What people think heaven will be like comes from other people’s concept of heaven in movies or books. It could be from myths that someone in church may have been taught.
What if someone ask you about heaven and what they must do to get there, what would you tell them?
Before answering it would be best to discern if their spirit is sincerely seeking out these questions. Begin by asking them if they believe in God? If they say yes, then you can share that you believe that heaven is where God lives and reigns and that you can share only what God says heaven will be like and how you can be with him from the Bible, because you believe it is the very word of God.
If they are willing to listen, then they may be someone Paul said is seeking God and trying to reach out to him and find him.
To help them find God, ask them what they think heaven is like.
People’s concept of heaven would be from what I said earlier or may be what they want heaven to be like, but not the way Jesus says it will be.
This is what the Jesus says it will be like.
Revelations 21: 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 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."
Revelations 22: 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will
not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
Jesus said in heaven, God will dwell with you and he will wipe away all your tears, there will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain. You will forever live with Him and serve Him and bear his name. There will be no more night but live in the light of God and reign with him forever.
This description of what heaven is the prophecy of Jesus that you can share as God’s word and we are warned not to add or take away from it.
Revelations 22: 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
Will this description of heaven appeal to everyone? No.
But there will be those who are being called and drawn by God and are seeking God and you who know and love him can help them find him.
Begin by sharing that God loves them so much because they are his children because when he created Adam and Eve, he loved them by giving them his breath, a life-giving spirit which lives forever which gives our body life and this spirit that dwells in us make us God’s children.
But because of Adam and Eve’s sin and our sins, which is being disobedient to God’s will we were cursed to die for our sins which is to be forever separated from God and his heaven.
Now God still loved his children so very much that he made a way for them to be with him forever and that is through his Son, Jesus to die for the penalty of our sins.
And if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth and took on the flesh of man and died for your sins on the cross and rose from the grave on the 3rd day and confess that he is your Lord, God promises you will be with him forever in heaven. But this belief must also be with the right heart for God which Jesus teaches.
Jesus teaches what a person heart must be like it they want to inherit eternal life.
Luke 10: 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" 27 He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " 28 "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
So, your belief in Jesus is to love him with all your heart, soul, strength and mind. Jesus gives an example of what this means in:
Luke 18: 18 A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.' " 21 "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!
To love God is to love him more than anything in this world especially the world’s riches even your own life wanting to be with Jesus in his kingdom which Jesus promised to the thief who was dying next to him.
Luke 23: 39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" 40 But the other criminal rebuked him.
"Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? 41We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." 42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. " 43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
These Scripture passages are for you to know for certain what is true to God, so share to someone who is seeking God for the first time these Scriptures would be overwhelming to them. Begin by sharing what they need to believe in Jesus and it must be with all their love for God and wanting to be with him heaven more than this world.
If they believe in you words and repent they will seek for help in understanding how to love God and this opens the door to their heart for you to teach them God’s word or invite them to a church body that are spiritually mature that can teach them God’s word by the Holy Spirit.
Remember Jesus reassures us that only he knows who he will allow to come to know him and his Father.
Luke 10: 22 "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him."
But as children of God, you must always be prepared to share the hope you have in him.
Be safe in Jesus,
Ps. Glenn