I do an informal survey about heaven every time I talk to somebody about Jesus. I typically ask them… Do they believe in Heaven? Do they believe that they’re going to Heaven? What does it take for a person to get into Heaven? I found that most people are confused when it comes to the topic of Heaven. Some recent research has just demonstrated that most Americans are confused about Heaven.
About this time last year Ligonier Ministries surveyed roughly 3000 Americans. They asked people basic questions about Jesus, the Bible, and Heaven. The results were reported by LifeWay Research in their Theological Awareness Benchmark Study. Here is what LifeWay and Ligonier Ministries determined:
Heaven is Real
More than half of Americans indicated that they believe that Heaven is a real place- 67% of Americans, in fact. I find this statistic surprising since most Americans don’t act like Heaven is real.
Jesus is the only way to Heaven
When asked if Jesus was the only way to get to Heaven, Americans were a lot more confused. If you look at the statistics, there is no real consensus on this question. Many believe that he is the only way to get to Heaven. Others believe that there are many ways to get to Heaven.
Many ways to get to Heaven
Americans are almost perfectly split over this question. About 42% of us say “No, there is only one way to get to Heaven.” While 44% of us say “There are more than just one way to get to get Heaven.” Maybe that’s because some Americans believe that there will be a second chance to get to Heaven.
2nd Chance after death
The research shows that 30% of American’s believe that there will be a second chance to follow God after you die.
You can’t miss it from the research- American’s are spiritually mixed up. The correct answer to all these questions are found in the Bible. In the John 14:1-9 Jesus makes it very clear to his followers. He is the only way to Heaven. Jesus says in this passage that he is God in the flesh, that anyone who has seen him has seen God, that Heaven is real, and that all those that trust their soul to him will be with him in Heaven.
Which only leaves the question, is there a second chance after death to follow God? No. The very idea that it is possible for a person to follow God after death completely undermines what happened when Jesus died on the cross. As we prepare to remember Good Friday please keep this in mind. We call the most brutal, painful, and unwarranted murder in human history Good Friday, because it was the day that Jesus’ death paid in full the punishment that our sins deserve. Had it not been for Good Friday, Easter would not be possible. If it were not for the first Easter Sunday, our resurrection would not be possible. If it were not for the first Easter Sunday Heaven would not be possible for anyone in human history. The fact that you are reading this blog right now means that God is giving you a second chance to surrender to King Jesus but the moment you die, your fate is determined forever.
If you’ve never done it before, turn from your sins to Jesus right now. You can do this in the form of a simple prayer. Something like this: God, I admit that I am a sinner. I recognize that my sin deserves the punishment of death and Hell. But I also believe that Jesus died in my place so that I don’t have to pay the penalty for my sins. I believe that he rose again, so that I can have the promise of Heaven. Today, I trust Jesus only as my Savior. I will follow him from this day forward. If you just made that commitment to Jesus and it was sincere please contact us at cbc@calvaryministries.com. We want to encourage you and let you know how you can start to grow in your faith.
