God has a standard for making heaven and this standard is fixed (Ps. 119:89). Only determined people can meet this standard. According to the Scriptures, the road to Heaven is very narrow! Today, we want to look at “GOD’S STANDARD FOR MAKING HEAVEN!”
In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
In Luke 13:24 Jesus said, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.”
What does it mean to “strive to enter?” To strive to enter means “to struggle with difficulties and dangers antagonistic to the Gospel.”
Many will not be saved because:
a) They seek salvation the wrong way, not striving. But God’s way of salvation is Romans 10:9-10.
b) They seek salvation at the wrong time - when the door is shut (Matt. 7:21-23).
c) They seek salvation in the wrong place – I stand at the door (Rev. 3:20).
d) They seek salvation upon the wrong plea – we entertained You (Matt. 7:21-23).
e) They seek salvation with the mouth but their heart is far from God (Matt. 15:8-9; Ps. 78:35-37; Isa. 29:13).
There are about 14 Gates or Halls you must pass through before you get to the gate of Heaven:
1. The Gate of Salvation: You will see a mansion with the inscription “Welcome to the Hall of Salvation.”
There are only two words in the hall of salvation that will finally be said to an individual – DEPART or PROCEED!
Here you will see so many people that have died and departed from the earth and all of them will be shivering.
Revelation 20:12 says, “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and THE BOOKS WERE OPENED: and another book was opened, which is THE BOOK OF LIFE: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
Revelations 20:15 says, “And whosoever was not found written in THE BOOK OF LIFE was cast into the lake of fire.”
The very moment you repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour, your name is written in the Book of Life.
2. The Gate of Restitution:
In Ezekiel 33:14-16 God said, “Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; 15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed (return that which he has stolen), walk in the statutes of life (walk in line with the Word of God), without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.”
Restitution is one of the conditions of going to heaven. A thief will not enter heaven.
Once you step out of the door of the Hall of Salvation, you will still join that same narrow (strait) road you were following from the junction of separation.
Right ahead you will see another mansion with the inscription: “Welcome to the Hall of Restitution.” There is room for you to restore all you have stolen, or someone’s property in your possession.
Whatever is not yours that is in your possession right now must be returned to the owner before it is too late. If you embezzled government money, church money, you must return them. If you have not paid the dowry on your wife, go and do it now. Nobody who is owing anyone anything (like money) will enter Heaven.
There was this pathetic case of a minister of God (G. O.) who lived a holy life, and preached the sound Word of God. He took from the church money and added to support the daughter’s wedding. And as the G.O. nobody asked him any questions. At the end of the year, when they read the Church account, the money he took was not specified; it was put under miscellaneous expenses. His sin was that he did not specify it and that was what sent him to hell.
I repeat, any property that is not your own, and is in your possession, if you do not return it to the owner before you die, that will bring you to hell fire.
3. The Gate of Forgiveness: Boldly written in this place was, “Unless you forgive others, you cannot be forgiven.”
If there is any person who has offended you and you did not forgive that person before you died, that will take you to hell fire from this junction.
Mark 11:25-26 says, ``And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in Heaven forgive your trespasses.``
Matthew 6:12 says, ``And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.``
Matthew 18:35 says, ``So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.``
No matter who has offended you, you MUST forgive and restore fellowship with that person.
Listen beloved, when you have truly forgiven somebody you will not be referring back to it if you happen to have further disagreements in the future.
That habit of referring back to the past offence proves that you have not actually forgiven her/him from your heart.
4. The Gate of Giving: From here any Christian who has not been giving to the work of God will be cast into hell fire.
When there is need in the Church and a call for money to meet to that need is made, and you have that money in your account in the bank, and you pretend not to have, you will be cast into hell from there because of James 4:17 which says, “Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
Besides, you are a cheat because you come to that church to use up the resources but you are not will to be relevant to the church in any way. No cheat will enter Heaven.
If you don’t pay your tithes, that is a serious matter because you are a thief and no thief has any place in the Kingdom of Heaven (Mal 3:8-9).
Malachi 3:8-9 says, ``Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In (1) tithes and (2) offerings. 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.``
Every Christian who has not been paying his/her tithe will be cast into hell fire from here because no thief will enter Heaven.
5. The Gate of Works: Remember that every work you claim to have done for the LORD will be tested by fire.
1 Corinthians 3:12-15 says, “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 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. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work is burnt, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
6. The Gate of Vain (idle) Words: Here all the idle words you said with your mouth while on earth will be displayed on the TV screen.
If you have repented of those idle words while on earth before you died, the blood of Jesus will come down on that screen, and wipe them away, and you shall be told to PROCEED! If not, you will be cast into hell fire from there.
In Matthew 12:36-37 Jesus said, “…every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. 37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
Jesus reminds us that what we say reveals what is in our heart. What kinds of words come from your mouth? That is an indication of what is in your heart. You can’t solve your heart problem, however, just by cleaning up your speech. You must allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with new attitudes and motives; then your speech will be cleansed at its source.
To be continued!!!
- Your friend, I. I. Madubunyi (Senior Pastor, HOG).
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