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Heaven’s Entrance Exam

Contrary to popular opinion, heaven isn’t reserved for the morally upright, the good citizens, or those who are genuinely sincere.  Heaven isn’t guaranteed for “good” people any more than it is barricaded to “bad” people.

In fact, getting into heaven takes a lot more than most of expect.  Here are a few items on the after-death entrance exam:

One Term You Ought to Know

Have you ever been in conversation with an “industry expert” who utters words, abbreviations, and phrases you’ve never heard?  I remember when I first began to research investments: P/E ratio?  Beta?  Volatility?  Selling short?   ROE?  It was almost enough to make me hang it up.

But I stuck with it, and while I’m no financial expert, I'm basically up to speed on the smart-sounding lingo.

Sometimes I think churches create a similar barrier; a language barrier between the religious and the not-so-religious.  

Mere Churchianity

Many religious people seem content to live in a state of “Churchianity” rather than Christianity.

While Christianity calls people into a living, dynamic relationship with their Creator,  Churchianity marries its adherents to a set of religious customs and traditions.  Christianity is a relationship built on the highest imaginable form of love — Churchianity is an empty life consisting of Sunday religion and spiritual showmanship.

Why Do Christians Believe Jesus Rose Again?

 The resurrection of Jesus Christ is really the cornerstone of Christian theology.  Without that historical event, faith in Jesus is unwarranted.  If His body is rotten in a grave, the Christian faith is a sham.  Over the centuries, Christians have experienced the power of the risen Christ in a personal sense, and they've defended the historicity of the event using powerful logical and historical arguments.

I've Broken the Law!

Breaking God's law is a serious offense, especially when you consider the fact that most of us have broken all of His laws many times (at least in our hearts). The Bible explains: "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Will He find you innocent or guilty? Of lying? Of lust? Of greed?

What is a Disciple?

If you've read the Bible, undoubtedly you've come across the term "disciple." What does it mean? After all, Jesus said that people who wanted to be disciples would have to deny themselves, give up everything for His sake, and follow Him forever.

Will I Be Condemned?

None of us enjoys talking about the judgment of God. Yet the Bible is clear: it is coming. There will be a day of judgment — a day when true justice will be meted out to every human being.

The Bible predicts that the vast majority of people will face condemnation from God, for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Having rejected God's only solution to their sin problem (Jesus Christ), this multitude will stand naked before their Maker with no hope of rescue.

What does it mean to be condemned?

1. To be strongly disapproved of. When our Creator looks at us, He strongly disapproves, or condemns, our sins — our lying, lust, hate, greed, self-righteousness, and pride. To face the “strong disapproval” of the all-powerful God is a fearful thought.

2. To be found guilty and sentenced. The people sitting on death row have been condemned by human justice — they have been found guilty and are merely waiting to take the “walk.” Similarly, people who fail to put God first in their lives — those who disobey Him — also find themselves on a sort of “death row,” waiting until they stand before the Creator Himself to answer for their rebellion. The Bible teaches that humanity as a whole has already been found guilty and is under the sentence of death and eternal judgment from God (John 3:18).

3. To be declared “unfit for use.” Have you ever seen a condemned building? Whether the roof is unstable or the floors are about to cave, an official from the government has declared that the building is unfit for habitation. Human beings were designed, originally, to love and worship God, and in a sense, to be a “temple” unto Him — but the warped walls and crumbling foundations of the human soul have made us “uninhabitable” — declared unfit for God's use and purpose.

Challenge: Thankfully, God is willing to reverse this terrible condemnation. We can be declared “right,” we can be forgiven, we find approval in His sight, and we can be restored to our life's purpose! These wonderful gifts have been made available through Jesus Christ — are you taking Him seriously?

To Read: Romans 3:10-25

What Will God Do With You?

When it comes to God using you in His great plan, the Bible makes it clear that He is more interested in your character than He is in your abilities. Many of the greatest "heroes" in the Bible weren't great speakers, teachers, or singers. They were just ordinary people with an extraordinary commitment to God.

