EXHORTATION TO HEAVENWARD CHRISTIANS

The Christian journey to heaven is a sacred pilgrimage that begins with a transformational encounter with Jesus Christ. This transformation is not achieved through human effort but by the sovereign grace of God, making a believer a new creature in Christ. As the Scriptures affirm:

"Unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3-5).

Confession of Jesus as Lord and belief in His resurrection secure the gift of salvation (Romans 10:9-10).

The newness of life in Christ signifies a profound spiritual rebirth (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Righteousness Through Christ

Entrance into heaven is not by our righteousness but by Christ's righteousness. Our deeds, no matter how noble, cannot suffice; only His perfect sacrifice opens the way. Living as a heavenward Christian demands an earthly focus on the heavenly realm:

"Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:1-3).

This heavenly perspective shapes our values, pursuits, and character, aligning us with God’s kingdom agenda.

Marks of a Heavenward Christian

A heavenward Christian delights in loving God, embracing righteousness, and living a life wholly devoted to pleasing Him (Luke 1:71-79). Such a life reflects these principles:

Hold Lightly to Earthly Things

We must enjoy God’s blessings but not make idols of them. Integrity and daily communion with God anchor us in His will.

Prioritize God Above All Else

Seek God, not sin. Fear God, not men. Love God, not the world. Believe God, not deceivers. Obey God, not personal appetites. Serve God, not self. Worship God, not comfort.

Abiding in Christ involves daily submission to His Word and Spirit. Obedience is not optional but a reflection of genuine love for God (John 14:21). Through this abiding relationship, we bear witness to Christ by our lives and words, empowered by the Holy Spirit (John 15:8; Acts 1:8; Galatians 5:16-17).

Stay Ready for the Lord’s Return

The call to readiness is urgent and unwavering. Faithfulness to the end, perseverance in trials, and immovability in storms are non-negotiable traits of a heavenward Christian. Jesus reminds us that "He who endures to the end will be saved" (Matthew 24:13).

Living with Eternity in View

Living with eternity in view means daily committing ourselves to God’s purposes, trusting Him in every detail, and walking in the power of His Spirit. It requires a focus on what is eternal, living a life that glorifies God and testifies of His kingdom.

Final Charge

As heavenward Christians, let us hold fast to the promise of God, knowing that His grace is sufficient to sustain us. May we live lives that will ultimately usher us into His glorious presence, free from reproach or questioning.

"Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 15:58).

May the Lord grant us the grace to endure faithfully to the end, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

OUR REDEMPTION BY CHRIST’S BLOOD

Adam and Eve though still physically in the Garden of Eden after eating the forbidden fruit,were consequently spiritual dead and become alienated from God and from the commonwealth of His kingdom. This verdict they could not set aside which emphasizes the insufficiency of man’s works and personal endeavor in gaining salvation,except he’s born again (John 3:3). It needed a Messiah one qualified, sure and a high integrity to meet the divine standard and thus satisfy God’s imperative judgement.

Christ, therefore become the sin bearer, based on the fact of God’s provision and what the scripture says, “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood,to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God…And for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.For where a testament is,there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth” (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:15-17). God’s covenant demanded that someone would die in our place. Christ surrendered His life and died for us so that we could ‘receive the promise of eternal inheritance’.

From the time of the fall of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, it has been practiced repeatedly that an innocent one must bear our guilt of sin and punishment before we could be pardoned from sin and set free. Redemption alone never brought forgiveness;there must be atonement through the blood. The sacrifices with the blood of animals of the Old Covenant were in practiced until Christ came. Jesus came as the final “Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the whole world” His blood cleanses us from all sin. Remissions of sins and the provisions of the New Covenant are now ours through the Blood of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.He has certified the New Covenant with His own Blood, just as the Old Covenant was certified by Moses with the blood of animals. “And without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22).Although Christ’s atonement on the cross guarantees universal provision of salvation for all mankind, but could be appropriated only on a personal basis, there is yet a needful element for it to vail one through faith in Christ Jesus.

The sinner who seeks salvation must take the necessary step of faith in the blood of Jesus Christ for atonement.We were to face the judgement of God for the sin we had committed. Through faith in Christ, our sins are forgiven and will never be remembered, our hearts are cleansed and we are made righteous. We have passed from judgement unto life. Christ, through His dead and blood has obtained redemption, remission of sins and righteousness for us. Believe in Christ and be made righteous today.