In 1999, cinema presented the comedy film Dogma to the general public. The plot of this picture is built around two fallen angels, Loki and Bartleby, expelled by God from paradise. And this couple lives on earth among people and dreams of forgiveness and a return to the Garden of Eden. In the story, apostates find a technical loophole among various church dogmas that allows them to become sinless again. After this, they should immediately die - then they automatically go to heaven. And so the angels go to great lengths to make their dream come true. This comedy film touches on a question that worries many people, although not everyone can admit it even to themselves: “How to get to heaven?” Today we will try to figure this out, despite the fact that this topic is, so to speak, in the department of faith and religion. To date, science has not been able to provide evidence of the existence of paradise, nor has it been able to provide evidence of its absence. Well, let's hit the road...
What is "paradise"?
We suggest starting our research with an analysis of the concept itself. If you delve deeper into this topic, you will see that heaven is different from heaven. And in each religion the vision of this place is completely different, each confession describes it in its own way. For example, the main book of Christianity, the Bible, gives us the following information about it: this word refers to the Garden of Eden, which was the home of Adam and Eve, the ancestors of humanity. The life of the first people in paradise was simple and carefree; they knew neither illness nor death. One day they disobeyed God and gave in to temptation. There followed an immediate expulsion of people from paradise. According to prophecies, the Garden of Eden will be restored and people will live in it again. The Bible claims that paradise was originally created on earth, so Christians believe that it will be restored there. Now only the righteous can get there, and even then only after death.
What does the Koran say about heaven? In Islam, this is also a garden (Jannat), in which the righteous will live after the Day of Judgment. The Koran describes in detail this place, its levels and features.
In Judaism, everything is somewhat more complicated, however, after reading the Talmud, Midrash and the book of Zohar, we can conclude that paradise for Jews is here and now, it was given to them by Jehovah.
In general, each religion has its own idea of the “treasured garden.” One thing remains unchanged. No matter what object is considered, be it the Buddhist Nirvana or the Scandinavian Valhalla, heaven is perceived as a place where eternal bliss reigns, granted to the human soul after death. There is probably no point in delving into the beliefs of African or Australian natives - they are too alien to us, and therefore we will limit ourselves to the largest religious denominations. And let's move on to the main topic of our article: “How to get to heaven?”
And in this life all we do is forget
Remember what Abraham answers to the rich man’s request? “Child, remember...” You see - there is no place for hostility in heaven, and Abraham calls the rich man a child, without any malice - because when you hate someone, this is not heaven, this is hell. And in heaven there is only love. But at the same time, those who are in heaven cannot help those who are in hell. Unfortunately. And that makes hell even more terrible. The love of the righteous causes even greater suffering for sinners, without the slightest desire of the former. "Child! remember that you have already received your good in your life, and Lazarus received your evil; now he is comforted here, and you suffer; and besides all this, a great gulf has been established between us and you, so that those who want to cross from here to you cannot, neither can they cross from there to us” (Luke 16:25-26).
Everything has changed. Remember how you lived. I read from one holy father that in eternal life our mind, our thoughts will be perfect. It won’t be like what happens to us after waking up in the morning, when our heads are hard to think and we need some time to come to our senses.
There, the mind will become clear - for absolutely everyone, even for those who during their lifetime had problems with the psyche and mental development. In the next world, we will all see reality very clearly - and we will remember all our actions that brought us here. Because here, now, unfortunately, we forget a lot, and truth (Greek: α-λήθεια) is the direct opposite of what is forgotten (Greek: λήθη). Our language clearly emphasizes: the truth is so strong, undeniable and beautiful that it cannot be forgotten.
And in this life all we do is forget. We forget what God wants from us, we forget to pray, we forget to distinguish between good and evil, we forget that we are all human, and therefore we hate our neighbors, who are the same as us. It’s as if our conscience is being lulled to sleep, our reason is as if covered with a veil - we don’t understand what’s happening to us.
Photo: Jaren Wilkey/BYU
Passing by churches, we look at them as if they were ordinary buildings - nothing touches our heart, our mind is silent when we see the place where the Lord Himself is revealed to a person and the Eucharist takes place, Holy Communion takes place. We smile condescendingly, without thinking about what is happening in our lives, about how important, significant and saving it all is.
