The Gates of Heaven

Have you ever come to a street or neighborhood, hoping to drive on through and look at the homes, but were greeted by locked gates? A pass code was necessary and you didn’t possess it. There is a sense of rejection when our entrance is denied to a place we would like to enter. In a well known book entitled The Pilgrim’s Progress there is a fascinating scene that describes a man named Christian and his companion, Hopeful. Christian had been on a long journey from the city in which he was born and grew up known as the City of Destruction. There was a river to be crossed in order for Christian and Hopeful to enter the Celestial City, the heavenly Jerusalem. Upon fording the river (which represents death in the story), they came to the gate of the great city. The King of the city commanded that the gate be opened for the two weary pilgrims. The gate swung open and the men went into the city that “shone like the sun” and whose “streets also were paved with gold.” Of course all this is a picture of what happens when a Christian dies and goes into the presence of Jesus Christ, the King of Glory.

The man named Christian traveled along the highway of life to finally enter into his eternal rest. It is a vivid reminder of the necessity of preparing for our own death. No one is prepared to live until they are prepared to die. Why is this so? To answer that question we must know the story that God has told us in the only book He has ever written, the Bible.

God, the ruler of the world, created Adam and Eve to live in a paradise known as the Garden of Eden. If they had obeyed God, they could have enjoyed all the splendor of a perfect creation (Gen. 1:27, 28). But a tragedy of universal proportions took place. Adam and Eve disobeyed by eating of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They had rejected God’s rule and as a result plunged, not only themselves, but also all of creation into the curse of death. They had sinned by rebelling against their Creator (Rom. 3:10-12). We, like they, are guilty of the same sin. We don’t want God to rule over us. We resist the idea of living life His way. We are determined to do things our way. And because of this, we pay a severe penalty, namely, the judgment of God. The price for rejecting God’s rule over our lives is everlasting punishment in hell separated from God’s goodness forever (Heb. 9:27).

But there is hope (remember Hopeful?). God has done something extraordinary. He loves us so much that He sent His Son, the man Jesus Christ, to die on a cross. Rebels against God deserve death, but Jesus Christ suffered the punishment of God against sin so that we can be forgiven and receive eternal life. The Son of God died as a substitute for rebels so that we might enjoy God’s presence and rule forever (1 Pet. 3:18). Jesus Christ endured the full measure of God’s wrath against sin so that we can be pardoned for all our sin against God. However, this would not have been possible had Jesus Christ not been raised from the dead. After He died on the cross, Jesus was placed in a tomb. But on the third day of His death He came to life again. Death had been defeated. Sin had been punished. Because of who Christ is and what He has done, we can delight in fellowship with God forever and ever. One day Jesus is coming back to this world as its Judge. All will be judged forever who have been unwilling to believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins (Jn. 3:18).

The gates of heaven are closed to all those who do not have the pass code, which is trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection (Jn. 3:36). When that time comes and the deep, dark river of death faces you, will you have made preparation to enter into heaven? Everyone who dies does not enter the gated city of heaven. It is an awful thing to die and suffer unendingly in that place God has prepared for the devil and His angels (Matt. 25:41). Would you not want to have the eternal pleasure of living in the paradise of God’s presence, the place where He will wipe away every tear, where there will no longer be any death, or mourning, or crying, or pain (Rev. 21:4)?

What must be done in order to enter God’s gated city when you die? First, acknowledge that you are a sinner by having rebelled against His rule and that you deserve to be punished. Second, submit to the rule of God over your life by putting your trust in Christ who died for you and rose from the grave. You may want to use the following prayer as you talk to God. Repeating these words will not save you, but they can help to put your desire for God’s salvation in Christ into words.

“Dear God, I know that I have rebelled against your rule. I know that I am a sinner. Because of my sin I deserve to be punished. I need your forgiveness. Thank you for sending Christ to die for me so that I may be forgiven. Thank you that He was raised from the dead to give me eternal life. I now put my trust in Christ to be my Savior. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

What happens next? You will want to start reading your Bible and praying regularly. You may want to begin reading the Gospel of Mark or the Gospel of John. Write down the things you learn about Christ. Find a church where the Bible is taught and where you can begin to grow as a Christian. The Christian life is a journey, a battle, and a joy. It takes time to mature in your Christian faith and become more like Christ. It is a battle. There will be a lot of combat against sin in your life. There are sinful habits that will have to be broken (like anger, lust, selfishness and many others). Tell others about your faith in Christ. Be prepared for pain and suffering. God will use trials in your life to change your heart and life. The Christian life is a joy because the better you come to know God, the more will be your delight in God.

Dr. Howard E. Dial
Berachah Bible Church