The hope of the true Believer, and the reason they could endure all the things they pass through in this life, is heaven, the glorious city of Almighty God, and the eternal home of the Redeemed of the Lord, Jesus Christ.
If heaven does not exist, then such hope as we have is vain, and all our restraint of the flesh and the pleasures of this sinful world would be to no benefit. As Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, puts it:
“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable”
(1st Corinthians 15:19).
But heaven does exist, and our hope and preparation for God’s holy city is not in vain. John 14:1-3; Revelation 21:9-27.
“And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God”
(Revelation 21:10).
But who gets to heaven in the end? What does it take to be among the blessed and ransomed of the LORD, who will eternally abide in the house of God in peace, joy and unending comfort?
They that would make heaven their final destiny and eternal home will be those who endure the trials of this life, keep vigil over their soul and remain holy and victorious till the end of their sojourn on earth. Concerning the saints of old time, who kept themselves away from sin for the sake of heaven, the Holy Scriptures has this to say:
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is a heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city” (Hebrews 11:13-16).
1. A CALL TO ENDURANCE IN THE RACE TO HEAVEN.
HEBREWS 12:1-13; PHILIPPIANS 3:7-15.
The journey to heaven begins in earnest at the point where we become born again. Until then, we are unknown and unqualified for heaven. John 3:1-3; Matthew 7:21-23.
However, as important as the requirement for a genuine salvation experience (or being born again) is to anyone who wants to enter into the Kingdom of God, we must, nevertheless, understand that the salvation experience is not an end in itself, because it can be lost if we do not continue walking daily with Jesus Christ. So, we need to diligently work out our relationship with Jesus Christ to perfection as Philippians 2:12 admonishes us.
” Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;” (NKJV)
Salvation through Jesus Christ is our only means to that glorious end, which is the final redemption and home -coming of the saved soul at death, or at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; whichever comes first. But in between the point of our salvation and eternal redemption, though, we have so much to contend with from the kingdom of Satan and his agents around us, and Jesus Christ wants us to not lose that battle, but to fight on courageously and overcome as He also did.
“For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds” (Hebrews 12:3).
Therefore, to make our hope for heaven sure and our race there steady and swift, we are admonished to “… lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).
The following will help us achieve success in our race to heaven:
- Self discipline – 1st Corinthians 9:24-27.
- Personal determination – Philippians 3:13-14
- Purposefulness – Hebrews 11:15-16
2. A CALL TO VIGILANCE IN THE SAFE GUARD OF OUR SALVATION:
Hebrews 12:14-17, 25-29; Philippians 3:16-19.
As we chart our course to heaven, we must not be unmindful of the fact that we will have to arrive at the golden gate of heaven with our salvation experience intact; for that is our passport to the golden city of God.
In our text, Esau is depicted as an example of the careless Christian who sold out to the world in the race to heaven and would later regret their action when turned away from the beautiful gate of heaven without mercy.
“Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears” (Hebrews 12:15-17).
The road may be rough and muddy, yet we must appear pure and spotless in our garment of salvation. The blood of Jesus Christ at our disposal is enough to keep us pure and spotless. 1st John 1:5-7; Revelation 7:13-14.
The closing remark of our text gives a solemn warning to the end that if we are careless and negligent over the safeguard of our salvation, we certainly will not escape the scrutiny at the gate of heaven. Only the nature of Christ in the life of the true Believer can endure the shaking that is to test the Believer’s worthiness at heaven’s gate; every sinful habit and bad character cannot endure that shaking. Hebrews 12:25-29; 1st Corinthians 3:10-13.
“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is”
(1st Corinthians 3:13).
3. HEAVENLY CITIZENSHIP FOR THE SAVED, THE SANCTIFIED AND THE VICTORIOUS CHRISTIAN.
HEBREWS 12:18-24; PHILIPPIANS 3:20-21; LUKE 22:28-30.
“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ…” (Philippians 3:20).
There is a place of pride to be occupied in the golden city of heaven by the victorious Christian who persevered in the race to heaven, fought the good fight of faith and held out to the end of their race to heaven. Jesus said:
“Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me: That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel”
(Luke 22:28-30).
Our admittance to heaven is uniquely planned by God Himself in such a way that only those who are qualified for heaven will eventually get there. No one gets there by mistake; no one can be forced into that holy city; no one can be deceived into getting there; no one can bribe their way into that city of delight:
“And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, nor maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27).
There is a universal body of true Believers, drawn from all nations and tribes of the earth, whom the Bible refers to as the “… general assembly and church of the first born (Jesus Christ) which are registered in heaven…” (Hebrews 12:23).
Although they are drawn from different churches or religious organizations where Christ is preached and His holy virtues extolled and imbibed, nevertheless they are not so recognized because of their churches or organizations, but because of their salvation through Jesus Christ, which they possess and hold zealously to the end. Their membership is written in the book of life in heaven, far away from human manipulation or bias. No one’s name is registered there unless they are recognized by Jesus Christ as His own; and no one’s name remains in it if they have forsaken the LORD and refused to return to Him in repentance. Only the victorious Christian will make heaven their eternal home.
“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels”
(Revelation 3:5).