We live as if drunk or immersed in a lethargic sleep, not understanding what is happening. But when we leave this world, our mind will wake up, we will finally see everything as it is, but it will be too late. Let us understand that we should not laugh at what we laughed at; let us understand that God is the Immutable Truth; that eternal life exists; that Christ is the One who loved us incredibly much, and since throughout our entire lives we have never accepted His love, we will not accept it now. So what remains to be done now?
Christianity and Islam
With these religions, everything is more or less clear: lead a righteous lifestyle, that is, live according to God’s commandments, and after death your soul will go to the “cherished garden.” However, for those who do not want to limit their freedom and are looking for easier ways, there are so-called loopholes that allow them to avoid hellfire. True, there are some nuances here. A very striking example is jihad in Islam - zeal on the path to Allah. Recently, this concept has been associated with armed struggle and self-sacrifice, although it is much broader and is a struggle against one’s social or spiritual vices. We will look at a particular case of jihad, advertised by the media, namely suicide bombers. World news feeds are full of reports of explosions carried out by suicide bombers around the world. Who are they and why do they decide to take such actions? It is worth thinking about whether these people are doing a godly deed or are they victims of behind-the-scenes manipulators who, in the struggle for power, do not hesitate to shed the blood of others? After all, as a rule, it is not enemy soldiers who suffer from the actions of suicide bombers, but civilians. So their actions can at least be called questionable; killing women and children is not a fight against vices, but a violation of the main commandment of God - do not kill. By the way, murder is also not welcomed in Islam, just like in Christianity. On the other hand, history remembers wars committed in the name of God: the Church blessed the crusaders, the Pope personally sent soldiers on their bloody campaign. So the actions of Islamic terrorists can be understood, but cannot be justified. Murder is murder, and it doesn’t matter for what purpose it was committed.
By the way, in Orthodox Christianity, military service is also considered a charitable deed, although this concerns the defense of the Russian land from an external enemy. Both in the distant past and today, priests blessed warriors going on a campaign; There are many cases where church ministers themselves took up arms and went to war. It is difficult to say unequivocally whether a soldier killed in battle will go to heaven or not, whether all his sins will be written off from him or, on the contrary, he will be dragged down into the flames of hell. So this method can hardly be called a ticket to the Garden of Eden. Let's try to find other, more reliable methods.
Make an effort
“From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and those who use force take it by force.”
(Matthew 11:12)
“...with your patience save your souls.”
(Luke 21:19)
In Church Slavonic, “taken by force” sounds like “needs.” Forcing oneself to do good, fighting against sinful desires and thoughts, showing patience in the fight against passions and weaknesses—this is the narrow and thorny path of life for a Christian.
“Enter at the strait gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many go in through it.”
(Matt. 7:13)
This narrow path is accompanied by a struggle on the invisible battlefield:
“...our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in high places.”
(Eph. 6:12)
“...the devil fights with God, and the battlefield is the hearts of people.”
(F.M. Dostoevsky)
Indulgence
How do people get to heaven? In the first half of the 13th century, Hugo of Saint-Cher in his writings developed a Theological justification for indulgence, recognized a hundred years later by Pope Clement VI. Many sinners of that time perked up, because they had an excellent chance to get rid of their sins that stood in the way of eternal bliss. What is meant by this concept? An indulgence is a release from temporary punishment for sins that a person has already repented of, and the guilt for them has already been forgiven in the sacrament of confession. It can be either partial or complete. A believer can receive an indulgence for himself or for the deceased. According to Catholic teaching, complete forgiveness is possible only if specific requirements are met: confession, communion, it was necessary to pray in the intention of the Pope, as well as perform a number of certain actions (testimony of faith, service of mercy, pilgrimage, etc.). Later, the Church compiled a list of “super-duty good deeds” that made it possible to grant indulgences.
In the Middle Ages, the practice of issuing pardons often led to significant abuses, which can be characterized by the modern concept of “corruption.” The furry hydra so entangled Catholic priests that it served as an impetus for the reform movement. As a result, Pope Pius V in 1567 “closed shop” and prohibited the issuance of pardons for any financial settlements. The modern procedure for their provision is regulated by the document “Guide to Indulgences,” which was issued in 1968 and supplemented in 1999. For those who ask the question: “How to get to heaven?” You should understand that this method can only work if you are on your deathbed (this way you will not have time to sin again). Although a person often manages to make unforgivable mistakes even in his dying state.
