Three Easy Steps to Heaven
The New Testament tells of the three things we must do to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. That’s right, just three. The first and last steps take no effort whatsoever and each only lasts for only an instant. The second step takes lifetime and takes all the effort we can muster!
Step One-Be Born
John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 3:9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
Let’s take a close look at what Christ is trying to teach us here. First, we have the word in the King James “AGAIN”, in the Hebrew texts the word is “ANOTHEN” meaning ” from above.” No man hath ascended up to Heaven, but that the came down from Heaven. To enter the Kingdom of Heaven, a man must be born of Spirit from Heaven above, and of the Water (flesh) through woman.
Nicodemus wants to know how this can be. To be born from above. Christ tries to explain to Nicodemus that even though he is a learned man, he doesn’t know where the wind comes from and where it goes. Something as basic and Earthly as the wind is beyond his comprehension, how does he expect to understand the things of God in Heaven. But, God does it, and you have the conception of a child of God.
Today we think we know all about the wind, high and low pressure, rotation, temperature gradients, etc., but we really have no clue how, or where, or when the wind starts or stops. If you have a terrible wind blowing how does it stop? Where does it go? How does something able to destroy trees and buildings just disappear? I don’t think we are really as smart today as we like to think we are.
And what about being born of the Spirit. I’m sure Christ could have explained to Nicodemus exactly how God manages this feat with all the info about electrons, and photons, and gravity waves and dark energy and who knows what else God uses to accomplish this feat. Do you think Nicodemus would have had a clue? I’m sure the explanation would leave us clueless today. I just know that God gets it done!
The Way To Heaven, Step Three, – Die
1Corinthians 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
Ecclesiastes 12:6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Flesh and blood can not enter the Kingdom of God, so we must throw off this earthly vessel allowing our Spirit to return to Heaven. No effort on our part. It will take care of it’s self when God determines the time for the journey home.
Step Two-Believeth on Christ This One Requires Effort!
Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 1:2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 1:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 1:5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. 1:6 And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; 1:7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. 1:8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. 1:9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 1:10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 1:11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Mark 1:12 And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness. 1:13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
(Note the reference to a DOVE, in Hebrew, Younah or Jonah. A foretelling of Christ’s step 3. Three days in the belly of a whale, yet he lives just as Christ spends three days in the belly of the Earth and yet he lives.)
Baptism is the acknowledgement that you are born from above, through the water and into the flesh here on Earth. This realization of the gift of the Spirit of God from above given to you at conception is being Born Again, not what Christ is teaching in John 3. But it is the first step on the journey through this life as a warrior for God.
John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God
So, now we are starting the journey of step two. We’ve been born from above, born again as we realize the Spirit of God in us. We have been Saved. Now What? Whosoever BELIEVETH in Christ will not Perish. So how do you believeth? You carry out the mission of Christ, live Christ’s Gospel as best you can, spread God’s word. You help in God’s war against Satan, to spread the Word that the False Christ will come before Christ’s return, and we must be prepared to recognize him and fight him. What is our weapon. Christ’s sword. THE WORD OF GOD.
Preparation is Everything
In the fight against Satan the only weapon we have is The Word. If you use the traditions of Man as a yardstick, Satan will deceive you and you won’t ever know it. Man’s traditions, if they recognize Satan’s coming at all, say he will come first. The Word tells us Satan will come before Christ’s return. Not necessarily first. Christ warns us that many false profits will arise. Believe them not.
How do you tell if they are “False Profits”? The only was there is. Test them against the Word of God. Believe no man, only the Word of God. And use care and thought. Satan has been working on this deception since the Garden of Eden. We are just as Christ was after His Baptism. We are in the wilderness, tempted by Satan, but we have God’s Word and the Angels who will minister to us if we just ask.
Once you have found Christ, your salvation, the time for salvation is over. You only need to be saved once. Christ’s salvation doesn’t fail, only we can fail Christ. But God forgives all who show true repentance. Don’t sit in a pew, week after week, waiting for another salvation experience. It’s not the rituals and rites that are the right path, but faith in God that will save your soul. Take the faith and knowledge you have, go out and fight the war against Satan as one of Christ’s warriors. The second step may be long and require a lot of effort, but the journey can be joyous and step three ends with eternal life with the Father and the Son. Above all else, remember, God is always in control. Though we may not understand every bump and curve on the journey, God will lead us to eternal life.