By Esanerovo Trinity Agbodo
To be a candidate of heaven is different from just prospering on earth. One can be very prosperous on earth and be barred from entering Heaven.
This understanding in Christendom today is very important because many Christians are equating success in the affairs of this life as a prerequisite to make Heaven.
To prosper materially, intellectually and even to live in good health on earth does not necessarily mean the person will make Heaven on the last day.
You can however prosper on earth and still make Heaven if you fulfil both perquisites.
Surprisingly many of us have taken prosperity on earth as an indicator that God is very happy with us and that we are heavenly bound, but the truth is that unless the commandments of God to enter Heaven as stated in the Bible are strictly adhered to, nobody can enter Heaven.
Moreso, we should also understand that if God finds only one person qualified for Heaven, He will take just that person and destroy the rest in the same way He saved only Noah and His immediate family when He used flood to destroy the world.
It is therefore important to note that somebody can prosper on earth; be rich in material things; live a very healthy life and even be a miracle worker as a servant of God and still go to hellfire on the last day.
The scripture clearly states that without Holiness, no one can see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14) and God do not joke with fulfilling His Word. Holiness means total submission to the word of God in all facets of life. Hence, only Holiness in keeping the word of God always is the key to making Heaven.
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Even, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ said that not all that called Him Lord Lord will enter into the Kingdom of God- Matthew 7:22. He also stated in the book of Revelation that one can be rich and very wealthy on earth but the person is miserable and wretch before God (Revelation 3:17).
So, what does it take to make Heaven? Answer- as already stated above, it takes holiness according to the word of God in the Bible to make Heaven. When you live a holy life, you will be transformed into the image and likeness of God, and it is only those in the image are likeness of God that will be admitted into Heaven.
Have you received Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal Saviour? Have you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Are you living a holy and a righteous life with the manifestations of the fruits of the Holy Spirit as stated in Galatians 5:22? If you have received Jesus Christ as your Saviour and all these characteristics (fruits of the Holy Spirit as stated in the book of Galatians 5:22) and stick to them to the end of your existence on earth, Heaven is sure.
The truth is that if we are really serious with God, we really need to judge ourselves now with the word of God to know if we are on our way to heaven or just enjoying this earth because God will not change His word because of anybody. Live a holy life. Depart from evil, fornication, adultery, telling lies and love your neighbour and even your enemies the way you love yourself and you are on your way to Heaven. It is possible to live a holy life because God said: Be ye Holy for I am Holy. All the excuses these days of nobody can live a holy life except Jesus Christ is not tenable. If we take living a Holy life as a do or die affair, we can live holy. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego took obeying God as a do or die affair by not bowing down to the idol of Nebuchadnezzar and they succeeded.
We need to beware these last days because there are so many brands of the teachings of the word of God. We need to be guided on what the real word of God for the salvation of our soul is for us to succeed in our mission on earth.
Let us be reminded that Jesus Christ did not come to earth to preach prosperity but the salvation of our souls from sin and destruction. There were rich men in the time of Jesus Christ, so the message was not how to be rich but how a man can be reconciled with His creator after the sin of Adam and Eve separated us from God.
Prosperity in material things on earth can be achieved if you follow the natural rules of prosperity by using your talents and working very hard.
You can prosper on earth if you observe basic principles of prosperity and in the vein, if you want to be healthy, live and eat healthily.
If you want to be rich, work hard with your talents. Furthermore, if you want food in due season, you have to cultivate and plant your seeds and wait for the harvest. Also, if you want God to constantly deliver you from evil, help the poor (Psalm 41:1). So, there is the Word of God for whatever thing you want to achieve on earth and these are all principles that if you adhere to them, you will prosper on earth, but to make heaven, you have to accept Jesus Christ as your Saviour, live a holy life on earth and follow the dictates of the Holy Spirit.
God has a plan for you on earth but you cannot fulfil the length and breadth of this mission without living holy.
Remember that we are on earth to be trained to adhere to the word of God and if we commit ourselves to the word of God always, we will be on our way to heaven. Even when we fall into sin by mistake or due to carelessness, what God expects us to do is to repent quickly and continue to live a Holy life.
Also, note here that the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord is so important to make Heaven because God has already said in His word that all those that rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and as the only begotten Son of God (Messiah) sent to redeem humanity from sin and the devil are condemned (John 3:18) already irrespective of the good works they may have done on earth in other areas.
So, the first thing to do if you want to live in Heaven after your sojourn on earth is to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, because He is the only one that God Almighty has given the key to admit anyone into Heaven, and this is the reason Jesus Christ said in the book of John 14:6 that ” I am the way, the truth and the life; and no man cometh to the Father but by me”.
God Almighty has honoured Jesus Christ by making Him the only way back to God after defeating Satan.
Adam was not able to defeat Satan because he fell to his temptation but Jesus Christ defeated Satan hands down and He is the forever reigning king that is coming back to judge the world and all its inhabitants since creation. God bless you as you obey God on earth by living holy and preparing yourself for heaven.
Pastor ESANEROVO TRINITY AGBODO is a Contributing Editor with THE TRUMPET Newspaper and can be reached on eagbodo@gmail.com
