Before I List The Ways To Miss Heaven
Remember That Jesus Is The Only Way To Heaven
There are many ways to miss heaven but only one way through Jesus Christ to get to heaven. Jesus said at John 14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Acts 4:12 says Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name (Jesus) under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Just have faith in the finished work that Jesus did at the cross of Calvary (not your good works) and you will go to heaven. Ephesians 2:8 says For by grace are ye saved through faith (in Jesus alone); and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. Get saved, repent, decide to stop sinning, confess that Jesus is God, and believe the gospel that Jesus died on the cross for you, was buried, and rose again.
Right now make sure that you're saved and going to heaven with Jesus when you leave this world. 2 Peter 1:10 says Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. The most important thing on this earth to be sure about is knowing that you'll go to heaven after you leave this world. More than knowing that you have your rent or house payment ready this month, be more sure that you're going to heaven when you leave this world. More than knowing that you went to the BMV to get your drivers license current, be more sure that you got your name in the book of life and that you're going to heaven when you leave this world.
Avoid These Ways To Miss Heaven
1) Trusting In Church Membership To Get To Heaven
The first way to miss heaven is trusting only in your church membership to get you to heaven. Being a Catholic, Methodist, or Presbyterian won't get you to heaven. Trusting in a religion won't get you to heaven. It takes a relationship with Jesus to get you to heaven. Attending church every Sunday of your life won't save you and get you to heaven. Judas Iscariot, who is the Son of Perdition, attended church with Jesus and went to his own place in the bottomless pit noted at Acts 1:25 and missed heaven.
Judas is the devil in the flesh. Jesus is God in the flesh. Acts 1:25 says That he (Matthias) may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place (note that Judas who is the Son of Perdition beast antichrist went to the bottomless pit and is also called Abaddon and Apollyon; Perdition, Abaddon, and Apollyon all mean destruction; Revelation 9:11). Judas Iscariot who is the beast antichrist was, and is not, and yet is (Revelation 17:8).
Someone could belong to every church in America and die without God and go to hell. Someone could be baptized thousands of times in a lake and go down a dry devil and then come up a wet devil and die without God and miss heaven. Remember we sing Amazing grace how sweet the sound; Not Amazing baptism how sweet the splash. We sing At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light; Not At the millpond, at the millpond where I first got dunked. We sing What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus; Not What can wash away my sins, nothing but the water. The thief on the cross by Jesus didn't get baptized in water (he was dry cleaned), but instead by faith trusted only in Jesus and received salvation.
Just because I walk into a garage doesn't make me a car
Just because I walk into a barn doesn't make me a mule
Just because I walk into a bakery doesn't make me a donut
(I might look like one but it doesn't make me a donut)
And just because I walk into a church doesn't make me a christian
I'm not a christian because I go to church. I go to church because I am a christian. Going to church is important but going to church without trusting in the Lord Jesus won't save anyone. Only faith in Jesus gets anyone to heaven. Trust Jesus and go to heaven; Trust anything else and go to hell. Get saved, repent, decide to stop sinning, confess that Jesus is God, and believe the gospel that Jesus died on the cross for you, was buried, and rose again.
After salvation with Jesus, attending church is important to get victory over this troubled world. Prayers by groups of christians are more powerful than the prayers of only one christian. Ecclesiastes 4:9 says Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Deuteronomy 32:30 says How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight; except their Rock had sold them, and the Lord had shut them up? For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.
Avoid These Ways To Miss Heaven
2) Doing The Best You Can With Good Works To Get To Heaven
The second way to miss heaven is doing the best you can with good works to get to heaven without faith in Jesus. The best anyone could possibly do without Jesus falls short when it comes to going to heaven. Psalm 39:5 says Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity; Selah.
Doing the best you can without Jesus won't get you to heaven. Romans 3:23 says For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. When you ask most people if they're going to heaven, they'll reply I'm doing the best I can; I'm not killing anyone or doing a wicked ungodly vile sin; I hope I'm going to heaven. I'm trusting in my good works to get me to heaven. All these ways by man will not get him to heaven.
Galatians 2:21 says I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. If our good works saved us, Jesus would not have had to die on the cross for our sins to save us by grace. God doesn't want us to boast about our good works; Instead God wants us to boast about Jesus and praise Jesus for allowing His blood to wash away our sins unto salvation. 1 John 1:7 says But 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 Corinthians 1:31 says That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Three people went to heaven. The first man told God "I've been a good person and gave away thousands of dollars to the poor." God said "Cast this man into hell." The second man said "I attended church every Sunday and did many good deeds." God said "Cast this man into hell." Then the third man said "God I'm a sinner that trusted in the blood of Jesus to wash away all my sins and get me to heaven." God said Matthew 25:23 Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Most people think that after we leave this world, God weighs on a scale our good works versus our bad works and whatever weighs the most determines if you go to heaven or hell. I'm glad this isn't the way to heaven because everyone's bad works always outweigh their good works.
