Here is another good answer to the question, “Do we go straight to heaven when we die?”
As we see in the video some branches of Christianity believe we go purgatory to be punished before we go to heaven or others believe we have a period of soul sleep when we die and we are awakened when Jesus returns.
The Bible teaches we go straight in to God’s presence when we die as Christians. This video from GotQuestions.org outlines this position with numerous Bible verses to back it up.
Today’s reading and devotion is from Philippians 4:2-9. It is titled, “Words of encouragement”. In this passage three things spoke to me.
Get on well with each other
In verse 2 Paul appeals to Euodia and Syntyche. “Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement”.
It is so important that we get on well because the world is watching and Jesus said people will know we are His disciples because our love for one another.
Don’t worry, pray
Verse 6 says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done”.
Sometimes I think worry is the default setting for us who live in this world. This is why prayer is so important. We connect with God and exchange our needs and concerns for His peace (v7).
Focus on what is good
In verse 8 Paul says, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise”.
Finally Paul encourages us to focus on what is good. He says to “fix our thoughts” on these things. We need to keep a Kingdom focus.
So today let us get on well with each other, don’t worry and keep praying, and focus on what is good. If we do these things, then “the God of peace will be with us” (v9).
Today’s devotion comes from Philippians 3:12-21. It is titled, “Pressing toward the goal”.
In verses 12-14 Paul says, “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us”.
As I was reflecting on this I read the notes in the Life Application Study Bible for verses 12-14. It is interesting and explains this section well…
“3:12-14 Paul said that his goal was to know Christ, to be like Christ, and to be all Christ had in mind for him. This goal took all of Paul’s energies. This is a helpful example for us. We should not let anything take our eyes off our goal—knowing Christ. With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, we must lay aside everything harmful and forsake anything that may distract us from being effective Christians. What is holding you back?”
I think the first line says it all – to know Christ, to be like Christ, and to be all Christ had in mind for him”. This idea is much deeper than coming to Christ for our salvation and knowing we will go to heaven when we die.
It is all about knowing Christ, growing to be like Christ and being disciplined like an athlete to be all you can be for Christ.
Today I am asking myself the question – what is holding me back? Is there anything holding me back from being all I can be for Christ?
I read this devotion just now from The Word for Today. I heard on the radio yesterday morning and I looked it up today. Please enjoy this timely message…
One of the quickest ways to get discouraged is to try living the Christian life in your own strength. It’s like trying to lift yourself up by your bootstraps; it cannot be done. Indeed, God designed it that way. Jesus said: ‘If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:15-17 NKJV).
God’s commandments are never too difficult for us to follow—if we do them through Christ’s indwelling strength. And you must learn to draw on that strength daily. He is in you and with you at all times to enable you to do what you cannot do and to do with ease what you would otherwise find hard to do without Him. Paul talked about the constant struggle between his flesh and his spirit. At times it drove him to despair. Then he gives us the key to victorious Christian living: ‘I can do all things through Him who strengthens me’ (Philippians 4:13 ESV). Learn from the light bulb; it cannot illuminate itself. But when it’s connected to an electrical power source, all that’s required is to flip a switch. So, do it in Christ’s strength, not your own.
In today’s reading Paul looks at the “Priceless value of knowing Christ”. It is found in Philippians 3:1-11.
Paul starts by saying, “Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith”.
In this passage he starts with two ideas – to rejoice in the freedom faith in Jesus gives us and to watch out for people who will shipwreck your faith.
In verses 2-4 Paul then talks about people wanting to get them to live under the old ways. Things like circumcision and following the Law in their own strength to make them right with God.
Paul knew this way of living. He lists his long list of achievements as a Jew and a Pharisee. He says he lived out the Law without fault, he persecuted the early church and was a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
If anyone had the right to be proud of his efforts it would be Paul. But as we see in verses 7-8 he had a change of heart and life…
“I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ”.
Paul realised that knowing Christ and being known by Christ, was all that was needed to find salvation. As he says in verse 9, “I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith”.
So today let us hold firmly to Christ and put all our faith and hope in Him. He alone makes us righteous and right with the Father. Christ is all we need.
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