John 14:2-4.
“In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
“In My Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
Text Version:
The question to you is, “If
you were to expire tonight, will you be received by Jesus in His Kingdom of
Heaven into a mansion He has prepared?”
You may think doing a short
test on such an important, if not the most important test you will ever take
seems that such a test trivializes the question – “Will I go to Heaven?” Let me
attempt to set this idea to rest. Do you think asking this question about
something that is so personal invades your privacy and you resent it? Well I
can understand because I was where you are at with no Bible knowledge and
virtually no spiritual awareness growing up in a home riddled with atheism. I
was asked this question many times by folks who ended up receiving a mouthful
from me also. I know exactly where you are coming from in this regard, but I want
to share with non-believers and others that have had some sort of church
upbringing an opportunity to test your faith however you came to it. That you
would be bold and open-minded enough to finally know for sure the answer to the
eternal question I have set forth here. There is no reason to take offense to
my challenge because it comes from my heart with compassion and love for all who
are seeking the truth about God and His Kingdom – Heaven. It deserves an honest
study of God’s Word. The Lord knows you will put Him to the test and He
welcomes it because He loves all His creation and wants you to come home to a
mansion. But He is also a just God that is in charge and knows what He expects
souls to understand and follow through to please Him. You see and this may
sound harsh, God doesn’t need you or me. But He wants you, desiring to give you
every good gift from Heaven free of charge. All He asks for is your heart. I as
well am asking you to explore your heart and mind as you consider Gods Word and
His plan for you.
Do you think words are
important? I admit to you first hand my words at times have hurt, but they have
uplifted also. Let’s consider what God says about this, “All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or
perverse is in them. They are all plain to him who understands, And right to
those who find knowledge” (Proverb
8:8-9). Words we choose shape our very lives. They set us up for both
goodness and danger, evil and righteousness. So, the answer to this question is
obvious. The words written in the Bible lead to righteousness. Will you choose
to read and listen to their instruction? Let me tell you something. Out of fear
of Gods judgment and missing Heaven, I finally did read and listen to His words
by obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ. His words literally uprooted my life and
set me on the path back to Him. And I can say without equivocation nor doubt, I
have a mansion in Heaven waiting. I love the Lord with all my might, with all my
heart and all my soul. I believe I have passed this test I am about to share
with you.
This test is a non-threatening
icebreaker to the greatest question of all time. And that’s a fact. There is no
greater question one should consider answering however long it takes, just so
long as it gets answered and responded to before you leave this life. The test
does not cover every aspect of spiritual instruction, but it does cover the
essentials God requires in the bible to enter His church and on the road to
Heaven. It’s a narrow gate and a difficult path as you will read in the gospel
books in the New Testament. They are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Then for information
and instructions on how the church was established and how to become a new
citizen of the Kingdom, the book of Acts will vividly show you what 8 or so examples
of what people learned and did to become Christians in the first century. These
examples were the Jews in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost around A.D. 33,
just 5 weeks after Jesus ascension into Heaven. A preacher named Apollos, some
disciples in Ephesus, Lydia and her family, a Philippian Jailor and his family,
a high powered Jewish Treasurer, the Christian persecutor Saul of Tarsus, and
more. These instructions in the New Testament still hold true today and will
never change as Jesus the Christ never changes as we read in Hebrews 13:8.
So, if you are searching out how
to be assured of a place in a mansion, you need to consider your "spiritual
state" with God to know whether or not the Lord will in fact award you a place.
Jesus Christ’s instructions in the New Testament will reveal how one can know
if he or she will have eternal life after the one day we all must face. The
following questions will help guide the seeker into this knowledge and
ultimately assurance of a home with Him.
- Do you believe every word in the bible is written by direct inspiration of God through men? 2 2 2 Timothy 3:16.
- Do you believe God created all things including all living things on the earth, even you? Genesis 1:1-28.
- Do you believe Heaven does exist and do you want to go there? Matthew 22:29-33, John 18:36.
- Do you believe the Devil exists and is wreaking havoc in the world today? Matthew 4:1-11.
- Have you heard and obeyed the gospel? 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:14.
- Do you believe that Jesus was who He said He was while on earth, the Son of God i.e. God in the flesh? John 1:14, John 8:24, Titus 2:13.
- Do you believe Jesus lived, was crucified to death and buried in a tomb for 3 days, and after such, resurrected to life? Matthew 28:6-7, Romans 5:8, Romans 6:5.
- Do you believe you are a sinner separated from God doomed for the lake of fire? Isaiah 59:2, Romans 3:23.
- Do you believe Jesus had to shed His blood for you in order to atone (pay) for your sins? Hebrews 9:22.
- Are you repenting of your old sinful ways, turning your life around by changing your mind, and knowing your sinful life will subject you to the judgment of God? Acts 17:30.
- Have you confessed among witnesses your love and acknowledgment that Jesus is your savior and King? That only through Him you have access to God in heaven? Romans 10:10, Acts 8:36-37.
- Do you believe baptism (in water) is a spiritual circumcising work of God where the blood and resurrection of Christ is contacted? Study Colossians 2:12 in-depth before answering this question.
- Do you believe that Jesus commanded baptism for the remission of your past sins is the final passive act of obedience that gifts you salvation? Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:21.
- Do you believe you have to be “in Christ” to be saved? How does this happen? Galatians 3:27.
- Have you been baptized (immersed) in water for the remission of all your past sins to be saved, not because you are already saved? Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Romans 6:3-4.
- Once you have been saved (redeemed), do you believe you can lose your salvation? Matthew 7:21-23, 2 Peter 2:20-22, Ephesians 5:1-7, Philippians 2:12.
Charts courtesy Barnes Bible Charts
May you be blessed gaining more knowledge of what God would have you do to be His and have a home with Him.
