What You Need To Know About Heaven and Salvation

Easter is a very exciting season with the greatest opportunity to bring people to the house of God, and to bring people to the Lord.  Before I was a Christian I never went to church.  However, on Easter Sunday I would put on my best clothes and go.

Now, I’m going to give you some keys on how to win people to Christ: your friends, your unsaved loved ones, your neighbors, your children, etc.

1. Living With A Revelation of Eternity

“And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”

John 12:32

This verse is talking about when Jesus got lifted up from the cross.  On Easter we lift up the cross, the death, the burial, the resurrection, and many come to Jesus Christ.

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him.

John 3:14-15

The consequences of receiving Jesus Christ into somebody’s heart is eternal life.  Let’s take a moment here because sometimes people don’t let those words sink in.  If you let those words sink in, they will change your entire life. 

I had the privilege this week of being at a funeral.  Three of our eldest members of Freedom City Church passed away.  The first one was a precious lady who loved the Lord and was the oldest member of our church, the second one was another one of our members, and the last one was the mother of one of our Pastor’s.

About a week before all of their passings, the Lord was speaking to me about Heaven.  When someone passes, people use words like “we lost them.”  The Lord was dealing with me telling me not to ever say you lost somebody.  If they’re saved and they have Jesus Christ in their heart, they just move into another city.  If you have a cousin, a friend, or somebody that moved to Chicago or New York, you’re not going to mourn over them telling yourself you’re never going to see them again, because they just moved to another city. 

2. What Is Heaven?

I believe because we don’t preach heaven and hell enough, we don’t have faith for the afterlife.  So when people die you think you’re never going to see them again.  Of course, you’re going to miss them, in the flesh, that is normal, even Godly.  But our sorrow has hope knowing this is not goodbye forever.  This is more like see you later.  We have to be careful we don’t mourn into depression thinking we’re never going to see them again. That is why we have to believe our loved ones are going to come to Jesus Christ when they die and they’re going to Heaven. 

Heaven is a real city.  There are trees, there are animals, there are flowers, etc.  It is a city of gold with buildings and mansions.  People think it is so far away, but actually Heaven is closer than your bedroom or your living room.  Heaven is one breath away.  If you’re born again and you breathe your last breath on earth, you will take your next breath in Heaven.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

Now, here is where it gets scary.  It’s a healthy fear.  Like the fear of God which is a Godly fear.

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Rather, be afraid of One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28

This scripture is saying that there has to be a healthy fear of God, Heaven, and hell.   People may have somebody who died and are wondering if they went to hell.  The truth is you don’t know.  Somebody may have done something to hurt themselves, but their mind was messed up and they died in that condition, so you wonder if they are in Heaven.  You can’t just judge because if somebody is sick in the mind, they’re sick, so God works with people.  This is why we have to preach the gospel, get people saved, and we have to believe God.  Because if somebody dies without Jesus in their heart they’re not going to Heaven. We need to love and respect people enough, fear God, and tell people that Heaven and hell is real and they need to get right with God.

Final Thoughts 

Of course people will say, “what kind of God sends people to hell.”  The truth is that God sent His one and only Son to die on a cross.  He died a brutal and murderous death.  It would be like I gave up my youngest son to be crucified so he could help people.  But the people he helped spit on him, tortured him, and murdered him. You have to remember He gave his only son to be sacrificed on that cross for our sins.  So man can be forgiven, have eternal life, and go to Heaven when they die.  If man rejects God’s only way to Heaven and ends up in hell, they can’t blame God.  God did everything He was supposed to do.  He gave us Jesus Christ, His only Son, and whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

It’s very important we understand and have revelation of this subject and live in a position of eternity. God wants to prosper you so you can give, be a blessing to others, and preach the Gospel. There is nothing wrong with material things because God will give you prosperity, but in the end, this life is a vapor. It’s here today and gone tomorrow. We have to live for something more than just paying bills and material things. We have to live for eternity and for eternal values. This will determine what we’re going to do in life.