Yesterday, we talked about the glory of heaven and of God’s people. We saw all the wonderful things that will be in heaven.
But there is one thing that cannot enter heaven: sin.
And anyone who lives in defiant sin cannot be a part of God’s people or share in their inheritance. That was true in the Old Testament days. (See Leviticus 18 for example). And it is certainly true in the New.
Why not? Why can’t God be more “tolerant?”
Heaven is a place with no more death, mourning, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:4).
But if God allows sin into heaven, all those things will come flooding into heaven along with it. Just look at this world, and you’ll know what I mean.
So God says,
But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters, and all liars, — their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.
This is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)
And again,
Nothing impure will ever it (the new Jerusalem), nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. (Revelation 21:27)
And yet again,
Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Revelation 22:15)
Do you want those kinds of people in heaven? I don’t.
The question is, though, do you fit in any of those categories?
Have you committed sexual sin?
Have you ever lied?
Have you ever flirted with fortune tellers?
Most importantly, what’s your attitude toward God? Do you embrace him as your King, trusting that he is good, that he loves you, and that he knows and desires your best?
You see, the common trait of all who will not enter heaven is this: they’ve rejected God as King.
Such people can’t go to heaven.
After all, how can you expect to be let into God’s kingdom when you reject his good reign in your life?
For some reason, though, most people never think it strange to believe they should be allowed into God’s kingdom even though they’ve rejected him as king.
But that simply does not work.
Unless God is king in your life, all your “good” works are meaningless.
It is not the good things we do that keep us out of heaven. It is the bad. And the worst thing you can do is reject your King.
So if you want to get to heaven based on your “good” deeds, all the while rejecting God as king, you’re never going to make it.
You can only make it if your name is written in the Lamb’s book of life. And your name will only be written there if you give your heart to Christ.
I think it’s worth noting that the word “Christ” actually means “God’s anointed King.”
Have you received him as such?
The apostle Paul wrote this:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
What will you choose? Won’t you choose Christ today?
2 replies on “What can’t enter heaven”
I have accepted Jesus as my lord and savior, and want to know how to live practically for all my life , people speak of pants , jewelry , make up being a problem that keeps you out of heaven , is it true ?
I’m happy to hear that you have come to give your live to Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Praying that you would walk with him, moment to moment, day to day, and know the sweetness of a relationship with him..
As far as your question is concerned, no there is no direct connection between what you wear and going to heaven, except with how that relates to your heart.
Peter does tell women (although there are of course applications to men), “Don’t let your beauty consist of outward things like elaborate hairstyles and wearing gold jewelry or fine clothes, but rather what is inside the heart,—the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. (1 Peter 3:3–4)
This is not a ban on wearing these things but we are to look at why we wear what we wear. Is it to attract attention to ourselves? To win the attention of others by how we look? Is that where our self-value is coming from?
Or is our value coming from the God who deeply loves us? He is far more interested in what is in our hearts than what we look like. He made us the way we are and he said “This is good.”
God has given us definite fences in life for our good, many of which we see in this Revelation passage as well in others. But keep in mind that there is a lot of freedom within those fences. Don’t get too caught up in rules like what you wear. Stay modest, but this doesn’t mean you can’t dress attractively.