Those Who Are Not Going To Heaven

Jarrod Jacobs

            In Matthew 25:46, we read, “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” As Jesus taught His apostles about the final judgment, we see that Jesus said some will not be in Heaven. Specifically, Matthew 25:41-45 shows that some not going to Heaven are those who did not treat their fellow man in a righteous way. Yet, this is not only seen in Matthew, but in other passages as well.

            For example, John, the Revelator, tells us that “the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars” will not be in Heaven. Rather, they will “have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone” (Rev. 21:8). Passages like Galatians 5:19-21 and I Corinthians 6:9-10 list others who will not be allowed into Heaven. Let us pay close attention to these words and make sure we’re doing what pleases the Lord.

            Lastly, a group that will not be in Heaven are some Christians! Paul teaches that Christians can fall from grace and be lost (Gal. 5:1-4). Let us read what Jesus said to the saints in Ephesus: “But I have this against you that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent” (Rev. 2:4-5). Let us heed these warnings and be with those going to Heaven by believing in Jesus Christ, repenting of your sins, confessing your faith and being baptized (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38, 22:16).

Don’t Open The Door To The Devil

Jarrod Jacobs

            It has been said, “If you don’t open the door to the devil, he goes away.” Truly, the only way for the devil to have an effect upon your life is for you to open to door to him. Satan, “prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (I Pet. 5:8). Why is it that he can “devour” some and not others? It is because some resist the devil, while others do not (Jas. 4:7).

            This begs the question: “To what extent are we resisting the devil?” Paul warned to “make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Rom. 13:14). It is a sad fact that some, while saying they are resisting the devil, will make “provisions” for doing the very thing they protest! Do we merely resist Satan when it is something we don’t want to do anyway? Please remember that sin has its pleasures (Heb. 11:24-25). Yet, they are temporary. Therefore, the sins we find “pleasurable” will be harder to resist. (This is not to say that all pleasure is sinful, merely that sin can be pleasurable.) John said, “The world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever” (I Jn. 2:17). Are we doing our best to resist Satan at all times, or are we merely resisting when we feel like it? Paul said, “We are not ignorant of (Satan’s) devices” (II Cor. 2:11). Let us understand that Satan uses such things as envy, lies, lusts, greed, and pride to lead us away from God. We each are responsible for our actions (Col. 3:25), and we each allow Satan into our lives by choice. Will we succumb to his devices, or will we resist him so that he will flee from us (Jas. 4:7)? Choose wisely.

Convenience-Store Religion

Jarrod Jacobs

            In far too many cases, we find religious groups willing to cater to the whims and wishes of men. How many times have we heard people say, “Choose the church of your choice”? The end result is a nation of people who think they can just “drop in” to any church they please, “get what they want” and hurry on back to their life with no fuss, no obligations, no guilt, no exhorting to do right, and no expectations. Is this the way God pictured His people? By no means!

            The Bible says, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24). There is no stronger word in the English language than the word “must”. What God expects of men is not an option! We “must” worship Him “in spirit and in truth.” How is this accomplished? Not by doing things to my satisfaction, but in worshipping God the way He directs (Acts 2:42, 20:7; Eph. 5:19; I Cor. 16:1-2; etc.). God has told us what He expects. We do not “pick and choose” what we like, but wholeheartedly obey all His word (Rev. 22:14; I Cor. 15:58).

            Cornelius told Peter, “Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God, to hear all that you have been commanded by God” (Acts 10:33). Do we have this attitude, or do we go “hither and yon” until we find a preacher and a church who teaches what we want to hear? (II Tim. 4:3-4) Friends, the religion of Christ is not a religion of convenience, but of conviction! Have you been convicted of your sins (Acts 2:37)? Are willing to change, and stand strong for the Lord in all things (Acts 2:38; I Cor. 15:58)? Few do this (Matt. 7:13-14). What will you do?

“God Is Just”

Jarrod Jacobs

            Thomas Jefferson once said, “Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.” The Hebrew writer said, “Our God is a consuming fire” (Heb. 12:29). Considering the fact that God is just, and that He will judge righteously, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31).

            The justice of God ought to be a great comfort to all those who are His children (Acts 2:38, 11:26). While men may be bribed, threatened, and otherwise coerced to make judgments in favor of certain ones, God is not like this. Regardless of social status, God is just. “Who says to a king, ‘Worthless one,’ and to nobles, ‘Wicked man,’ who shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they all are the work of his hands?” (Job 34:18-19). Peter said, “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:34-35). David rightly said, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage” (Ps. 33:12).

            Seeing that God is just, life is short (Jas. 4:14), and the judgment is certain (II Cor. 5:10; Heb. 9:27), what have you done to make your life right with God (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38)? Mr. Jefferson got it right when he considered the just nature of God and trembled. What are you doing? Are you trembling or ignoring? Think about it! Our “second chance” is right now (II Cor. 6:2)!

A Dangerous Thing: Bible Ignorance

Jarrod Jacobs

            I remember reading a news report some years ago that stated that children who lack Biblical knowledge are “at a huge educational disadvantage” in school. In an article for the Religion News Service, Helena Andrews said her findings reveal that “students without Bible knowledge take more time to teach.” In fact, the non-profit group called “Bible Literacy Project” based out of Fairfax, VA, did a similar study in which it was discovered that children who do not have a basic knowledge of Scriptures are at a significant disadvantage in school. The reason is because classic and modern literature is full of Biblical references. For instance, William Shakespeare’s works contain over 1300 Biblical references. Herman Melville’s Moby Dick begins with the statement, “Call me Ishmael” (See: Gen. 16:15). The “Bible Literacy Project” is now trying to get schools involved in an academic study of the Bible so that young people will be able to comprehend the many Biblical references that are found within our literature.

            When I first read this article, I remembered a statement a dear friend of mine made. He said, “You can spend many years in school acquiring degrees, but unless you have a knowledge of the Scriptures, you are not an educated man.” This fact was stated by David in Psalm 119:98-100. The apostle made it clear that the Scriptures make one “wise for salvation” (II Tim. 3:15). Further, we must not be “foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17).

            Notice that when people push the Bible out of their lives, it not only affects their souls (Hos. 4:6), but other parts of their lives as well! If you wish to be truly educated, then learn and obey the words that “shall not pass away.”