WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GO TO HEAVEN ?
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: “Wat moet ek doen om Hemel toe te gaan?”
Someone wrote to me about a loved one who committed suicide.
Then the person asks me how they can know if the person is in heaven.
Here then is my answer to the person as well as a message perhaps to you who are reading here today.
Or a message you might need to share with someone you know.
I'm so sorry to hear about all the sadness in your life.
As for the question to me about where your loved one may be, I only have the following answer for sure:
Because I am only human and did not know your loved one, of course I cannot tell you whether Jesus was with him or whether he arrived on the other side without Jesus – but what I am going to share with you now is an indisputable fact if you believe that what is written in the Word is the Word of God.
1 COR 2:11 For what person knows the thoughts and motives of a man except the man’s spirit within him? So also no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
There are many things that we will not fully understand in this life, but as far as your loved one is concerned, I also know this one thing:
ROM 8:27-30
27 And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes [before God] on behalf of God’s people in accordance with God’s will.28 And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.
29 For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most beloved and honored] among many believers.
30 And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified [declared free of the guilt of sin]; and those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity].
Now I just want to share with you the following from our Lord's precious Word:
There are many things in this life that we should do according to the Word to help us live closer to our Lord and have a better love relationship with Him and the more of these things that we read in the Word that we ought to do, if we do, the better we will also hear His voice in our lives. Because the closer to the Word we live, so to speak, the closer we move to our Lord.
Because it's just a reality in life, that the closer you are to someone, the better you hear his voice and his heart.
It also works in our spirit as far as our Lord is concerned.
However, everything starts with accepting Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
We read in the Word:
ACTS 2:37-39
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart [with remorse and anxiety], and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?”
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 “For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is for you and your children and for all who are far away [including the Gentiles], as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself.”
JOHN 3:36 “He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; (it is He who did what you have just read) but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually.” (It is he/she who did not want to open his/her heart to Jesus' calling)
We read:
REV 3:20-21
20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door [of the church] and continually knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him (restore him), and he with Me.21 ‘He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant to him [the privilege] to sit beside Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down beside My Father on His throne. (He will make us with Him, equal to Him)
In this connection we read the following from our Lord's precious Word:
1JOHN 3:2 Beloved, we are [even here and] now children of God, and it is not yet made clear what we will be [after His coming]. We know that when He comes and is revealed, we will [as His children] be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is [in all His glory].
How wonderful to be able to make this great truth from our Lord's precious Word our own:
JOHN 1:12 But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name—
JOHN 1:13 who were born, not of blood [natural conception], nor of the will of the flesh [physical impulse], nor of the will of man [that of a natural father], but of God [that is, a divine and supernatural birth—they are born of God—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].
Back to your loved one, and to you and me.
There are many people in heaven who have rarely or never been in a church. Just think of the one murderer who hung next to Jesus.
There are many people in hell, who have been in church almost every Sunday/Sabbath. Just think of most of the Pharisees in Jesus' time.
Of course, I could have made many other comparisons, which involve many other sections of society, but I will suffice with this, because I only want to confirm what I am going to share with you now and that is the following:
If you cut it down to the bone, there is one undeniable fact, which our Lord's holy Word states very clearly for us and that is:
If I leave this life and I arrive on the other side of the grave with Jesus in my life, I will enter heaven and be very happy there forever.
If I leave this life and I arrive on the other side of the grave without Jesus in my life, I will enter hell and die the most terrible death there forever and yet never die.
This is the undeniable truth that our Lord teach us in His Word and especially Jesus Christ Himself.
Now the question is:
Can you answer this question of Jesus positively today?
JOHN 11:26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me [as Savior] will never die. Do you believe this?”
If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and believe it, and follow Jesus to the end in this life, you know that you will arrive with Jesus on the other side of the grave.
If you are unsure where you will spend eternal life, by far the most important question in your life to which you must be able to answer 'yes' is:
Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour?
Believe me today when I tell you.
This is by far the most important question that one can ask oneself in this life and if you cannot answer ' yes’ with certainty to this question, then you do not really have made Him your Lord and Saviour in your life.
Then today He stand before you again in your spirit and He knock on the door of your heart, and He is saying again today through this writing to you:
REV 3:20-22
20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door (of your heart) [of the church] and continually knock. If anyone (today it is You) hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him (you) (restore him), and he (you) with Me.21 ‘He (today it is you) who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant to him [the privilege] to sit beside Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down beside My Father on His throne. (He will make you with Him, equal to Him.)
All you must do now in sincerity is the following:
Just say in your heart, right here where you are sitting and reading and do it in real sincerity:
"Jesus, I haven't really opened my heart to You yet, but now I do.
Because I realize that without You I am headed for hell in my sinful lost state and I will arrive on the other side of the grave without You.
I want to have a love relationship with You and finally spend the afterlife with You forever in heaven.
Help me Jesus."
Now you look for a congregation that preach the whole Word, as the infallible Word of our Lord and you attend a service of theirs and after the service meet the pastor of the congregation and make an appointment with him to guide you further ahead.
If you cannot find such a congregation in your area, contact me and I will try to help.
I now leave you with this wonderful great truth from our Lord's Word, through the mouth of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, which applies to every person who has accepted Jesus as his/her Lord and Saviour:
JOHN 10:27 The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me.
JOHN 10:28 And I give them eternal life, and they will never, ever [by any means] perish; and no one will ever snatch them out of My hand.
Greetings,
Sakkie