Romans 7:18 says For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. But rejoice if you're saved because Jesus' righteousness will always tilt the scale where your good works will outweigh your bad works allowing you to enter heaven. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says For He (the Father) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Avoid These Ways To Miss Heaven
3) Trusting In An Organization Like The Masonic Lodge To Get To Heaven
The third way to miss heaven is trusting in an organization like the Masonic Lodge without Jesus to get to heaven. Becoming a member of the Moose, Goose, Elks, Shriners, or the Masonic Lodge without Jesus won't get you to heaven. People will go to a Lodge instead of church saying that their good works in the Lodge to give food and clothes to orphans and homeless people will get them to heaven. It's good that the Lodge and the Shriners help people everywhere with money from charity. But doing good works in a Lodge won't save anyone and get them to heaven.
Jesus didn't die for the Lodge
Jesus died for the church
Remember the Moose Lodge might feed people and build hospitals, but the Moose Lodge and the Masons won't help anyone after they die. Freemasonry is just a fraternal organization of men who share values, traditions, and rituals. On the other hand, the church and anointed preachers are in the business of helping people after they leave this world that is so much better than any Lodge.
My advice to anyone is to beware of the Masons and the Masonic Lodge. The top leaders of the Masons worship the devil. One of the worst devil worshippers named Aleister Crowley was a Freemason. Even though the Masonic Lodge does good deeds with Shriners, they require their members to keep secrets and only do favors for rich influential members of their Lodge. Christians should not belong to any organization that requires you to keep secrets and respect only certain groups of people with discrimination. Christians should witness openly showing the love of Jesus to all people without discrimination in the light with no secrets about Jesus, salvation, and the Word of God. Jesus Himself said at John 18:20 in secret have I said nothing.
John 3:19 warns us to avoid Masons and Lodges that do evil deeds in secret to influence wealthy businessmen and control society. John 3:19 describes Masonic Lodges saying And this is the condemnation, that Light (Jesus) is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. After reading these warnings about Masonic Lodges, my advice to anyone that belongs to a Masonic Lodge is to quit.
Avoid These Ways To Miss Heaven
4) Trying To Keep The 10 Commandments To Get To Heaven
The fourth way to miss heaven is trying to keep the 10 commandments to get to heaven. James 2:10 says For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. According to the Word of God, if you have a hateful thought about anyone you are a murderer. 1 John 3:15 says Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
If you have a lustful thought about a woman, you are guilty of adultery. Jesus said at Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. If you ever tell a lie, you are guilty of bearing false witness against thy neighbor. After reading this you should realize that under the law and the 10 commandments with man it's impossible to get saved. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
But rejoice because when you get saved with Jesus, you are free from the curse of the law and the blood of Jesus removes the guilt of all your past sins. Galatians 3:13 says Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. Romans 8:1 says There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 10:4 says For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 1 John 1:7 says But 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. Rejoice and say John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
I'm not going to heaven because I kept the 10 commandments
I'm going to heaven because I'm trusting in the only person (Jesus)
who kept all the 10 commandments
Avoid The Many Wide Broad Ways To Miss Heaven
Choose The Strait Narrow Way (Jesus) To Get To Heaven
Avoid the many wide broad ways to miss heaven; Choose the strait narrow Way (Jesus) to get to heaven. Matthew 7:13 says Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Notice the incredible picture above by Preeti Shinde where a strait narrow gate climbing to faith only in the cross of Jesus will get us to heaven instead of the easy wide broad gate with the pleasure of sin for a season that leads to eternal destruction in the lake of fire. Remember choose faith in Jesus only trusting daily that the cross of Jesus can remove all your problems. Only faith in Jesus can take you to heaven instead of the false broad ways of religion and good works.
I pray in Jesus name that this bible study blesses multitudes everywhere with great joy, peace, and strength. Feel free to email Brother Bob anytime at rz9tlm@gmail.com or write to Brother Bob Malkin, 2233 Pinetree Lane, Apt., N., Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068. (614) 746-7071. Till we all meet again soon to lift up our Lord Jesus, everyone have a blessed day in Jesus name.