Thursday 19 February 2015

Who can get to heaven

Who Can Get to Heaven.

Someone asked me not to long ago a very simple question, “Who can get to heaven?”
My simple answer anyone.
Sadly I see in the media some evangelist and pastors acting like the Pharisees of old. Jesus said of these men,
“Jesus replied, “And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.” 
Luke 11:46.
In Jesus day the teachers of the law were so worried about breaking the law of God that they had placed around those laws their own so that God’s law could not be broken.
It resulted in a huge burden being placed on the individual. A burden God never intended.
A good example comes from Matthew,
“At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them.  
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.” 
                    Matthew 12:1,2
The Pharisees interpreted what the disciples were doing as harvesting, preparing the food and eating it. It being considered work and not permitted on the Sabbath.
This is not what God had intended.
In the same way many evangelist in the media today are quick to point out the sin in the world. After all the world has a lot of sin it’s easy to point it out.
But God want’s Christians to point the people of this world to him. It is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict men of their sin. Not ours.
Only God knows the heart of men. That’s why we as Christians are told by Jesus in Matthew seven not to Judge.
The apostle Paul saying,
"What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 
                                                                                                          1 Corinthians 5:12,13
We are to present the gospel to every one who will listen to us and let God do the rest.
Acts records Paul and Silas being put in prison when and earth quake hit opening the prison doors. The Jailor fearing the prisoners had escaped was ready to commit suicide.
But they hadn’t escaped they were there and called out to the Jailer. Acts record,
“The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.  
He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
                                                                                                                                    Acts 16:30,31.
Salvation is that simple. The thieves on the cross with Jesus shows how its done.
Luke records,
“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 
But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  
We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” 
Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’” 
Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” 
                                                                                                                        Luke 23:39-43
The second criminal did all that was necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven. To inherit eternal life.
He admitted he was a sinner. He believed Jesus was the Son of God sentenced to death innocently and he asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His kingdom.
Jesus replied. “I tell you the truth today you will be with me in paradise.”
Getting to heaven is that simple.
Think about it.

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