 | The Reverend Amy Baumgartner is the Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church, 525 N. Broadway, Wichita, KS. Amy was ordained at First Presbyterian Church of Wichita, Kansas in June 2008. She earned a Masters of Divinity from Denver Seminary. Before attending seminary, Amy graduated from Ball State University with a degree in Landscape Architecture and worked several years for an architectural firm in Indianapolis, Indiana. You may contact Rev. Baumgartner by email AssociatePastor@firstpresbywichita.org, or by phone at (316) 263-0248. |
Religion
2012-01-26 14:08:19
Requirements to enter Heaven?
A: Heaven is often used to describe the final condition of those who are righteous. Yet Biblically speaking, heaven is used in three basic ways. First heaven is cosmological. For instance, the phrase “heaven and earth” are used to denote the entire universe. It is the region where stars are set and where rain and lightening originate. The term heaven in the Bible can also be synonymous for God. Matthew’s gospel uses the phrase “kingdom of heaven” instead of “kingdom of God” (as found in parallel passages in Luke’s gospel) because Matthew’s main audience was Jewish; they would not pronounce the name God; therefore, Matthew uses “heaven” as a synonym for God.
The third meaning of heaven in the Bible is the abode of God, the place where God dwells. One of the most famous prayers begins “Our Father, who art in heaven…” Likewise, angels (also called heavenly hosts) come from heaven and return to heaven. It is from this dwelling place of God that Christ is to be revealed. Before he left the earth, Jesus told his disciples that he was going to prepare a place for them. While we do not know the exact nature of this preparatory activity, it is implied that Jesus is readying a place where believers and followers will fellowship with him and God. As God’s dwelling place, heaven is the place where those who believe and put their trust in him will be for all eternity. The various writers articulate the concept of believers dwelling with God in God’s presence throughout the New Testament. For instance, Paul speaks of the “hope that is stored up for you in heaven” (Col. 1:5). In Revelation 21:3, the new heaven is likened to the tabernacle, the tent where God had dwelt among the Israelites recorded in the Old Testament.
God’s intention from the beginning was to have fellowship with humans. This led God to establish the tabernacle and temple—places where God could dwell with God’s people. The incarnation (Jesus Christ in the flesh dwelling with people) was another way to fulfill God’s intention of fellowship with God’s creation. The ultimate fulfillment is taking humans to be with God in heaven, where God dwells. The privilege of dwelling with God according to the Bible is granted to those whose righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
While different religions present a paradise-like place like heaven, I believe based on the Biblical witness that to enter heaven requires righteousness. The only way to truly be righteous is through Jesus Christ. Yet I also trust in the grace of God to judge all people to determine who will be invited to enter into God’s presence. As in other Q&A Times articles, I would encourage you to focus less on the future afterlife of who is potentially in and out of heaven and seek God for God’s abundant life today through Jesus Christ.
