The Path to Heaven

14/08/2021
The Wide and the Narrow Path – 1866

14 August 2021

We have been indoctrinated with a few scriptures to think, believe and act in a certain way. What if we are wrong? Unbalanced? On the wrong path? Sometimes we get so “positive” in our thinking that we refuse to consider anything “negative” because we only want to hear and receive ‘sugar-coated’ blessings and more blessings.

It’s been said that your concept of God makes you what you are. We have reduced God to our level; it has become all about us and not about Him anymore. Take a look at the songs we sing in church today. There are few words of praise, adoration, exaltation and worship towards God Almighty in the lyrics. (1 Chron 29:11-12) Instead, it is filled with its all-about-me love songs and what God can do for me.

We have learnt to keep our eyes on the hands of Jesus (what we can get) instead of His eyes (to know Him!)

One of the root causes of this thinking pattern is the use of the Passion translation bible (TPT) made popular by Bill Johnson. More info… This causes new believers to think that the path to heaven is covered with flowers and butterflies, that all is wonderful, and life will be easy peasy.

A preacher once said that some Christians would miss heaven by 18 inches. That is the distance between your head and your heart. Some Christians think they are on the narrow path, but their heart is far from it. You might have a head knowledge of God but no revelation of Him in your heart.

We need to seek and study His Word (using a decent translation) and ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes if we are on the wrong path.

The scriptures teach us that we need to REPENT (turn away from sin) and FOLLOW Jesus. That means to do His will and obey His commandments because He is our Lord and Master.

Some believe that the sinner’s prayer on a certain day has bought them a ticket to heaven. The ‘sinners prayer’ used today is unscriptural and was only introduced in the past 100 years in the church with a “once saved always saved” doctrine. We need a revelation of salvation, or else we might miss it completely.

But Christ died for ‘ALL’ and forgave all our sins. This is, however, a “conditional” statement, and the condition is: Now by this we know that we know Him, IF WE KEEP His commandments, 1 Joh 2:3. We have to believe, accept and obey His commandments. Not the OT law, but the 1,050 NT commandments that were given to us. “If you love Me, keep My commandments”, Joh 14:15,

A few NT commandment examples:

  • Be not conformed to this world (Rom 12:2)
  • Beware of covetousness (Luk 12:15)
  • Keep yourself pure (1 Tim 5:22)
  • Be anxious for nothing (Phil 4:6)
  • Click to see more…

But we are the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor 5:21) We forget the “IN HIM”. If you are in Him, you will not watch porn. 1 Thes 4:3

Our previous generation understood that salvation was all about a journey of overcoming temptation and sin. The classic “Pilgrim’s Progress” was the most widely read book next to the Bible, and Christians understood the narrow path to heaven.

2 Thes 2:13
God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth.

Mat 7:21-23
21  Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!

They were cast away because of lawlessness (v23) because they did not do His will (v21) and obey His commands. Heb 5:9, 1 Pet 4:17, 1 Pet 1:2, 2 Cor 10:5

What is the mark of a believer?
There is an internal change in the heart of a believer with a desire to do Gods will (obey His commands). We don’t do it perfectly, constantly or entirely, but we have a daily desire to do His will and to please Him. Col 1:10 Rom 8:8. Every day, the believer wakes up and says, “Lord, I want to do your will today!” That is part of the true believers DNA.

Jesus didn’t say that they did not do miracles and healings in verses 22-23. Even though they did miracles, Jesus said, “I never knew you”.

The Greek word “knew” means: learn to know, come to know, get knowledge of. It is a constant progression of knowing Him more and more. A couple gets married, sign on the dotted line and have a ceremony. But if the two depart on their separate ways after the ceremony and occasionally phone each other, they don’t “know” each other.

We were created for one reason only – to overcome temptation, thereby displaying His power in us. We cannot do it of ourselves but by His Grace that work in us as we walk in a close relationship with our Saviour.

As we see the calamity in the world increase and it seems that we are approaching the very last days, we need to ensure that we are on the right path and not be deceived to be led away to another path where the grass is greener. As times get more difficult, we need to walk in faith with our eyes steadfast on the path to reach our final destination, heaven.

Written by C&C