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Heavenbound???
August 7, 2006

Pastor Ralph Green

Recently I read that there are more people expecting to go to heaven than actually believe that heaven exists. I know! I had to read it a second time. The expectation for eternal destiny to include heaven is pretty general. Further confusion is seen when a secondary question, “On what basis do you expect to go to heaven?” is presented.

I realize there is a diversity of views presented by the numerous camps that call themselves Christian. This does add to the confusion. Having reviewed with many people their expectation for heaven I don’t believe that this is the greatest problem. Essentially, there are only two methods of being approved by God that is part of the doctrine of Christian groups. One is we must perform at some level. This falls into the category called works. A person somehow must be good enough. The second category is called grace. This is where God does all the work and all we can do is place our faith in His finished work. Many will speak of grace and then assign accomplishments as a part of salvation. Any time works is added, grace is eliminated. Romans chapter 4 is a good study on this issue.

But as I have already stated, Christian doctrines that clash are not the real problem. Then what could it be? Have we not often complained that since Christians cannot agree there must a real difficulty in coming to any conclusions about this matter. The answer to that is to simply discover the methodology of how a particular group comes to their body of “truth.” Again this is going back to the two ways of being saved.

The real problem is that people have simply abandoned God in their thinking. Many have been indoctrinated in a particular set of teachings and yet go about as if they matter not at all. Many have reported experiences such as coming to the truth after being acquainted with Biblical teaching but today worship is not a part of their life. It would cause one to question the validity of the reception of the body of truth they were taught or the spiritual experience claimed.

God has simply been forgotten. He is a God who demands to be worshipped. While some houses of worship attract large crowds it is easily recognized that all the places of worship could not contain those who at some time have claimed to have received God as their Savior or have been trained and committed to a particular group. Easter sees a major traffic jam around the two Catholic churches in my neighborhood. Surely the priest wonders why those folks are not there all the rest of the weekly services that suddenly become so important at this one time of the year.

People have redefined God into who they want Him to be. With a high view of themselves and a low view of Him, their expectation is that He could not possibly reject them just because of how they see themselves.

A serious call to Biblical Christianity which includes: getting to know the nature of God based upon what He tells us of Himself is very necessary. We need to start by reading the Book He has presented to mankind.

That’s right---we are telling God who He is and what He can do!

I think we are in big trouble…

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