Sacrament of Baptism
How to get to heaven? The sacrament of baptism can help with this. The fact is that, according to Christian teaching, during this ritual the human soul is freed from all sins. True, this method is not suitable for the majority of people, because a person can go through it only once, and in most cases, parents baptize their children in infancy. Only representatives of the royal dynasty underwent the ceremony twice, and then only at the coronation. So, if you are already baptized and do not belong to the royal family, then this method is not for you. Otherwise, you have a chance to get rid of all your sins, but just don’t go to great lengths and finally do something that you will later be ashamed to tell your grandchildren about. By the way, some representatives of Judaism prefer to convert to Christianity in old age. So, just in case, because - according to their faith - heaven is here on Earth, and what will happen after death? So you can insure yourself, and at the end of your earthly existence, switch to another camp and ensure eternal bliss for yourself in Christian paradise. But, as you see, this path is only available to a select few.
The Kingdom of God is within man
The message of the Kingdom of God given by Jesus Christ runs like a red thread throughout the New Testament. The Creator is love, when filled with this feeling for other people, a person fills his heart with special bliss, Heavenly paradise.
Jesus Christ sent His disciples to bring people the Good News about the future life in eternity. (Luke 9:2)
Understanding the truth of the existence of a corner of bliss in heaven, a person ceases to be afraid of death, he tries to live his earthly, very short path so that he spends eternal life not in hell, but surrounded by angels and the light of the Holy Trinity. A churchgoer, filled with the love that reigns in the Orthodox Church, with his earthly life accomplishes the feat of preparing for the transition to Heavenly Jerusalem.
Forgiveness of sins from God
One of the ways Orthodox Christians can be surrounded by angels in heaven is through forgiveness . Throughout his earthly life, a person, wittingly or unwittingly, offends people, and he himself is offended by them. The Holy Church, by the great Grace of the Creator, bestowed upon believers the sacraments of Communion and Confession.
Read about confession and communion:
- Sacrament of Confession
- About the Sacrament of Communion
- What prayers are usually read before confession and communion?
The response of the truly Orthodox to the words “Forgive me,” after which the sound “God will forgive,” is striking. People have great trust in God; if a person forgives from a pure heart, then the Almighty will definitely forgive, this is His promise. “God will forgive” is not just an excuse, it is faith in the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Very often an Orthodox person, weak in spirit, looks at the sins of another and compares his life with someone else’s. The worst thing is that on Judgment Day, every believer and non-believer will have to meet God face to face, and there will be no loved ones, relatives, neighbors and friends nearby. Everyone will give their own answer as to why they did not accept Jesus Christ into their hearts and did not receive an “entrance ticket” to heavenly paradise.
The Son of God said that only He is the road leading to God the Father. (John 14:1-6) Only I have faith in Christ, through His revelations a person is transformed from the inside, filling his heart with the Kingdom of God.
According to Metropolitan Hilarion, paradise is a state of the human soul, a bliss that can only be felt by the Orthodox, filled with the love of the Creator. The Metropolitan’s statements echo the words of the Evangelist Luke, who wrote that the Kingdom of God is within Christians. (Luke 17:20)
Learning to serve God through love for people, becoming the hands of Jesus on earth, filling the world with Christian love - these are the paths to filling the presence of God in the hearts of the Orthodox.
Egyptian, Tibetan and Mesoamerican "Books of the Dead"
How does a soul get to heaven? Few people know, but for this there are precise instructions that serve as a guide for the deceased in the afterlife. Many people have heard about them, Hollywood has made more than one film about these treatises, and yet almost no one is familiar with their content. But in ancient times they were studied with great zeal by both noble people and servants. In fact, from the perspective of a modern person, “The Book of the Dead” resembles a computer game like a quest. It describes step by step all the actions of the deceased, indicates who is waiting for him at one or another level of the afterlife, and what needs to be given to the servants of the underworld. The tabloid press is full of interviews with survivors of clinical death. People who have seen heaven and hell talk about their feelings and experiences about this. But few people know that studies of these visions conducted by R. Moody showed a colossal coincidence of such narratives with what the “Books of the Dead” describe, or more precisely, those parts of them that are devoted to the initial moments of posthumous existence. However, all “returnees” reach a certain stage, the so-called point of “no return,” and they cannot say anything about their further path. But the ancient texts speak, and in great detail. Moreover, the question immediately arises: how did ancient civilizations living on different continents know about this? After all, the contents of the texts are almost identical, there are minor differences in details and names, but the essence remains the same. Either we can assume that all the “Books of the Dead” were rewritten from one, more ancient source, or this is knowledge given to people by the gods, and everything that is written there is the truth. After all, people who “saw heaven” (experienced clinical death) talk about the same thing, although most of them have never read these manuscripts.
