Sitting reading, I became aware of a little bird in my room. It was making fruitless efforts to escape. From' "wall to wall and against the closed window it dashed. At last it escaped through the back of the house. Poor little thing, how frightened it was of me! It had no relish for the near company of a human being.
I said to myself: "This is just how a sinner would feel, could he get into heaven unsaved. The presence of God would be intolerable. The poor man would be out of his element, and have no desires suitable to that holy placer His one thought would be to escape. Yet we hear people say: "Oh, of course, we all hope to go to heaven!”
WHAT IS HEAVEN? It is that holy abode where God in all His glory reveals the fullness of His love to those who "have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. There the great multitude of the redeemed delight to raise their song of praise to "Him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb forever." In heaven all believers in God's dear Son are 'conformed to His blest image; and there all is unsullied' righteousness around and within each heart. Sin, sorrow, suffering, and death have no place there, and partings shall be no more. The presence of God and: His Son make heaven home.
Would heaven be home to you, my reader?
To be at home in God's company you must possess divine fitness and divine affections; else you would only be miserable there, like the little bird in my room. You could not join in heaven's song of praise to the Lord Jesus: "Thou art worthy." You would have nothing to praise Him for. The very heavens we see shall pass away (Matt. 24:33And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (Matthew 24:3)); the earth we live in shall be burned up; and there shall be new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2 Peter 3.)
Where will you be then, reader?
If you are not washed in the Savior's blood, your presence in heaven would defile it. You cannot have a place inside. "Without" (outside) "are dogs"—unclean things. (Rev. 22:1515For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. (Revelation 22:15).) In that state you must live forever "outside heaven, inside hell," where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 22:1313Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 22:13).)
There is no middle place for respectable sinners. There is no rest in hell, and no back door out of it. (Mark 9:43-4843And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 44Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 45And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: 46Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. 47And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. (Mark 9:43‑48).)
God's judgment now hangs over this guilty world, as once it did over Egypt and its, rebellious king.
God sent His beloved Son into the world to die to prove His love to man. Man showed his hatred of God by crucifying His Son. (Acts 4:24-2824And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: 25Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? 26The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. 27For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. (Acts 4:24‑28).)
God will never pass sin by unpunished; so in righteousness He poured out His wrath against it on the sinless One—made Him to be sin for us. Now sin has been judged to the uttermost; for Christ has died, established God's righteousness, and made it available for every one that believes. God is just, and the justifier, of him who believes in Jesus. (Rom. 3:2626To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. (Romans 3:26).)
This is the only fitness which will avail with God to save a, sinner from hell, and take him to heaven, for it is provided by Himself, and in His grace flows to us through a righteous channel, even through the crucified, risen Lord, and is possessed by the believer. So-called "good works" will not save. "To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Rom. 4:55But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5).
Faith in Christ and the cleansing power of His blood shed on Calvary for sinners can alone justify one before God. Faith in Christ gives fitness and access to the Father, who hath made us (believers) meet (that is, fit) to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. (Col. 1:1212Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: (Colossians 1:12).)
Believe God's record (1 John 5:1111And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (1 John 5:11)), and you will be happy now in His presence, for His perfect love casteth out fear. (1 John 4:1818There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18).) You will love Him because He first loved you, and His love will be shed abroad in your heart by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Rom. 5:55And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:5).) Heaven is home to you, dear sinner, saved by grace. There you will sing the song that begins on earth: "Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood,... to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." Rev. 1:5, 65And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5‑6).
"IF THOU SHALT CONFESS WITH
THY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS,
AND SHALT BELIEVE IN THINE
HEART THAT GOD HATH RAISED
HIM FROM THE DEAD, THOU
SHALT BE SAVED. FOR WITH THE
HEART MAN BELIEVETH UNTO
RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND WITH THE
MOUTH CONFESSION IS MADE
UNTO SALVATION?'