Faithful Christians will only be able to get to heaven if they live according to the principles of God, as written in the bible.
There are certain things that are expected of a
Christian, certain practices that are in line with the divine will, as
to make one a candidate for God’s heavenly kingdom.
Some of these practices below are seen by many
Christians as that which gets them eligible for heaven, however, this
may not be the case.
After examining the practices, we will find out
the real reason why these things do not necessarily make a person a
heaven candidate.
We compiled a list of things Christians do but will not guarantee them a spot in heaven.
1. Baptism :
Christian denominations, baptism be it by
sprinkling or by immersion, is a requirement to enter God’s kingdom.
Christ himself argued that except a man be born of the water and of the
spirit, he cannot see heaven.
Many Christians therefore believe that the moment
they accept Christ and get baptized, then they are saved forever. But is
once saved always saved?
2. Holy Communion:
Christ asked his disciples to symbolically eat of
his flesh and drink of his blood, a practice done in remembrance of his
death and the price he paid on Calvary. So at certain times, Christians
get to partake of the holy communion. Ordinarily, an individual is
supposed to be prepared and keep him or herself clean spiritually,
before taking part in this exercise, but these days, many do not deem it
necessary to sanctify themselves before the feast.
For many Christians this is their favorite, in
that it helps them communicate to God the father like a friend, though
when you see some pray, it seems like a war. Prayer is the means of
communicating with heaven, having God hear as He says ask. It is sad
though that there are many who have the gifts of prayer who in the end
would not see the kingdom of God.
4. Paying tithes and offerings:
To Christians, this is about the best way to get
blessings from God. Giving offerings and setting aside a tenth of ones
income, many do this with joy and gladness, others rob God. There are
some people who believe that so long as they give offerings and pay
tithes, they are candidates for heaven, but is that so?
5. Healing the sick:
Healing the sick is part of Christ’s injunction to
his disciples, there are many who are physically and spiritually ill,
they need to be made whole. This is a very important duty, however,
there are many who go to church just for miracles and healing, it is
quite questionable what happens after these people have received that
which they seek
6. Evangelism:Winning souls for the kingdom of God is a big directive given to
Christians in the bible. There are many evangelists these days and many
churches which claim they are in the business of winning souls for the
Lord, but are they really doing that, or getting followers for their
pockets?
Having gone through this list, one wonders why a person will do all these things and still not make heaven.
The reason is quite simple, even Christ said in
the end many who call him Lord will be cast away, because they only
profess with their lips, but deep in their hearts and acts, they are far
away.
Depending on these practices alone as a means to
get to heaven is a faulty ideology, the heart must be in-tune with God
as do his divine will.
Lastly, regardless our religion, the way we
interact with people is very essential. You cannot love God and hate
your neighbour. Is it not baffling that many leaders today claim to
belong to one religion or the other, still they are often found wanting.
Nigeria today is highly corrupt, yet we have one
of the highest numbers of churches in the world. We must begin to see
and do things different, service to God and man is key.
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