Ancient knowledge and equipment of the deceased
In ancient Egypt, priests prepared and taught the citizens of their country for the afterlife. How? During his lifetime, a person studied “magic techniques and formulas” that helped the soul overcome obstacles and defeat monsters. Relatives always put items in the grave of the deceased that he would need in the afterlife. For example, it was necessary to leave two coins - this was the payment to the boatman for transporting him across the river of death. People who have “seen heaven” often mention that they met dead friends, good acquaintances or relatives there who helped them with advice. And this is easily explained by the fact that modern people know nothing about the afterlife, because they don’t talk about it at school, and you won’t receive such information in institutes either. The priests in the church won't help you much either. What remains? This is where people close to you appear who care about your fate.
Court of the Gods
Almost all religions say that after death a person will face a trial, at which all the good and evil deeds of the defendant will be compared and weighed, based on the results of which his future fate will be decided. Such a judgment is also spoken of in the Books of the Dead. The soul wandering in the afterlife, having passed all the tests, at the end of the path meets the Supreme King and Judge Osiris, sitting on the throne. A person must address him with a certain ritual phrase in which he lists how he lived and whether he followed the commandments of God throughout his life. According to the “Egyptian Book of the Dead,” the soul, after turning to Osiris, had to justify itself for each of its sins before the other 42 gods responsible for certain sins. However, no words of the deceased could save him. The main god placed a feather on one scale, which is a symbol of the goddess Maat (truth, justice, world order, truth), and on the second - the heart of the defendant. If it outweighed the feather, it meant that it was full of sins. And such a person was devoured by the monster Amait.
If the scales remained in balance, or the heart turned out to be lighter than a feather, then a meeting with loved ones and relatives, as well as “eternal bliss,” awaited the soul. People who saw heaven and hell never described the judgment of the gods, and this is understandable, because it is located beyond the “point of no return,” so one can only guess about the reliability of this information. But we should not forget that most religious denominations talk about such an “event”.
God loves us
And to those who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God (John 1:12)
We are children of God if we believe Him and love Him. As a loving and perfect Father, God will not abandon us.
How strong is God's love? It is difficult for us to even imagine this fully.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the Only Begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18)
The Lord, being sinless, endured terrible torment for our sins. Can He really love us so much and just leave us? Never.
Whatever the Father gives Me will come to Me; and him who comes to Me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)
Jesus said that He will not drive away anyone who comes to Him. What does this mean for us? No matter what happens, no matter how low we fall, He will still love us. No matter how terrible sinners we may be, He will never drive us away.
What do people do in heaven?
Oddly enough, few people think about this. According to the Bible, Adam (the first man in paradise) lived in the Garden of Eden and did not know any worries, he was not familiar with diseases, physical labor, he did not even need to use clothes, which means that the climatic conditions there were quite comfortable. That's it, nothing more is known about his stay in this place. But this is a description of the earthly paradise, and as for the heavenly one, even less is known about it. Scandinavian Valhalla and Islamic Jannat promise the righteous eternal bliss, they will be surrounded by full-breasted beauties, and wine will pour into their cups; the Koran tells that the cups will be filled by eternally young boys with cups. The righteous will be freed from the torment of a hangover, they will have everything in order with their virility. This is such an idyll, however, the status of boys and full-breasted beauties is unclear. Who are they? Deserving of heaven or exiled here as punishment for past sins? Somehow it’s not entirely clear.
Does God’s providence influence a person’s desire?
God's providence, of course, is also in this. God gives you opportunities and instructions: here is a scheme for you to act according to, to fulfill the commandments. This, one might say in modern terms, is an instruction. Then you get this result at the output.
It’s like if you assemble the parts correctly, you will get a tractor or some other mechanism. If you assemble incorrectly, you won't succeed. But here, in this number of parts, lies the tractor. You may or may not collect it.
It depends on the person’s aspiration - what he is striving for. Already in one phrase at the beginning of the Bible, the entire path of Christ is outlined - life, death and resurrection. Life is a struggle between good and evil; Christ conquers evil through his death and through his resurrection. He is stung, but he is resurrected, and death is destroyed.
This phrase was spoken by the Creator at the very beginning of human life. And then all biblical history follows exactly this path. And humanity lives with this phrase, comprehending it and putting it into practice. And those who follow this path are called God’s chosen people in the Holy Scriptures. They were not chosen for any of their merits, but precisely because they follow this instruction, follow the path that God showed.
Everything has changed. Nature has changed, the land has become less fertile. A man obtained food for himself through difficult labors, a woman gave birth in suffering, but humanity followed this path. Broken, changed, burdened with this original sin, but it walked...
Slaves of the gods
The Books of the Dead tell of a completely different idyll. In accordance with these ancient treatises, “eternal bliss” boils down only to the fact that there are no crop failures, and, accordingly, no famine or wars. People in paradise, as in life, continue to work for the benefit of the gods. That is, a person is a slave. This is evidenced by the books of both the Mesoamerican Indians and the ancient Egyptians, and, of course, the Tibetan manuscript. But among the ancient Sumerians, the ideal picture of the afterlife looks much darker. Having crossed to the other side, the soul of the deceased passes through seven gates and enters a huge room in which there is neither drink nor food, but only muddy water and clay. This is where the main afterlife torments begin. The only relief for her may be regular sacrifices, which will be carried out by living relatives. If the deceased was a lonely person or his loved ones treated him poorly and do not want to perform the ceremony, then the soul will face a very bad fate: it comes out of the dungeon and wanders around the world in the form of a hungry ghost and harms everyone it meets. This is the idea of the afterlife that the ancient Sumerians had, but the beginning of their works also coincides with the Books of the Dead. Unfortunately, people who have “been in heaven” are not able to lift the curtain on what lies beyond the “point of no return.” Representatives of the main religious denominations are also unable to do this.
II. Two truths about man
Man is a sinner
The Bible teaches us that all people have sinned and none of us are perfect to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but God requires perfection. According to Jesus, man needs to be perfect. As the Gospel says:
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect...” (Matthew 5:48)
But can we do it? Alas. Scripture says -
“all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
God gave people commandments, breaking which a person commits sin.
Ten Commandments:
- I am the Lord your God; Let you have no other gods before Me.
- You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of anything in the sky above, or on the earth below, or in the water under the earth. Do not worship them or serve them; For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, and showing mercy to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
- Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who takes His name in vain.
- Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Work six days and do all your work; and the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God: on it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your maidservant, nor your livestock, nor the stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord created heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; and on the seventh day he rested. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and sanctified it.
- Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
- Dont kill.
- Don't commit adultery.
- Don't steal.
- Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.
- Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house; You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.
We have sinned in thoughts, words and deeds, failing to keep the commandments, breaking them through sins, doing inappropriate things and not doing what should be done.
Man cannot earn his place in Heaven
If a person is a sinner, then his deeds also contain sin. It is impossible to earn a place in heaven by sinful deeds and a sinful lifestyle. None of us can secure the Kingdom of Heaven on our own. We cannot save ourselves from the fate of Hell. As the Bible says:
“By grace you have been saved... and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9)
Father Diy about religions
In Russia there are many religious movements of the so-called pagan direction. One of these is the Old Russian Church of Orthodox Old Believers-Yinglings, the leader of which is Khinevich A. Yu. In one of his video speeches, Pater Diy recalls the assignment received from his teacher-mentor. The essence of his “mission” was the following: to find out from representatives of the main religious denominations what they know about hell and heaven. As a result of such surveys, Khinevich learns that Christian, Islamic, and Jewish clergy have comprehensive information about hell. They can name all its levels, dangers, trials awaiting the sinner, almost by name they list all the monsters that will meet with the lost soul, and so on, so on, so on... However, absolutely all the servants with whom he had a chance to communicate know amazingly little about heaven. They have only superficial information about the place of eternal bliss. Why is that? Khinevich himself makes the following conclusion: they say, whoever they serve, they know about that... We will not be so categorical in our judgments, and will leave this to the reader. In this case, it would be appropriate to recall the words of the classic, the brilliant M. A. Bulgakov. In the novel “The Master and Margarita” he puts into Woland’s mouth the phrase that there are many theories regarding the afterlife. There is one among them, according to which everyone will be given according to his faith...
