Heaven: Will people be surprised about who’s there?
Yes, but I think they’ll be just as surprised about who’s NOT there. Why would I say such a thing? Because the Bible clearly tells us that people who think they can be saved and qualify for Heaven by their own works of righteousness, won’t get to go there. God refuses to accept any substitutes to what He has provided.
John 14:6
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. [Emphasis added]
Acts 4:12
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. [Emphasis added]
Salvation only comes to people by grace though faith in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. [Emphasis added]
Personal works of righteousness have NOTHING to do with it.
Romans 4:4-5
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that WORKETH NOT, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, HIS FAITH is counted for righteousness. [Emphasis added]
That same Romans passage goes on to say that fundamentally it has always been this way.
Romans 4:6-7
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness WITHOUT WORKS,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. [Emphasis added]
That same passage even points out that our sins were never imputed or credited to us because they were all imputed or credited to Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.
Romans 4:8
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. [Emphasis added]
The apostle Paul says the same thing in his second letter to the Corinthian believers.
2 Corinthians 5:19
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. [Emphasis added]
When a people accept this which has been done for them, they are then credited with the perfect righteousness of God by which they are then saved.
2 Corinthians 5:21
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. [Emphasis added]
It is this that is called justification by faith in Paul’s letter to the Roman believers.
Romans 5:1
Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: [Emphasis added]
Even though I mention this one way or another in nearly every article I write, I’ve found that so many people pay no attention to it at all. Their supposition is that they’re saved and prepared for Heaven because of the works of righteousness they’re doing, religious or otherwise. But what an unpleasant surprise it will be for them when they discover that their own works were totally unacceptable to Him and rejected. Our Lord was faithful to warn people about this during His earthly ministry to Israel.
Matthew 7:21
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. [Emphasis added]
But what was “the will” of God in that day for them regarding this? I have a whole article about that on this website. Here’s the link to it—
Jesus Christ: What does it mean to believe on His NAME?
Is His will different for us today concerning this? Yes, it certainly is! Apart from faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for this, no salvation is provided.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
He says this as he does to point out that his gospel was different from the one Peter and the other apostles preached.
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: [Emphasis added]
To some people this seems too easy and/or too narrow, but such has always been the case. The expression of faith has always been at the heart of one’s means to salvation.
Again, John 14:6
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. [Emphasis added]
Again, Acts 4:12
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. [Emphasis added]
Please see my article concerning this—
Jesus Christ: What does it mean to believe on His NAME?
Even in times past it was only faith in what God had provided that salvation would be given.
Romans 4:1-3
1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it [his faith in what God had provided] was counted unto him for righteousness. [Emphasis added]
For more information about this judgment all unbelievers will face, please see my article about it—
Judgment: Who will be at the last one?
The apostle Paul mentions this judgment after his lengthy treatise on the subject of resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:23-28
23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.
After this verse, Paul is speaking of the resurrection of believers other than those of our time. This would involve believers who are not members of the church which is the Body of Christ.
24 Then cometh the end [Christ’s second coming], when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
There are actually three groups who expect to then be resurrected. These all fall under the heading of “prophetic saints.” These people are anticipating a restored Earth on which they will dwell.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.
28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. [Emphasis added]
Again, apart from the resurrection of Christ, there are three resurrections for believers that are discussed in the Bible.
1—Those believers living before the Mosaic Law was given [Job 19:25-26].
2—Those believers living under the Mosaic Law who will inherit the land they were promised [Psalm 37:29 cf. Matthew 5:5].
3—Those believers who die in the time of the seven-year period of The Tribulation [Revelation 20:4].
All three of these groups will live in the prophesied thousand-year period after Christ returns to the Earth to rule and reign. Certain groups refuse to believe what’s clearly stated about Israel’s status in this period. The whole idea of there being a coming literal thousand-year reign of Christ on Earth is rejected despite what Scripture clearly says about it.
Revelation 20:4-7
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, [Emphasis added]
Last in resurrection we have all unbelievers being resurrected to stand before Jesus Christ at what is commonly referred to as the Last Judgement or the Great White Throne judgment.
Revelation 20:11-15
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great [all kinds of unbelievers], 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.
Here it is shown to them that their works of righteousness were all unsatisfactory and rejected.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. [Emphasis added]
Every statement here is to be taken literally. For more information about this, please see my articles—
Judgment: Who will be at the last one?
Judgment: How do I escape God’s wrath?
Jesus Christ: Are you prepared for your meeting with Him?
Hell: How can a loving God send people there?
Hell: What does the apostle Paul teach about it?
Hell: Will the suffering last forever?
Of course, if you’re a believer who has accepted God’s provision for your salvation, you’ll not be at this other judgment. You’ll be at one where rewards for degrees of faithfulness are being given out.
Investments: Have you made some for your eternity?
You’ll also find videos about this. Here’s the link to one of them.
#215-EP15 ~ The promises of Everlasting Rewards for Faithfulness
You may be one who is glad to know that even if you haven’t lived a life of service to our Lord, you still have a lot to look forward to enjoying forever. People don’t get saved and heaven-bound because of their conduct. Any time anyone gets saved and gains citizenship to Heaven it is by grace through faith in Christ alone.
Again, Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. [Emphasis added]
Personal works of righteousness have NOTHING to do with the attainment of salvation. Personal works of righteousness only count for rewards for those who die as believers. All those who fail to do this will not like it at all where they’re headed. For more information about this, please see my article—
Hell: Will the suffering last forever?
Yes, if you’ve accepted by faith God’s offer of salvation to you, you certainly have a lot to look forward to enjoying forever. All this is why you need to be sure that before you die you’ve accepted this gracious gift of salvation that God offers you. There’s nothing in all your life that is more important than this. And please don’t depend on some false teaching about a place called Purgatory. It doesn’t exist! If you have questions about this, please see my article about it—
Our real hope for Heaven rests in Jesus Christ alone. It is only through your person faith in Him that you’ll get to spend eternity there. If you haven’t done that, I hope you will do that now. People who are trusting in anything else for their salvation are in for quite a surprise, but it won’t be a pleasant one. Just know that there are people who will be in Heaven who lived a very disobedient life. But no one will be there because they somehow quit sinning or somehow earned it. If they’ve been depending on their own works of righteousness for it, they won’t even be there. They’ll be judged at the Great White Throne Judgement and end up in hell and the Lake of Fire. Again, for more information about this, please see my article—
Judgment: Who will be at the last one?
God’s grace is something absolutely wonderful. Apart from it none of us would have any hope at all.
