Death is a scary prospect for many people, but for Christians, it’s not so scary!
As Christians, we have assurance from God that when we die we will be with God for eternity in heaven – also known as the ‘new creation’.
But sometimes, when fear overwhelms us, it can be really hard to feel certain of that fact. Death is the big unknown, and it’s difficult to feel hopeful about something that is so fuzzy to us.
So how can we be sure that we’re going to heaven – and that heaven will actually be good? Well let’s take a look at the Bible.
Jesus opens the way to heaven for us
In John 14:1-4, a few iconic verses, Jesus is speaking with his disciples and tells them this:
Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.
Jesus’s disciples are concerned about their future, but he wants to reassure them: they will be going to heaven, because they believe in him!
We learn other key facts about heaven from this verse:
- There is plenty of room for anyone who believes in Jesus
- Jesus prepares a place for us
- Through Jesus, we know the way to heaven
Heaven is open to even the worst sinners
Sometimes, we worry about whether we’ll be going to heaven because we worry that our sin is too great to be forgiven. But anyone can be forgiven through Jesus!
When Jesus was hanging on the cross, he spoke with two criminals – two people actually deserving of punishment, unlike the sinless Jesus! One criminal joined in the mocking of Jesus with the crowd, but the other recognised the innocence of Jesus and asked him, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
Then, Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)
Even this criminal, deserving of death, is promised that he will be in heaven with Jesus! That’s great reassurance for all of us.
Heaven is going to be great!
Sometimes we worry about whether or not we’ll be going to heaven – and sometimes we actually wonder if we want to go to heaven! But let me assure you: heaven is going to be amazing.
In Revelation, John has a vision of heaven and it sounds just wonderful:
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
In heaven, we will be with God for eternity. There will be no more sin or pain – and no more death to fear. That’s something amazing to look forward to!
Whenever you doubt if you’re going to heaven, be reassured: through Jesus, the door to heaven has been opened to you. He promises to take you there, no matter what you’ve done, as long as you accept his sacrifice for you. And it’s going to be a wonderful eternity with God!