No One Will Be Argued Into Heaven
After all is considered, nothing but faith will convince us of the reality of God. No one will be argued into Heaven, but we’ll only be able to escape punishment and go to Heaven by recognizing who Jesus is and who we are in relation to Him. The Bible has much to say about this, and no single verse is likely to explain everything at once. However, the Bible does make it very clear if we make the effort to understand and ask God to make it plain to us, that he will answer.
God is not afraid of our questions. He is perfect, because He is God. The real question is about what He thinks of us and how He will deal with us according to it. Our job is to understand Him and respond. Asking these questions is good, if we want to really consider the Bible’s answers.
Jesus is part of what’s called the Trinity, the whole making up God, yet separate in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three, all of the Trinity, yet all God. I don’t expect to fully understand this, but we can see facets of the truth of this in the Bible. The important thing really, is who is Jesus and what does He represent for us? He is called, and calls Himself, many things in Scripture. Most important is recognizing that He is in the authority of God, and stands as the only way for mankind to possibly go to the Father, in Heaven. If Jesus is merely a man, or a prophet, or even a Moses-class person, then nothing He claims to be really matters. In order to be the only way to the Father, as He claims, He must be a God-class Being. No one else is eligible because the way to the Father must be free of sin, have satisfied God’s judgment on sin for those guilty, and stand ready and able to give forgiveness to whoever meets the criteria, which is faith in Him.
Faith is the dividing factor in Christianity. More specifically, it must be faith in God and His answer to freedom from the debt of sin, who is Jesus. Faith is the currency of God. It crosses the divide between us in the material world and God in the Spiritual realm. Faith is a belief which brings action in response to it. We all have faith, even those who say they do not believe at all in God. They still have faith there is no God. The issue is, if God is above this all as He says He is, our stake in our existence lays in who or what we have faith in. If God is the standard, being over everything and being perfect, we need to see Him and ourselves for what we are and consider the ramifications.
Concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Bible records both plainly. Aside from theological reasons, God’s bringing Jesus back to life is one of the more tangible issues we can see. Jesus is the first to be raised from the dead by God, without any sin, yet still in an earthly type body. This body is different in that it is how we were meant to be, without the effects of sin and without any decay. After His resurrection in His body, Jesus spent time here before going back to Heaven. Today He has the same body, and when He comes back, He still will. The reason this is important is that people who have faith in Him, who are ‘saved’, will experience the same resurrection when He comes back to settle accounts. His being alive today is central to His claim as the Son of God and the Savior of mankind.
God wants no one to be turned away from Heaven, and He has made it absolutely free to come in. Disbelief, lack of faith, and denial of God are what ultimately stand in the way of Paradise, and are also responsible for punishment for whoever doesn’t believe. I hope you will consider this and ask questions, even challenge it. Faith comes from a solid belief, no matter how small the faith. To have a saving faith in Jesus, you must understand who He is and what He means to your life.
Jesus as the Son of God, not anything less:
John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
Hebrews 1
2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
Luke 22
66 At daybreak the council of the elders of the people, both the chief priests and teachers of the law, met together, and Jesus was led before them.
67 “If you are the Christ, ” they said, “tell us.” Jesus answered, “If I tell you, you will not believe me,
68 and if I asked you, you would not answer.
69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.”
70 They all asked, “Are you then the Son of God?” He replied, “You are right in saying I am.”
71 Then they said, “Why do we need any more testimony? We have heard it from his own lips.”
Luke 23
1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.
2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.
Why faith is important:
Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
(This includes aliens, if they do exist)
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Death and the spirit leaving the body
Luke 23
46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
The Resurrection
Mark 16
5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.
7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, `He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.'”
8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
9 When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons.
10 She went and told those who had been with him and who were mourning and weeping.
11 When they heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.
12 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.
13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
Luke 24
36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost.
38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds?
39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet.
41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish,
43 and he took it and ate it in their presence.
His Return to Heaven
Acts 1
3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.
11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
He is still alive today
1 Peter 3
21 … It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
22 who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand–with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.