So ask yourself, if God wanted to use you to influence the lives of other people, could He?

In the book of 1 Timothy, Paul lays out some guidelines for church leaders. He explains that those who wish to become leaders in a church need to develop certain qualities in their lives: "Deacons (servant leaders). . . are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain . . . In the same way their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well" (1 Tim. 3:8-12, NIV).

Sadly, many people look at a passage like this and give up hope of ever being used by God. "I've already blown it," they think. "I could never be a preacher or a ministry leader." But God isn't looking for people who were born perfect, He is looking for people who have been transformed. He is seeking people who, through faith and hard work, have become honest, controlled, sincere, respectable, trustworthy, and faithful.

No matter what has happened in your past, God can use you to do mighty things. It may take time to develop into the type of person outlined in 1 Timothy, but it is possible, even for you. Don't give up hope. Take a few steps in the right direction:

1. Regularly learn and pray through Bible verses.

2. Meet weekly with another believer to talk about your progress, your struggles, and your goals as a Christian.

3. Pray that God would transform you into exactly the person you need to be to fulfill His mission for your life.

To Read: Titus 1:6-9

Assurance of Salvation

The book of 1 John is written to show people their spiritual condition -- whether or not they have a real relationship with God. In the book, the Apostle John (one of the original disciples of Jesus) lists five evidences of genuine faith.

In his opening statements, he writes: "This is the message we have heard from him [Jesus] and declare to you: God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him, yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth." (1:6)

Evidence #1 - CONFESSION

1 John 1:9 explains, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Sin can be simply defined as the evil things human beings do, everything from lying to adultery to jealousy to anger. The Bible is clear that in order to find forgiveness from God, a person must confess (admit) their wrongdoing to God.

Often, people aren't willing to admit they've failed or disobeyed God. Such a person is deceived. We must confess our sins to God, or He will not forgive us.

Confession is acknowledging the fact that you have broken God's Law and rejected His authority. It is a heart attitude that says: "Lord, I am nothing without you. I've blown it, I've messed up, I've disobeyed you. I need you to change me."

People who really have a relationship with God are willing to confess their sins to Him, because they want to obey their Lord.

Evidence #2 - OBEDIENCE

"We know that we have come to know Him if we obey his commands. The man who says, 'I know him' but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in Him. But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in Him. This is how we know that we are in him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." (2:3-6)

If we don't obey the Lord, we don't belong to Him; our obedience is the proof that our faith is real. The famous Apostle Paul said that he would preach that people needed to "prove their repentance by their deeds." He also spoke of the "obedience that comes from faith."

True faith always results in a change of lifestyle. A person who previously was walking in darkness, away from God, changes direction and begins a new type of living. They may not do everything perfectly, but their desire is to learn how to obey Jesus.

Evidence #3 - ALLEGIANCE

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:15-17)

People who have a real relationship with God don't love the things of the world (pride, lust, and greed). Instead, they ask God to help them overcome their past sins, pledging allegiance to Jesus as their new Master.

There will always be a temptation to go back to sinful living, but God has promised to finish the good work He has begun in our hearts. We must be willing to say "no" to sin, because we love God!

Evidence #4 - VICTORY

"He who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains on him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God." (3:7-9)

The whole reason Jesus had to come was simple: the devil had lead mankind astray, and Jesus came to restore our relationship with the Creator -- to guide us back home. Jesus came to DESTROY the devil's work -- sin.

People who follow Jesus have a new life "planted" inside them -- a seed of righteousness, that grows every day. If you really have a relationship with God, you won't want to continue living a sin-filled lifestyle, with all the bad habits and evil behavior that used to define you.

As a Christian, you have a whole new definition. "Christian" means "little Christ" or "Christ-follower!"

