My article in the New Humanity section of this blog, “Your Greatest Promotion,” presents the Bible’s teaching on what God has done through Jesus Christ to make it possible for people to ascend to a higher and better life beyond this world—life after death in an all-good world that has no evil, through joining the enhanced new humanity under the superior headship of Jesus Christ, its first member.
Major religions agree that we now live in a world where good and evil are mixed together, and that we should aspire to ascend to a future world after this life, where evil is no longer present. Major religions don’t agree on what the process is by which a person ascends to this all-good future world. Some religions teach that humans must, by their own efforts during a succession of reincarnated lives on this earth, gradually become good enough to earn entrance to that future all-good world. Following similar predictions in Isaiah 65:17-25, the New Testament teaches that human ascension into the all-good future world (“heaven”) happens immediately after death for all those who, during this life, have been “born again” into a second, enhanced humanity that will populate this future all-good world. This new humanity was established by its first member and head, Jesus Christ, God the Son, when he left heaven and became a human being about 2,023 years ago in Israel.
Before his arrest, Jesus told his disciples that he would soon return to God his Father in heaven, and from there he would prepare the future all-good world until he returns to this world for his living followers: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3)
The New Testament teaches that only one thing can keep anyone from ascending to this all-good world when they die in this world: not being a member of the new humanity under the headship of its first member, Jesus Christ. Revelation 21:27 says that what we call the future “heaven” for human beings will be populated only by members of this new, enhanced human race: “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
An obvious question presents itself to people who want to immediately ascend to heaven after death, as taught in the Bible: “What must I do now to become a member of this new human race before I die?”
The Bible’s answer is this: You just need enough faith to ask God for the favor requested from Jesus by “the thief on the cross”—one of two criminals who were crucified next to Jesus. One criminal was verbally abusing Jesus as the three were dying. The second criminal challenged the first criminal: “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence? We are being punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” (Luke 23:39-41) The second criminal then said to Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42) Jesus responded, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
The only good work done by the second criminal, that resulted in Jesus’ promise that he would immediately ascend to heaven when he died, was his faith that 1. Jesus was who he claimed to be (King of this world that he created) and 2. Jesus was trustworthy when he said that he would return to his kingdom after his death. This second criminal may have been present when Jesus was asked, early in his public ministry, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” (John 6:28) Jesus had answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:29) This restated what Jesus had earlier said in the best-known verse of the Bible, John 3:16: God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
Thus, birth into the new, enhanced humanity under the sinless headship of Jesus, happens through faith in Jesus Christ. Human ascension from this world of evil to the best-possible future world, according to the Bible, is a gift that you must choose to receive by faith. It is not a reward for becoming good enough to deserve it through your own good works: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) This gift from God is like an invitation to exchange your worn out and dented used car for the gift of a new, luxury car that will last forever and will never wear out or be damaged. According the Bible, receiving this gift–membership in the new humanity in Christ that will populate heaven–is as easy as ABC:
Admit you are a sinner in need of God’s forgiveness—that you have not lived a perfect life of obedience under God’s authority as your Creator, as the Bible teaches: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”(Romans 3:23)
Believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior from the punishment you deserve for your sins, thus making God’s forgiveness available to you for your sins. According to the Bible, love caused Jesus, God the Son, to leave heaven and become a human being (while remaining God) in the womb of his mother Mary, in order to become the first member of a new human race, to then live a human life of perfect obedience to God his Father. His perfect human life included dying on the cross–taking upon himself the punishment deserved by all members of the first human race who are sinners under the sinful headship of Adam: “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6) “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
Commit your life to Jesus Christ as the Lord of your life, doing a U-turn (a 180-degree turn called “repent” in the Bible) from being the boss of your own life, thus acknowledging the Bible’s teaching that as your Creator God, Jesus has authority over your life: “Unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Jesus in Luke 13:3) “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (the Apostle Paul in Romans 10:9)
You can ask God for this favor–the gift of God’s forgiveness and membership in the new humanity “in Christ”–right now, with this prayer: “God, I admit I am a sinner in need of your forgiveness. Thank you that Jesus left heaven, took on human flesh, lived a sinless life, and died to pay the punishment for my sins. I put my faith in him as my Savior from the punishment I deserve for my sins, and I commit that from now on as a member of the new humanity under his headship, he will be the Lord of my life. Jesus, I will live for you here from now on until I am with you in heaven!”
If you sincerely prayed that prayer, you have received the greatest promotion you will ever receive, through faith in Jesus Christ—birth into the new humanity under the headship of Jesus Christ the Son of God, which will populate heaven! If you aren’t ready to put your faith in Jesus Christ yet, I am available to assist you in processing your concerns. Just let me know how to reach you, through your feedback to this article on this blog.