LEARNING DAILY

 

Luke 15:7, “I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” Jesus

 

We were watching television the other night when a commercial came on that really surprised me. It was a simple question or statement: “Heaven or not”. Then the instructions were to go to heavenornot.net. Of course, my curiosity caused me to look for the site to see what it was about. It is a very simple but well-written page about God as Creator of all things, man as a sinner, God sending His Son to save us, and a prayer of salvation. Take a moment to look it up; it is a great link to send to someone who has never asked Jesus to save them.

 

The commercial got me to thinking about heaven. Every person has an eternal destination – heaven or not. There is a requirement to enter heaven. One’s name must be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Revelation 20:11-15 talk about the Great White Throne Judgment where judgment comes for those whose name is not written in this book. Verse 15 declares, “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into lake of fire.” That is not heaven; it is the other option. The only ones who are judged at this judgment are the spiritually dead, those who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, those not “born again”. This place, this option (not) is eternal separation from God and known as hell.

 

Most of you, probably all of you who receive this daily have said yes to the offer of eternal life through Jesus Christ. You have heard that when you said “yes” to Jesus, there was great joy over you when you asked for the forgiveness of your sins and want Him to change you. “God and the angels in heaven have such love, compassion and grief for those who have fallen into sin and spiritual death that when one repents, they openly rejoice” (LSSB). Each of us should rejoice when one who is lost because of sin understands their need for the Savior, gives their life to Him, and asks Him to change them.

 

I need to be reminded that this is the first step; it is a step that takes us on a journey to God’s eternal kingdom. That journey is “on a difficult way which leads to life”. It is difficult because of the many false teachers who disguise themselves as genuine shepherds but teach a distorted gospel. They teach that one who is saved can live however they want to because they are saved. There are difficulties that happen and cause those saved to question if God really cares about them and to doubt their salvation. Temptation and trials of all sorts occur on this narrow way. But those who have made a true commitment to follow Jesus place their trust in Him, knowing He is with us through all these things. He said it was a narrow way filled with difficulties; it is part of the cleansing process, preparing us to enter His kingdom. So, those on the narrow way pursue God in all aspects of their life. We live to bring honor and glory to His name by doing the best we can to become like Him as walk the narrow way.

 

The question we face is heaven or not! It is a choice. It is a choice about where eternity will be spent by each of us. The choice then determines our walk on a broad way or a narrow way. Which do you choose?

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible.