Going to Heaven

By Jordan M. Tew, Executive Director • Baptist Publishing House

We usually have our first encounter with death as children, when a grandparent “goes to Heaven.” I remember when my Paw Paw’s earthly life ended. My mom and dad simply told me, “Paw Paw went to Heaven.” I was sad, of course, because my Paw Paw would no longer be physically present. I would not be able to sit in his lap to help him shell peas or wake up early and drink coffee with him (yes, even at a ripe five years old). This made me incredibly sad. However, the thought of him being in Heaven with Jesus gave me hope… and it even brought me joy. Knowing I would see him again one day also brought peace to my little heart.

We need to remember an important truth about death — believers never die. After the world fell into sin, death came upon us all (Rom. 5:12). There was no escaping it. However, God “saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (II Tim. 1:9-10 NKJV).

Because of salvation in Jesus Christ, believers are able to escape the dreadfulness of death. Don’t miss this. In Christ, death no longer exists — it is no longer a reality. Don’t misunderstand me, our physical bodies die. However, the pain and dread of death are erased. Consider the words of the Apostle Paul, “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 15:55-57).

For all who have not repented of their sins and believed the gospel, they will spend eternity in a literal, eternal place of suffering called Hell. This is because God’s law has declared them guilty. However, believers have assurance that they will be in Heaven with Jesus once their earthly lives end. This is because, in Christ, the sting of the law (death) has been removed from us since Jesus took it on the cross. The believer’s soul is eternally secure, and the body will rise again!

The Apostle Paul also said, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better” (Phil. 1:21-23). Think about that for a moment. Paul had the most successful ministry of any man not named Jesus Christ. He saw the Lord do amazing things through him. He went places, saw things and experienced miracles and victories we probably cannot fathom. However, it appears that if given the opportunity, he would have left it all behind to be in Heaven with Jesus.

If you read through the New Testament, you will be hard pressed to find an account of a believer fearing death or their friends and families mourning without hope. The sting of death is gone through the sacrifice of Jesus and the reality of salvation. Therefore, it is understood that when a believer “dies,” he or she simply goes to be with Jesus. All of the negative things that may come to mind when we think of death (the unknown, the emptiness, the loss, the separation) do not apply to believers.

Yes, we mourn (that is appropriate and healthy). Yes, we hurt and need time to recover when a loved one is no longer with us. However, when a believer goes to Heaven, we never need to think of them as “dead,” “passed away” or “lost.” Those are rather hopeless-sounding words, aren’t they? We know that departed believers are alive, and we know exactly where they are. They are in Heaven with Jesus and will live forevermore. Perhaps it is time we relearn our childhood vocabulary. Perhaps we should describe the physical death of a believer as simply “going to Heaven.”

This great security and peace is available only through Jesus Christ. He lived, died and rose again. He defeated death. Jesus even said these words, “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Rev. 1:18). This means that Jesus lives forever as the resurrected Savior. He holds the power and authority over death and the grave. Death and the grave are no longer our enemies. Our Savior has overcome them, and He shares His victory with us.

Jesus now calls us to repent of our sin and trust in His gospel. This is the way to escape death and sin, and it is the way to eternal life and security. In Christ, we do not experience death. Rather, when our bodies fail, we go to Heaven to be with Jesus. Do you know for certain that you will go to Heaven one day? Find out more by visiting knowthegospel.net.