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The Glory of Heaven

by

John MacArthur
All Rights Reserved

How good do I have to be to go to heaven?
Most people understand that doing evil can keep us out of heaven. But few realize the Bible also teaches that doing good cannot get us in. None of us could ever gain enough merit to deserve heaven. We are sinful, and God's standard is utter perfection. Jesus said, "Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20). He added, "you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (v. 48).

Then who can be saved?
The disciples asked Jesus this same question (Matthew 19:25). His answer? "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (v. 26). In other words, our salvation is not something we can accomplish. It is something God must do for us.

What if I stopped sinning now and never sinned again?
We are hopelessly in bondage to sin and could not cease sinning no matter how hard we tried. Scripture says even our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). In other words, we are sinful to the core. Furthermore, a single sin would be enough to destroy us forever: "Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all" (James 2:10). But even if we never sinned from now on, we still bear the guilt of our past sins. And "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23).

Is there any way to be free from the guilt of sin?
Scripture says, "The blood of Jesus . . . cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

How can Jesus' blood cleanse our sins?
When God forgives, He doesn't merely overlook sin. Atonement must be made. Christ's death made full atonement for those who trust Him. His dying counts in our stead if we believe. However, that only erases the guilt of our sin. Remember, we still need perfect righteousness in order to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20).

Where do we get that perfect righteousness?
The full merit of Jesus' righteousness is imputed, or credited, to those who trust Him alone for salvation. Scripture teaches that God "justifies the ungodly" by reckoning Christ's righteousness to them (Romans 4:5). They are clothed in His righteousness, and God accepts believers solely and exclusively on that basis. That's why Paul was willing to discard all his own efforts to earn God's favor, preferring instead to stand before God robed in a righteousness that was not his own (Philippians 3:8-9. If you are not a Christian, you need to lay hold of this truth by faith: the sin that will keep you out of heaven has no cure but the blood of Christ. If you are weary of your sin and exhausted from the load of your guilt, He tenderly holds forth the offer of life and forgiveness and eternal rest to you: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).

How can I be sure Christ will save me?
No one will be turned away: "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (Jn. 6:37). All are invited: "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. 22:17).

What will heaven be like?
In heaven there will be no sin, suffering, sorrow, or pain. We will never do anything to displease God. There will be no persecution, division, disunity, or hate. In heaven there will be no quarrels or disagreements. There will be no disappointments. There will be no weeping because there will be nothing to make us sad. We will then know perfect pleasure. Psalm 16:11 says, "In Thy presence is fullness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever." Everything that now makes us groan will finally be done away with, and we will find ourselves in the very presence of God, where the purest and truest kind of pleasure is possible. In heaven we will also have perfect knowledge. Paul writes, "Then shall I know even as also I am known" (1 Cor. 13:12). We will have no more unanswered questions, no confusion, no ignorance, and no more need to walk by faith rather than by sight. We will live in perfect comfort. We will never experience one uncomfortable moment. We will finally know perfect love. We will love God perfectly and will be loved perfectly by Him for all eternity. His love will engulf us forever. We could summarize by saying that heaven is a place of perfect joy. Think of it: we will finally be perfectly free from evil forever. We will never again have a selfish desire or utter useless words. We will never perform another unkind deed or think a sinful thought. We will be perfectly liberated from our captivity to sin, and finally able to do that which is absolutely righteous, holy, and perfect before God. With sin and its effects erased forever, it will be a life of unimaginable blessing!

 

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