As I was drinking tea with a neighbour early this week he quite randomly stopped and asked,
Why is it so important to you to get to heaven?”.
I wasn’t sure what motivated the question and how I should take it. I hope he didn’t think I am so heavenly minded that I am of no earthly good. And yet the question gave me a chance to clarify the misconception that the gospel is fundamentally about a destination; it is, rather, about the greatest, most glorious and loving person you will ever meet. It is about Christ and being reconciled to God through Him and now living in this newfound relationship. Pearly gates and streets of gold cannot hold a candle to the glory and joy that comes from Jesus.
In his defence to King Agrippa the Apostle Paul speaks of the gospel as the full-orbed solution to humanity’s basic plight: that we have wilfully and continually rebelled against God, broken His law and worshiped created things rather than the glorious Creator. In a stunning statement Paul outlines four crucial features of salvation when he shared with Agrippa his commission to the Gentiles, given by Jesus Himself,
to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me” (Acts 26:18).
Notice firstly, Jesus sent Paul “to open their eyes”. Salvation means having our spiritual eyes open to the astounding nature of Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Before his conversion Paul believed Jesus was a renegade Jew who blasphemously declared Himself divine. But his dramatic encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus changed all of that. Paul was granted spiritual eyes to see who Jesus was. The gospel rightly presented is the means God uses, through the Spirit, to open people’s eyes to see Jesus rightly, as the perfect, loving, incarnate Saviour who died for their sin, and was buried and rose again, and now lives.
Secondly, with salvation comes the will and power to “turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.” Paul clarifies this in Acts 26:20 saying that people “should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.” Salvation means a change of the will from living for self and Satan to living in relationship with and obedience to God, who is now our new master.
Thirdly, salvation brings with it the wonderful promise of “the forgiveness of sins.” As a result, we don’t need to live any longer with a sense of guilt for sins committed. Confession to God releases us from the devastating weight of condemnation and penalty our sins rightly deserve. Because of this, Paul states,
There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!” (Rom 8:1).
Lastly, salvation brings us to “a place among those who are sanctified by faith in [Christ]”. Isn’t that interesting? Yes, salvation by grace through faith takes us to heaven (John 3:16). But more than that, it takes us to a new, restored relationship with God and with all His saints.
My neighbour’s question provided a healthy reminder that our life is not lived in the hope of a different destination but in relationship with Jesus. Indeed, Heaven will be a glorious, astoundingly fulfilling place, but that is because Jesus is there. May the Lord fan the flames of your affection for Himself as you
seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1).
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