew that we, human beings, could not live perfectly in relation to law . . . (It took God's becoming a man – in Jesus of Nazareth – to do it, to show us how to “do it” [that is, how to live as humanity] rightly!) And He actually set the whole thing up in such a way! And, why would God create “humanity,” knowing that we could not live perfectly in relation to His law/commands. Why, it was so that He could save us and be glorified with and by us! (It is out of His love – not some misguided, self-centered ego!) He created us and offers to redeem us FOR OUR OWN GOOD and because HE LOVES US. So, God knew we'd struggle, knew we'd sin, knew that we'd not be perfect . . . And, He still created us with free-will, free choice, so that we might choose to live for Him and glorify Him, which, in turn, is actually for our best, for our benefit, for our good. (And, if we pursue Him, we might just find that it is enjoyable, too! He's invited us into something that is unperceived by so many.)

Now, let's get back to the question that Eric has . . .

Are we going to heaven? Can we know that we're going to heaven?

Oh, if we're in the Lord Jesus Christ, then it is faith in Him as our substitute, as handling our sin – NOT OUR OWN ABILITY TO LIVE AS MORALLY PERFECT PEOPLE, which we cannot do – that “saves” us. If “being a good person” saved people or “being good enough” saved people, then what business did Jesus Christ have in coming to earth?! See, if we – of ourselves – could save ourselves (without the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and the following resurrection), then, there'd have been no purpose to Christ's (God's) coming to earth. But, He did come . . . And it changed the whole human game! Now, APART FROM LAW – that is, “apart from law-keeping” or “apart from earning by my moral performance” (see Romans 3:21), the “righteousness of God” is manifested in Jesus Christ.

See, by being “in the Lord Jesus Christ,” we have chosen to identify with One who 1) met the high and holy demand of the law, which was moral perfection, 2) who lived as “the image of God” perfectly, without sin and showed what “humanity” was always intended to be and 3) invites us into His own fellowship. Now, with Him as our representative – we have decided that He's our “face” or “image,” haven't we?! – we stand PURE because of HIS work.

It's true that we can, again, rebel and choose to live the “old life” like Adam did (cf. Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 15). It's true that we can choose never to follow Christ and choose to rebel and reject Him, never converting to Him. BUT, it's also true that if we claim Christ as our “representative,” claim Him as our “Lord,” that we're committing ourselves to a higher calling and that in such a wonderful fellowship or family, Jesus insists that there is PEACE (Rom. 5:1) and NO CONDEMNATION (Rom. 8:1,2). That's the assurance that we have by being “in Christ.” In Him, in Christ, in Jesus of Nazareth, as the Redeemer, as our Messiah, God looks at us THROUGH Him and sees us as “the righteousness of God,” as His very image (Gal. 3:26,27; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Rom. 1:16,17).

Of ourselves, we'd never be able to accomplish what Christ did . . . He was perfect. He was selfless, sacrificial, loving . . . And, here we are, 2,000 years later, still working at all of these thing . . . He never skipped a beat . . . And, what's better is that he says to us all, “Come on in. Partake in these things with me!” (See Hebrews 3:1.)

Can we know we're going to heaven? Yes. (See 1 John 5:13.) How can we know it? Because we're “in” the Lord Jesus Christ! His work handled it all . . .

I suppose I'd want to know how to “get into” this wonderful fellowship and family of the Lord Jesus Christ. Give Romans 6:1-7, Galatians 3:26,27 and 1 Corinthians 12:13 a read . . . See if the early saints had done something that initiated them into such a fellowship? See if they placed their faith(fulness) in Christ by some act of faith that put them “into” Him?

Are we going to heaven? Thank Christ that He has given us such a victory (1 Cor. 15:57). Thank Christ that He “won” the victory for us so that we didn't have to ride into a battle alone, one that we couldn't have won on our own even if we had tried. “In Christ” and His work, we have peace, no condemnation, assurance.