September 2013

I Wanna Be in the Club or How do I Get into Heaven

I felt like the Big Guy Upstairs has told me to write a “How to guide” or a “Frequently Asked Questions” post for God-seeking people. He also told me to add a heavy dose of grace to the post. I have to admit. I feel somewhat unqualified. Nevertheless, God has used unqualified people throughout the Bible. Moses was not only a fugitive, but he was also cowardly, when God first asked him to lead his people out of Egypt. Jonah tried to run and hide from God, when God asked him to go to Nineveh. I guess that I sort of ran from God when he asked me to write this post. I sort of ran from him when I immediately told myself that I was unqualified. I also sort of ran from him because I kept procrastinating. When God asks someone to do something, it generally turns out better, when that person makes it a priority. Since he IS the creator of the universe, I probably should not drag my feet when he asks me to do something.
So here it goes. I guess the biggest question is “How do I get into Heaven?”
You get into heaven by GRACE and grace alone. Grace is so simple and so complex at the same time. A Google search defined grace as “the free and unmerited favor of God”. It is free, meaning that it does not cost anything. It is unmerited, meaning that we do not deserve it and cannot earn it. So, defining grace is pretty simple. However, understanding Grace is not so simple. In our world, everything is transactional or give-and-take. For example, we exchange work for money. We exchange school work for good grades, diplomas, degrees, etc. We exchange money for groceries, clothes, car, etc.
We do not have anything that we can exchange for Grace. All of the good works in the world cannot buy a ticket into heaven. Now, don’t get me wrong. Good works are part of a Godly life and the Bible clearly states that people will be “judged” according to their works. However, that judgment does not determine whether or not you get into heaven. It means God will ask you about your works. He will not kick you out or let you in because of them, however. I agree that the whole “judged according to your work” thing is confusing. I’ll be glad to try to explain it further, if anyone asks.
So, the next question is “If Grace is free and I cannot earn it, then how do I get grace?”
You get grace through Jesus. All you have to do is ask for it. Countless people have punched their ticket into heaven with a modest prayer such as this: “Dear God, I am thankful for your son, Jesus. I believe that you sent him to earth to save us, and that he died for all of mankind’s sins. I ask Jesus to live in my heart so that I can humbly accept his grace and forgiveness.”
If you prayed that prayer, then you are in the club. He punched your ticket to heaven for you. You are forgiven for all of your misdeeds: past, present, and future. Once you are in the club, there is nothing that you can do to get kicked out.
So, the next question is “I’m in the club, what’s next?”
I will try to answer that question in the next blog post….