Heaven

Randy Alcorn’s book “Heaven” has opened my eyes to scripture I had read before but had glossed over.

It is like putting the pieces of a puzzle together that had never come together before and then seeing the big picture for the first time.

Alcorn explains that the present Heaven, although wonderful, isn't the final Heaven as described in the Bible in the last two chapters of the book of Revelation. The creator of the present heaven and present earth will create a new heaven and a new earth in which those who love God and want to be with him will dwell.

The new Heaven will be on the newly recreated earth and God will live with his resurrected people eternally on earth. This gives new meaning to Jesus’ promise that “the meek will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

Early in Alcorn’s book, he addresses the “default” destination for humans. Is Heaven our default destination...or is hell?

Our smart phones and computers come with default settings. If we desire other settings, we must take some effort to change from the default settings that come with the device.

The great danger is that readers will assume they are headed to Heaven, Alcorn explains.

Judging from what is said at most funerals, you would think nearly everyone’s going to Heaven, wouldn't you?

But Jesus made it clear that most people are not going to Heaven: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

What would keep us out of Heaven is universal, Alcorn explains. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sin separates us from a relationship with God (Isaiah 59:2). God is so holy that he cannot allow sin into his presence: “Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil; you cannot tolerate wrong” (Habakuk 1:13). Because we are sinners, we are not entitled to enter God’s presence. We cannot enter Heaven as we are, Alcorn concludes. Unless the sin problem is resolved, the only place we will go is our default destination... Hell.

If you were giving friends directions to Denver and you knew that one road led there, but a second road ended at a sharp cliff around a blind corner, would you talk only about the safe road? No. You would tell them about both, especially if you knew that the road to destruction was wider and more traveled. In fact, it would be unloving not to warn them about the other road.

For the same reason, we must not believe Satan’s lie that it’s unloving to speak to people about Hell.

In the Bible, Jesus says more than anyone else about Hell (Matthew 8:12; 10:28; 12:40-42; Mark 9:43-44). He refers to it as a literal place and describes it in graphic terms, including raging fires and the worm that doesn't die, “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12).

Thankfully God has provided a way to resolve the sin problem. Jesus, our Heavenly Father’s Son, explained it the following way when asked by Nicodemus:

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (in Heaven). God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world (humanity) through him.

There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.

And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants” (John 3:16-21).

There aren't multiple ways to Heaven, but thank God there is a way for imperfect humans like me.

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father (in Heaven) except through me (John 14:6).

Alcorn’s book entitled “Heaven” is a best seller and is sold at bookstores near you and on the Internet.

You can find it, as I did, at Amazon.com which offers it as a regular book and as an audiobook through Audible.

I hope you find it eye opening, interesting and exciting. I have and recommend it to you.

Jim Bowles