When Christians do sin, the Apostle John explains that we have Jesus standing in our defense. He knows we are weak, and His goal is to help us on our journey toward getting evil out of our lives completely. He wants us to experience victory!

Evidence #5 - LOVE

"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death." (3:14)

When Jesus takes over our lives, He gives us new desires. Love, the most important commandment in the Bible, is a powerful evidence that God has really come into our lives. If a person doesn't love Him and other people, it probably means they don't really know Jesus.

"We love because he first loved us. The one who says 'I love God' yet hates his brother is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother." (4:19-21)

John is conveying a very simple message -- we must love others in the same way that Jesus loved us. We are not talking about "romantic" love here -- this kind of love goes much deeper. It is love that reaches out to the lost, feeds the hungry, aids the poor, shares the Good News of the Bible, and genuinely cares about the needs and feelings of others.

Conclusion: Can I Know for Sure?

Absolutely! It is possible to know if your relationship with God is real. The changes He begins to make in your attitude, lifestyle, and thoughts are powerful evidence that He is at work in your life.

"I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (5:13)

John wrote the book of 1 John so that we could know for sure that we have His life inside of us. There are many pretenders out there -- fake Christians who give the rest of us a bad name. How can I know if I'm real? Remember this simple statement: the proof isn't in the talk, it's in the walk.

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9)

The famous poet Robert Frost wrote:

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
and I, I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference."

What Should I Do Now?

1. Read the book of 1 John in your Bible. If you don't have a copy, you can read it online here (you may want to print out the pages so that you can take your time considering God's truths)

2. Begin praying that God would help you walk in the light. What sins are in your life that need to be confessed to God? Ask Him for the power to change.

3. Download our free tool "Keys to Sin-Free Living." It is a Bible study that will help you overcome sins and learn to love God.

Four Tests of Faith

Some of us have doubts about facts in the Bible. We're looking for proof regarding creation, the resurrection, or some other miraculous event. However, I find that even more people have doubts about the reality of their faith.

It's not the theories or stories they have trouble with, it's questions like: "Am I really a Christian?" "Can I really be sure I'd go to Heaven if I died today?" "Sometimes I don't feel close to God, what does that mean?" "Do I really believe?"

I take comfort in reading the book of 1 John when doubts surface about my own Christian experience. This book of the Bible is for people who need assurance of their faith commitment. The author states: "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13.

Notice he doesn't say you "might know" or you "could know," he's talking about actual knowledge. It's possible to know with certainty whether or not you have eternal life. So what are the tests?

Test #1 - The Confession Test

"Confess" means to admit truth to God or others. The two confessions mentioned in 1 John are confessing one's sins (admitting to God the wrong things you have done) and confessing Jesus Christ as Lord (admitting him as the rightful authority over your life). Do you confess the truth to God? Have you confessed Jesus Christ as the master of your life?

Test #2 - The Practice Test

Great basketball players don't become great overnight. They work day in and day out perfecting their skill, practicing for the game. They may miss a shot here or there, but they keep practicing. Likewise, while human beings may "miss" once in a while, 1 John says that practicing righteousness is an evidence of true faith. Are you striving to become "righteous"? Do you act, think, and speak in ways that please God?

Test #3 - The Priorities Test

Some people use their lives to chase earthly things: lust, greed and pride. Others, realizing that there's more to life than temporary fulfillment or prestige, live with eternity in view. 1 John teaches us that our priorities are great indicators as to the reality of our faith.

"For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:16-17.

Test #4 - The Love Test

When asked about the most important commandment in God's Law, Jesus said that loving God and loving other people summed up "all the Law and the Prophets." 1 John 3:14 explains, "We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death." Do you express your love to God and the people around you?

If you're one of the many who struggles with personal doubt, why not turn to the book of 1 John today, and learn how to be sure of your eternity? After all, who would want to risk not knowing the truth?

"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?" 2 Corinthians 13:5, NIV

I originally wrote this article for publication in the Marco Island Sun Times.