THE crux of the Gospel of Christ is the presentation of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour drawing hearers and resultant believers to Himself to be part of His organisation. This message also known as the Good News of Jesus Christ presents to the born again believer an accomplished or finished work by Jesus Christ which is His authority and power to gather people to Himself. Those who give heed are recreated in the spirit being and are made one with Him and sit with Him in heaven.
Accepting the message of Christ delivers us from spiritual death to life and from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Heaven. At the point of salvation, there is total remission of sins based on what Jesus carried out on our behalf. The salvation is thus unearned, undeserved, unmerited and humanly unattainable favour. It therefore follows that we have entered heaven. In the last instalment we quoted Ephesians 2:6 which tells us plainly in the Amplified Bible, “And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).”
It’s heaven at first not heaven at last. This is so because it’s not our works that saved us. Ephesians 2:8-9 hammer, “[8] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.” He sees to it to the end. Hebrews reinforces, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
Jesus assures us that we won’t be lost along the way. Hear His soothing and assuring words in John 10:27-29, “[27] My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: [28] And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. [29] My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” We partake of the joy of salvation and face the end of ages with confidence. 1 John 4:17 guides us, “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”
We have not believed in vain nor followed human philosophy. Apostle Paul writes to Timothy and shares his Christian hope in 2 Timothy 1:12, “For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” There’s no place for fear. Philippians 1:6, Amplified, comforts us “And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.”
There are masses who have been disenfranchised of the joy of salvation and the assurance of eternal life because of the so called “visions” or near death experiences by believers they deemed “more” closer to God. Painfully and regrettably so, some have backslid. Beware of Pharisees who make sure that both you and them won’t enter heaven. Jesus reveals to us in Matthew 23:13, Amplified, “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces; for you neither enter yourselves, nor do you allow those who are about to go in to do so.” Refuse to be led by the blind nor blindly follow heresy.
One of the very basic rules of Bible interpretation is logic. We have heard or we hear stories of people who said they went to heaven and saw mansions being built and some Christians had no place and others have small houses. Many times John 14:2 is misinterpreted. It reads, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” There’s a school of heretics and mischief makers that would want to be felt as spiritually weightier than others. Let’s apply the rule of logic here. God is Spirit, John 4:24, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” Houses or mansions and gold are not spirit. This should settle fear of inferior “lodgings” in heaven and remove the love of money.
We know that Jesus Christ is seated on the right hand of God the Father and we’re in Christ. They’re spiritual matters. The canal mind can’t comprehend this. There are some who have stretched it too far in most cases to solicit for expensive stuff to milk the sheep. They use the book of Revelation that roads in heaven are of gold so let’s start enjoying gold here on earth.
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Remember the rule of logic. Another rule is context. In biblical interpretation, context is king. Space doesn’t allow me but let’s read, Revelation 1:1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.”
Please take note of the word signified. The book of Revelation needs illumination or to be demystified and not read in literal sense. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.
