When someone dies, we often hear things like this:
“She is in a better place.” OR “He is out of pain.” OR “We
will see her again someday.”
Folks, I hate to break this to you, but those words often
are meaningless. The very words meant to
comfort are often of no value whatsoever. I hope they are true for your loved one, but they may not be.
I remember when my father passed away hearing those words by
his well-meaning friends. I was taken aback
by the assumption of heaven upon death.
Heaven is not automatic and not everyone goes there.
The Bible, the Word of God, is very clear about the way to
heaven.
For all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God.
~ Romans 3:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift
of God is eternal life
through Christ Jesus our Lord. ~ Romans 6:23
If you openly
declare that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from
the dead, you will be saved.
For it is
by believing in your heart that you are made right with God,
and it is by
openly declaring your faith that you are saved. ~ Romans 10:9-10
You must be saved
to go to heaven. And yes, I said, “saved.” This is not some weird word that
church people use to scare people. It’s in the Bible.
As we approach Christmas and celebrate the birth of Jesus, remember
that Jesus was born, and then died and was raised from the dead for every
single one of us! Believing this makes
you right with God and grants you eternal life in heaven. Eternal life (heaven) is a free gift – by believing
in Jesus. Being a good person and doing good deeds is not the ticket to heaven. Believing in Jesus, the son of God – our SAVIOR
- is the way to eternal life!
My dad and his oldest brother (my uncle) were both diagnosed
with terminal cancer within a month of each other in the beginning of
2010. My uncle passed away on April 18th
that year, then my dad four months later on August 17th. My uncle
was very involved in his church and a devout Catholic, whereas my dad was quite
the rascal and did not attend church except on a few occasions. After my uncle’s
funeral, my dad, who by then was in a wheelchair and clearly knew his days living with brain cancer were numbered, said to me, “If Ed
didn't make it to heaven – I don’t stand a chance.” That opened up one of the most beautiful
conversations I could ever have imagined with my dad! I had the chance to talk about Jesus with my
dad and assure him that his sinful life was not a barrier to heaven, but simply
believing in Jesus was the way to eternal life! His 69 years of sin were erased
because of what Jesus did on the cross – and dad believed that in his
heart! When I get to heaven, dad will be
welcoming me! Thank you Jesus!
I don’t know what’s in your heart – only God knows our
hearts – but I do pray that you let Jesus into your heart this Christmas if you
have not already done so. Regardless of what you have done, and whatever your sins are (we are ALL sinners!) - heaven can be for you! Jesus is God’s
free gift to us and what a reason to celebrate!
Take time to thank God for this gift – Jesus - the gift of eternal life.
Merry Christmas!
I love you all! xo