III. Two truths about God
God is just and therefore must punish sin
God is merciful and therefore does not want to punish us
The problem of our own salvation from Hell becomes even more complex when we learn what the Bible says about God. The hallmarks of God are mercy, love, goodness and grace. However, the same Bible says that God is just, holy and righteous. His purity does not allow Him to tolerate sin and therefore He must punish it. Holy Scripture tells us that God always frowns upon sin and commands all people everywhere to repent. Perhaps you have a question - why does a person go to Hell for sin? Let's see how many sins a good person can commit. Let us try very hard to do good every day, and even then we will invariably commit at least five, well, let there be three sins a day. We will sin 90 times a month already. 1080 per year. Over the course of 50 years of life, a good person sins at least 54,000 times. Now, you must agree, we would not be happy if the judge released, for example, the Tsapkov gang, who killed a family with children. The soul would indignantly demand justice and retribution. We can recall many cases when people were ready to organize lynching when they saw the inaction of law enforcement agencies. So tell me, what kind of judge would acquit 54,000 crimes? Will such a criminal really not be punished? Therefore, sin leads a person to Hell. To a place of eternal punishment for crimes against the eternal God. God does not want to punish us, but He cannot give eternal life to someone who unrestrainedly commits crimes against His commandments.
“...Then He will also say to those on the left hand: Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels...” (Holy Gospel of Matthew 25:41)
While you are still alive there is a chance to turn to the mercy of God. The Lord sent His Son into the world so that man would have the opportunity to be reconciled with Him.
Is there enough space?
Topics related to the Garden of Eden are often discussed on various information resources. People are interested in various questions. And how can you get there, and how many people are in heaven and much more. A couple of years ago, the whole world was in a fever: everyone was waiting for the “end of the world,” which was supposed to come in December 2012. In this regard, many predicted that the very “Day of Judgment” was about to come, when God would descend to earth and punish all sinners, and grant eternal bliss to the righteous. And this is where the fun begins. How many people will go to heaven? Is there enough room for everyone? Or will everything happen as in the plans of the globalists who want to leave the “golden billion” on the planet? These and similar questions haunted many, preventing them from sleeping at night. However, 2013 came, the “end of the world” did not come, but the expectation of “Judgment Day” remained. More and more often, Jehovah's Witnesses, evangelists, etc. are turning to passers-by with a call to repent and let God into their souls, because soon everything that exists will come to an end, and everyone must make their choice before it is too late.
V. Two truths about faith
Faith is not simply agreement with certain historical facts
How can you receive the miraculous gift of salvation from Hell?
“By grace you have been saved through faith...” Ephesians 2:8
Faith is the key that opens the door to Heaven. Someone said that faith is like a beggar's hand extended to receive a king's gift. Many people think they have faith, but don't really know what it is. Let's look at what faith is not. Many people believe that Jesus actually lived, died, and rose from the dead, and they assume that this is what faith is all about. But faith is not a simple recognition of certain historical facts. The Bible teaches us that even demons believe in God. But they live in Hell, not in Heaven. Other people believe that they believe in Christ, but when you ask them what they mean by this, it turns out that this faith is of a purely temporary nature and relates to ordinary everyday things: health, the well-being of children, financial situation, or is associated with attempts to find way out of a difficult situation. But all this relates only to earthly life.
Faith is trusting in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation
When Holy Scripture speaks of faith, it means a state in which a person places his hopes for salvation and eternal life only on Jesus Christ. Christ came into the world not only so that we could successfully undergo appendicitis surgery or fly safely on an airplane! Christ came to lead us to the heavenly abodes and give us the gift of Eternal Life.
Therefore, to believe means to rely only on Jesus Christ for our salvation. In general, there are only two types of faith - either in yourself or in Jesus Christ. And I, like you, relied solely on my own efforts, trying to lead a more or less normal, decent life. But then I realized a simple thing - if in this way one can earn salvation, then, therefore, I will be my own savior; and if I believe that I can be my own savior, why do I need Christ, the Savior of the whole world. All I had to do was stop relying on myself and start believing in Jesus. And many years ago, with sincere repentance, I turned to the Lord and received the gift of eternal life. I didn't deserve it then and I don't deserve it now, but by His grace I received this gift! For a long time, I believed that God existed and could help me, but I did not have the gift of eternal life because I expected to get into Heaven solely by relying on my good works. Remember your supposed answer to God when asked what you did to deserve to be in heaven? Now, to receive the gift of eternal life, you must transfer your faith from yourself to Jesus Christ. What then should motivate us to live as God pleases? Gratitude for the gift that Christ brought us.
