The Psalmist wrote of looking forward to a day wherein the wicked would be judged and the righteous would inherit the land.  He instructed God’s people to “Wait on the Lord, and keep His way…” (Psalms 37:34).  Israel had the promise of God that they would have their own land if they followed His law.  As Christians, we have a promise from God that if we keep His law we too shall inherit a dwelling place.  That dwelling place will not be one which is made with hands, but one that is eternal in the Heavens (II Corinthians 5:1).

     The time in which we shall inherit the promised prize is unknown to man (Matthew 24:36).  Thus, we wait and prepare for the day in which our bodies will be changed and our eternal destinies will be made known.  As the Psalmists told Israel to wait on the Lord and keep His way, we too must wait while being obedient to the will of our Father whom is in Heaven.  Israel had hoped for land, we have a greater hope through Jesus Christ our Lord.

     Jesus said: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know” (John 14:1-3).  Jesus made a promise to His disciples (whom we are that have obeyed the Gospel), to come again and take us to the Father above.  This is the prize that we await.  This earth is temporary (Matthew 24:35 and II Peter 3:10-12).  Life will not end here on earth.  Life will continue either in Heaven or Hell for an eternity (Matthew 25:46).

     The best some folks have to look forward to is a grave in the ground as they deny the existence of God or the existence of Heaven and Hell.  As Christians, we look forward to eternal life (Colossians 1:5), while understanding the terror of eternal damnation (II Corinthians 5:9-11).

     Those who deny the blessing of eternal life have missed the clear teachings of our Lord in His word.  Paul wrote, by inspiration of God, the following about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ: “For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thessalonians 4:14-17).  Paul said that we would meet the Lord in the air and we would EVER be with the Lord.  This is undeniable evidence of the eternity that awaits the faithful.  The Hebrew penman wrote: “For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come” (Hebrews 13:14).  Paul told Timothy to lay hold on eternal life (I Timothy 6:12).  Paul wrote Titus and told him of the hope of eternal life which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began (Titus 1:2).  Our hope lies in the promises of God.  Men often deny these promises because the promise of eternal life in Heaven is conditioned upon our obedience to the will of God.

     Many are looking to remain in sin in hope that grace will abound the more.  God forbids this thinking as it is false (Romans 6:1-2; 14-15).  Moses said to Israel: “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them” (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).  We too, like God’s people of old, must obey Him to enjoy the eternal dwelling place that will be prepared for us.  For some, that is just too high of a concept to grasp.  They want Heaven, but do not want to “pay the admission” to get the there.

     Jesus said: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). It is that simple!   God the Father wants us to obey His Son (Matthew 17:5).  We should therefore not walk in the ways of sin.  Those things which we did before putting on Christ, in the ways of the flesh, should have been put behind us.  These things were made clear as when Peter wrote: “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.  And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (I Peter 1:13-19).  The love of Christ was shown through His death for us, let us show our love for Him through our obedience (John 14:15).

     Still yet, there will be those who hear of Heaven and are taught to obey, that will remain puzzled in their minds of the way to Heaven.  When Jesus taught His disciples of Heaven and their knowledge of the way Thomas still did not get it.  Notice what Thomas said and the reply by our Savior: “Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:5-6).  The way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ and obedience to Him.  Those who deny this or choose to miss that truth will be forever lost in their ignorance (Acts 17:30-31).
 

     As Christians, “God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him” (I Thessalonians 5:9-10).  For those who have chosen not to obey our Lord the Judgment scene will not be one of rejoicing for them.  In regards to the disobedient Jesus will say: “…Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41).  When Paul wrote about the Judgment Day he said: “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” (II Thessalonians 1:7-9).  We must decide where we will stand on the Judgment Day in the sight of our Lord.

     Our Lord will return as a thief in the night (I Thessalonians 5:2).  Therefore, those who desire to spend an eternity in Heaven are always prepared to meet Him (Matthew 25:1-13).  The faithful in Christ Jesus are watching and waiting for His return to claim those who are His and reign upon His judgment seat.  Paul wrote this to the brethren in Thessalonica: “And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ” (II Thessalonians 3:5).  Let us be patient and be prepared as we wait for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to come!  Finally, remember to “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42).