Author: R. Mark Wilson B.Min.
Most of us have formulated some sort of opinion or conclusion on how we will get to Heaven. From
“I’ll hope for the best” to “God will see that I’m a good person and let me in” and others who think
they have no chance because of what has been going on in their lives. As Jesus says, the Kingdom of
Heaven is made for children and it’s that key of understanding of which I form my analogy.
God lives in Heaven and Heaven has a front door. We also live in houses or dwellings and they too
normally have a main entry. A front door. Allow me to set the scene. You live in a lovely home, with
nice furnishings of which you have worked hard for. You have a couple of young children say from 3
to 5 years of age. It’s a lovely day so you put the kids out in the secure yard to play. When you come
back to check on them, there was an un forecast rain burst and the kids are fine but are very wet
and have become very muddy.
You come to the door, they spot you and come running towards you. Seeing what was about to
happen, you yell at them to Stop! They stop in their tracks confused as to why the outburst. “you
two are filthy” you explain. They look at themselves and start wiping their hands on their clothes
after inspecting the muddy fingers, thinking that it’s all good now Mum, they are clean now. No! she
says. Stay right there so I can get some clean clothes and some water and towels to clean you guys
up!
What’s the problem Mum. Well the Mum obviously has a far different standard of cleanliness than
the kids do. This is our problem, we may think that we are a ‘good person’ but to God, we are
certainly not ‘good enough!’ God’s standard is perfection for coming into Heaven. We were born
separated from God and that separation made us dirty. A filth that we can’t really see, just as the
kids couldn’t see their dirtiness. No matter how hard the children tried to clean themselves, they
never would have been able to clean themselves well enough to obtain Mother’s standard of
cleanliness, to enter the home. Same with us, no matter how hard we try to be good, our standard
of ‘goodness’ is nothing close to the Goodness that God requires to enter into Heaven.
God needs to clean us and He did this by becoming a man, Jesus, and living amongst us. He suffered
the same things that we suffer, He became personal to us and not a god that is distant and
seemingly un sympathetic. A perfect man, who died a guilty man’s death at the hands of jealous
religious people. He suffered, died on the cross and was buried and on the third day, God raised Him
from the dead. By knowing this man Jesus in a personal way, talking to Him, reading His words and
sitting with Him, listening… we get to know the owner of the House. You see, you get into Heaven by
knowing the man on the door, who is on the door of Heaven… Jesus!
Just as a stranger would have a difficult time just walking into my house and making himself at
home, so too would anyone else just trying to walk into Heaven, because they think they are a ‘good
person.’ By knowing Jesus, receiving His forgiveness of sins by the blood of His sacrifice, by following
after Him, by getting to Know Him, this is how you get into Heaven. He will recognise your voice
when you say “Lord it is I”. He will let you in, not because you’re a good person, but because you
have relationship. He knows you! Same when a stranger knocks on my door, they may be the nicest
person in the world, but I don’t know him, so no, he can’t come in, there’s no relationship. “I don’t
know you sir” maybe when I get to know you better, then you can come into my house.
This makes perfect sense. Get to know God through the Son Jesus Christ. Call upon Him from your
heart, keep calling on Him till He answers. If you can’t hear Him, go to a Bible based Church and
humble yourself. He will answer!