Heaven on Earth
According to the Bible, the Garden of Eden was on Earth, and many theologians are confident that in the future it will also be restored on our planet. However, a reasonable person may wonder: why wait for the day of judgment, maybe you can build paradise on your own? Ask any fisherman who has met the dawn with a fishing rod in his hands somewhere on a quiet lake: where is paradise? He will confidently answer that he is on Earth, here and now. Maybe you shouldn't sit in a stuffy apartment? Try to go to the forest, to the river or to the mountains, wander in silence, listen to birdsong, look for mushrooms, berries - and, quite possibly, you will discover this “eternal bliss” during your lifetime. However, man is designed in such a way that he always expects a miracle... Like, some kind uncle will appear and solve all his problems - he will wean slobs from throwing garbage past the trash can, rude people from swearing, boors from parking in the wrong place, corrupt officials from taking bribes, and so on. A person sits and waits, and life passes by, it cannot be returned... Muslims have a parable called “The last person to enter heaven.” It most accurately conveys the essence of human nature, which always remains dissatisfied with the true state of affairs. A person always remains dissatisfied, even if he gets what he dreams of. I wonder if he will be happy in heaven, or maybe some time will pass and he will begin to be burdened by “eternal bliss” and want something more? After all, Adam and Eve also could not resist temptations. It would be worth thinking about this...
Robber Rescue
The first man to enter Paradise is not a Christian, but a thief who is crucified on the cross next to Jesus. He killed, robbed, and was justly condemned. But the Lord says to him:
“Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
(Luke 23:43)
The first man in Paradise is not a Christian, but a robber.
Experiencing terrible torment, before his death he humbled himself, acknowledged the justice of his punishment, stood up for the innocent suffering Christ, and said:
“Remember me, Lord, when you come into Your Kingdom!”
(Luke 23:43)
He confessed Jesus to be God.
It is not easy to come to terms with failures, illnesses, and to admit the justice of your punishment. Especially on the edge of life and death.
The two thieves on the cross are an image of all humanity. Some suffer and are indignant: “Why?!” Others humble themselves and thank God for everything.
Icon of the Prudent Thief in Paradise
"Terraria": how to get to heaven
Finally, we will have to cover this issue, although it is difficult to tie it to the topic of the article. Terraria is a 2D sandbox computer game. It features customizable characters, dynamic time of day changes, randomly generated worlds, the ability to deform the landscape, and a crafting system. Many gamers are scratching their heads, asking a similar question: “Terraria”: how to get to heaven?” The fact is that in this project there are several biomes: “Jungle”, “Ocean”, “Ground World”, “Dungeon”, “Underworld”, etc... In theory, “Paradise” should exist, you just have to find it fails. It is especially difficult for beginners. This is the biome that is taken out of the logical chain. Although experienced players claim that it exists. To get there, you need to craft harpy wings and spheres of power. You can get the necessary components near the “Floating Islands”. These are pieces of land floating in the air. Their appearance is not much different from the ground surface: there are the same trees and resource deposits as on the ground, and only a lonely temple with a chest inside stands out from the rest of the landscape. Harpies will definitely appear nearby, dropping the feathers we need so much, and other monsters. Be on the lookout!
This concludes our journey. Let us hope that the reader will find his way to “eternal bliss.”
The Lord is near, ask and it will be given to you
Despite the difficulties of the road to Paradise, Heavenly help will not be slow to come. With God's help, all sins, passions and temptations are overcome. The Lord, testing a Christian on this path, fills the praying heart with Grace, trusting in Him with faith and humility.
This is what the Lord says:
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
(Matthew 7:7)
“...and whatever you ask in prayer in faith, you will receive.”
(Matthew 21:22)
“If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
(John 14:14)
The holy Apostles call for this:
“...always by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
(Phil. 4:6-7)
“…let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
(Heb. 4:16)
“...let him ask God, who gives to everyone freely and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without any doubt.”
(James 1:5-6)
