Two acquaintances were saying "goodbye," after a few days spent in the same house. One was a child of God, the other not.
"I wonder if we shall ever come across each other again?" said the one who lived for this world.
"I don't think it's very probable," replied the other; "but can you give me any assurance that we shall meet in heaven, where the Savior is whom I love?"
"Heaven! why, that seems a very long way off; I haven't begun to think about it." And so they parted.
At a cab-stand two or three men were waiting about. Another joined them, and going to an elderly man said,
"Hello, John, you here! How's your rheumatism?"
"O! I reckon we shant's part company till we get to heaven,' was the answer.
"Heaven, why, that's a far-away place."
"Yes, and I believe it'll take me all my time to get there at all."
These are man's thoughts of heaven, whether among rich or poor. He secretly fears it, for to him it means departure from this life, and so he hopes it may be a long way off.
To the Christian, heaven or paradise is "where the Savior is."
To the dying thief Christ said,
To Stephen, when being stoned, it appeared quite close, for "he... looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God" (Acts 7:5555But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, (Acts 7:55)).
No one with his sins on him could wish to find himself in heaven, for naught that defileth can enter there. Yet many are content to go on in uncertainty as to how they can be made fit for heaven, or of the right road there. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse us from all sin (1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)), and thus make us fit to dwell with Christ in heaven, and Christ Himself is the passport there.
Supposing you knew that tomorrow your life down here was to come to an end, would you not feel that the place where you are to dwell for eternity was of vastly more importance than the duties or pleasures in which you have hitherto passed your time? When God said to the rich man in Luke 12:2020But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (Luke 12:20),
"Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee," what an awful moment it must have been, for was his future to be spent in heaven or hell? Is it not wiser to face the question at once, than to put it off till too late? God sent His beloved Son to earth to die for us, that He might have the pleasure of welcoming poor sinners and publicans and dying thieves to His home in heaven.
Heaven is very near to you. God can either say to you,
"Thou fool! this night thy soul shall be required of thee," or else,
"Today shall thou be with Me in paradise." O, remember, that
"When once the Master of the house is risen up and hath shut to the door," not all your tears and prayers will gain you an entrance. You have had your offer of Christ and heaven, and rejected it. The Bible says, "Today, if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." Heb. 3:1515While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. (Hebrews 3:15).