When Do We Get To Heaven?

"...you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die...the wages of sin is death..."  (Genesis 2:17; Romans 6:23a)

Good old Grandpa Adam and Grandma Eve believed a lie....and it was Satan who told the lie.  Once we start believing that a lie is the truth, it is almost impossible to convince us otherwise...Christians included. And of course the whole purpose of lies is to hide the truth, right. Sooo....What was that first lie?

"...you surely will not die...but when you eat...you will be like God." (Genesis 3:4)

I was taught in Church that Christians go immediately to Heaven when they die. But after I began to seriously study the Scripture, I found that I was believing and teaching something that was not true...a lie.

The truth about when we get to heaven comes from Scripture, such as the following.  Note the "will be", the "after that" and the "at his coming":

"For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all WILL BE made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, AFTER THAT those who are Christ's AT HIS COMING....The last enemy that will be abolished is death...the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ..." (1 Corinthians 15:22-26; Romans 6:23b).

Jesus was the "first fruits" and the rest of us are made alive "at his coming". And listen to "these words" of "comfort" in Paul's answer when asked specifically what happens to loved ones "who are asleep"...

"Now we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, about those WHO ARE ASLEEP, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope...For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout... and the dead in Christ shall be rising first, thereafter, we, the living who are surviving, shall at the same time be snatched away together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air...COMFORT one another with THESE WORDS." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 CLNT)

Paul's "words" of "comfort" were that we will be "made alive" when Jesus returns. He did not comfort them by telling them that those who had died were already in heaven...because that would have been a lie. Don't you think he would have told them that if it were true?

Now let's look at the two passages of Scripture used consistently in churches to teach that Christians go immediately to heaven upon death. Paul says...

"...I say and prefer, rather, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8)

and Jesus says to the man being crucified next to him...

"...today you will be with me in Paradise" (Luke 23:43)

Paul was simply saying he preferred to be present with the Lord rather than continue suffering in this life.  The context shows that he wasn't teaching about what happens the moment a person dies.

And this is my paraphrase of what Jesus said "I assure you today, you will be with me in Paradise" (note the comma). He was assuring the man next to him that one day both of them would be in Paradise. Jesus himself did not rise from the dead for three days and three nights so he could not have been talking about that same day.

"...just as Jonah was in the stomach of the sea creature for three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights." (Matthew 12:40)

Christians use these two verses to justify their believing a lie.  So what is the harm in comforting those grieving by telling them their loved is now in heaven? 

Well nothing unless you prefer the comfort of the truth to the comfort of a lie.

When I think of my Mom and Dad, I am comforted in knowing that they are at peace, resting in a long sleep, oblivious to the suffering of this present evil age. And when Jesus returns to wake them it will seem, to them, only as "the twinkling of an eye". 

"...the living know that they will die, but the dead don't know anything... I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." (Ecclesiastes 9:5; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

In the "twinkling of an eye" Mom and Dad will rise with me and my family through the clouds to meet Jesus our Savior in the air, "at the same time"! 

That truth was given to Paul to comfort those grieving.  That truth is more comforting to me than the lie!

Deceitful Workers

“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light…" (2 Corinthians 11:13-14)

I recently read a quote from one of those “workers”, a Jewish Christian evangelist from down under (appropriate). It went in part like this….

“It deeply concerns me when I hear a professing Christian telling an unbeliever that he is a good person…Anyone who says that human beings are good are calling Jesus a liar…it makes me doubt the genuine nature of the Christian’s salvation…to fail to warn sinners of the terrible consequences of sin (damnation in hell) is the ultimate betrayal of Jesus…”

Don't get me wrong I could care less about what this guy is deeply concerned with, and because I am personally familiar with what the Bible actually says by reading and studying it for myself, he cannot deceive or offend me. I am posting this to my blog because I love my family and friends and want to warn them about believing what men like him have written down through the years.

This particular person has debated atheists, written over 70 books and authored countless evangelical tracks over the years. He has even written a commentary of sorts on the Bible - apparently the Bible is not clear enough for regular folks so it was necessary for this "worker" to clear it up.

Jesus had this to say about those like him 2000 years ago...

"You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44)

According to this guy anyone who says his Mom, Dad, Children or anyone else is a good person is calling Jesus a liar. Really, I don't think so.  There is liar in this scenario, but it is certainly not those who know some really good people and tell them so.

