The Gospel of the Kingdom — Part 8
A day in the least part of heaven beats a day in any part of hell. I’ll say that all day long. But the Bible says you can go to heaven and still suffer loss.
Most of us grew up with two outcomes. Heaven or hell. And if you make it to heaven, you get it all. Everybody the same. It’s the “we’re all winners” idea they teach in the public schools. No difference, saint to saint.
That’s not what Jesus taught. And it’s not what Paul taught.
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 — “For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
Read that last line slowly. He himself will be saved. That part is settled. That’s the free gift, and nobody can take it from him. But his work can burn up. And he can suffer loss.
Saved. And still lose.
So going to heaven is not the goal. It’s the framework of your outcome, but it’s not the goal.
Salvation is not an end in itself. It is the door to the adventure. How you walk that adventure decides your eternity. Your heaven will be unique to you. The choices you make after the cage door is opened decide what your heaven will be like.
Jesus told us where to put our savings.
Matthew 6:19-21 — “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Treasure in heaven. You can lay it up there, or not. And when you arrive, you’ll find out what you sent ahead.
And Jesus said He would settle the account Himself.
Matthew 16:27 — “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.”
Every man. According to his deeds. Not according to his salvation. The salvation was free. This is about what he did with it.
Now somebody’s thinking, “So I’m working my way into heaven after all?” No. Your way in was paid in full at the cross. You’re not working to get in. You’re deciding what you’ll have when you get there. One is what He did for us. The other is what we do in response to what He did for us.
And whatever it costs you down here, Paul says it isn’t even close.
Romans 8:18 — “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Our outcome in heaven and eternity is decided by what we do with what we’ve been given.
Your heaven will be unique to you. What are you sending ahead?
More where this came from. Follow along.
