THE WAY TO GET TO HEAVEN

Jesus continued to discuss His Kingdom in Matthew 7:21-23. He said, "Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day, many will say to me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God's laws.'" Ultimately, it is God who decides who will enter His Kingdom. We do not have the authority to determine who enters God's Kingdom. Sadly, many people today think that they will enter Heaven, but in reality, they are far from entering it. According to Jesus, only those who actually do the will of God the Father in Heaven will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Our obedience to God's Word is the requirement to enter Heaven, and in order for us to obey our Heavenly Father, we must put our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior and completely surrender our lives to Him. Doing things for God, such as giving money to the church, helping people with their needs, or being a good person, is not enough to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. We must trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior by surrendering our lives to Him.

If we have been living in sin and not wanting to repent, yet we profess that we believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we may be one of those who think that we can enter Heaven, but in reality, we are far from entering it. We need to be serious in trusting Jesus as our Lord and Savior by surrendering our lives to Him. We cannot live a double life. We cannot live in sin while we profess that we believe in Jesus. Our Heavenly Father always examines our hearts. He knows if we truly surrendered to Him or not. If we are living in sin, let us repent and surrender our lives to Him. Our Heavenly Father is gracious to forgive our sins if we humble our hearts before Him. He never rejects those who come to Him for forgiveness and repent. He promised us that He is coming back again to take those who belong to Him and judge all those who do not belong to His Kingdom. However, He has not come back yet to fulfill his promise because 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

There is only one way to surrender our lives to Him: we must correct our ways and do what is right if we are living in sin. We must first believe in Jesus as our Lord and Savior by surrendering our lives to Him.  

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Have I trusted Jesus as my Lord and Savior? Have I completely surrendered my life to God? Is there anything in my life that I need to repent from and make right before God?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Please forgive me of my sins, and I repent of my way of sin. Please help me surrender my life to you and obey your Word. Thank you for your mercy, grace, and love. You do not reject those who humble themselves before you. Thank you that I belong to your Kingdom. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.