I really hope this guy isn't intentionally leading people astray. Satan is so good at deception and is such a good recruiter that his “deceitful workers” are mostly ignorant of their role and probably believe what they are saying. They work for or are the leaders of religious organizations, including Christianity. They usually promote obedience to the Law of Moses or Sharia Law or some other religious Law, and teach that obedience to that Law is the method for getting and staying saved, getting eternal bliss, and avoiding eternal conscious torment from the god they are promoting (sometimes even mixing in the word grace). And they all refer to those who don't join their group and tow the line as unbelievers or infidels.

And these “deceitful workers” of the Christian persuasion profess concern for the salvation of those who disagree with them (Islam not so much). Their methods are subtle, as Satan is subtle, but you can easily tell when they are of Satan. How you may ask?

They will base their argument on a lie, claiming or inferring that the lie is truth from their religious book. It is “no wonder” because Satan is the “father of lies”. It worked in the garden of Eden on Adam and Eve and it has been working ever since among mankind.

Now for the particular lie of the above “worker”. The lie is obvious to anyone who has read and studied the Scripture (so Muslims get a pass here). The lie is his statement that “the consequence of sin is damnation in hell”. Of course he does not give chapter and verse - there is none. It is interesting that both Christianity and Islam agree on this lie, they just disagree on what the sin that sends one there is.

These men will never quote in context the relevant Scripture which does tell mankind what is the consequence for sin - SOOOO I will do so and I will also quote what God says He has done about sin and for sinners, even for deceived "workers"…

“The wages of sin is DEATH…But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us…for as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive…the last enemy that will be abolished is death...that God may be All in all...death is swallowed up in Victory." (Romans 6:23; 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:22,26,28, 54)

The deceived "workers" will suffer the consequences of sin like everyone else and they will die - but Jesus will return and resurrect them and everyone else. Even these “deceitful workers” will reap the love of God and His free gift to sinners.  His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, ransomed them, and has reconciled them to God. And He will freely give them eternal life...

“The wages of sin is DEATH but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord...who gave himself a ransom for all...for it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds, yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach...it is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners...we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. PRESCRIBE AND TEACH THESE THINGS..." (Romans 6:23; Colossians 1:20; 1 Timothy 1:15-2:6; 1 Timothy 4:10-11; Colossians 1:20 )

Conversation With Satan

“Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden? …” (Genesis 3:1-5)

The serpent is a figure of speech for Satan of course…and he is the deceiver, primarily of those who know what God has said. Above is the first occurrence of Satan’s deception of those who walk and talk with God. He simply asked the women - “did God really say…?” and states “You will not certainly die”, in effect calling God a liar. Eve believed Satan rather than God.  His method has not changed over the past 6000 years and here is a few examples it seems to me…

God: “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)

Satan: The Lamb of God only takes away the sin of believers.

God: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners…” (1 Timothy 1:15)

Satan: Christ Jesus came  into the world to offer salvation to sinners.

God: “As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22)

Satan: Only believers will be made alive.

God: “…trust in the living God who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers” (1 Timothy 4:10)

Satan:  God will not save all men, only believers.

God: “…there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all...” (1 Timothy 2:5)

Satan: Only believers were ransomed.

God: “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a)

Satan: The wages of sin is hell for unbelievers and heaven for believers.

Immortality

“Now the serpent was craftier than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, did God really say, you must not eat from any tree in the garden? The woman said to the serpent, we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, you must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die. You will not certainly die, the serpent said to the woman. For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:1-5)

Of course Eve was not talking to a snake, but Satan himself. The term “serpent” is a figure of speech. And here we see how Satan works and where he works. He puts doubt in the mind of those who claim to be familiar with the Word of God, like Eve and Adam (or Christians). He does not spend much, if any, time with so called wicked folks. His business is to deceive godly folks. Note his question of Eve with regard to what God told her…

“Did God really say, you must not eat from any tree in the garden?”

How she responded is key to understanding how Satan works today and how Christian men and women get deceived. Eve responded and ADDED to what God had said…

“…and you must not touch it, or you will die…”

God never told them that death would come if they “touched” the tree. She ADDED to what God had said with her own interpretation. Then Satan said to Eve…

“You will not certainly die”.

And of course she did not die immediately when she “touched it”, so she ate from it and gave some to Adam and he ate. The rest is history. They were banned from the Garden where the “tree of life” resided, and not being able to eat from the “tree of life” they, and all their descendants (us), die. But here will be a resurrection and access once again "the tree life"..this time life will include "immortality".

"He who who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God…and when corruption has put on incorruption and mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass that which is written – DEATH is swallowed up in VICTORY” (Revelation 2:7; 1 Corinthians 15:53-55)