What Will Keep Most People Out of Heaven
Most people view themselves as pretty decent folks; the vast majority undoubtedly believe they will dwell in heaven forever. Yet Jesus said that only few would be saved (Matt. 7:13-14). So, why does this discrepancy exist? How is it that God knows that only few will be with Him following the judgment, while human beings think that most people will be saved? Without question, God is right; so where are we human beings going wrong? Oh, sure, some evil people exist, but most of us are not murderers or guilty of other heinous sins. How can we possibly think we are headed for streets of gold when we are on our way to the Lake of Fire?
The one thing that is often overlooked is that first thing that Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3). Yes, it seems simple enough, but what does it mean? Most everyone knows that the word translated "blessed" refers to the highest form of happiness, which involves genuine satisfaction and contentment, as opposed to the temporary thrills of pleasure-seeking. The kingdom of heaven is in many contexts the church—God's spiritual kingdom here on earth. But it can also refer to God's everlasting kingdom—heaven itself.
What, then, is the definition of the poor in spirit? It is not difficult to determine: The rich in spirit are those who are lifted up with pride, the haughty; the poor in spirit refers to the humble. The Scriptures teach many things concerning those who are proud and those who are humble. Most are familiar with: "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Pr. 16:18). On the other hand is: "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up" (James 4:10). Someone might say, "That's it? All we have to do to be saved is to be humble? That doesn't sound so hard." No, humility is not the only thing, but it the gateway that leads to the others. Pride is what shuts the door to salvation.
Examples of Door-Slamming
When brethren go knocking on doors, whether it is to acquaint the community with our Vacation Bible School or to set up Bible studies, most people are nice; a few even wish us well. But one or two rude individuals will interrupt, saying, "I'm not interested," after which they slam the door in our faces. Many who would never dream of being so obnoxious, however, are not poor in spirit, either. Following are a few examples.
First, some have walled themselves off spiritually and will not listen to anything someone says to them about the Bible. Years ago this writer took a man to receive a cancer therapy treatment. In the course of conversation, when asked a Bible question, he quickly became incensed, although it was a simple question and not threatening in the slightest. His answer was, essentially, that he did not have to think about religion or even know anything. He listened to someone who went to seminary, and he was a smart man. That negative response terminated the conversation, but it could have been pointed out that there are all sorts of seminaries, and many of their teachings conflict with each other; how did he know that his man was teaching truth? The point is that he did not know since he never looked at the Bible for himself. How unlike the Bereans who searched the Scriptures daily to see whether or not the things the apostle Paul taught were true (Acts 17:11)!
It could further have been asked, "Where did Jesus say to let someone who had been to a seminary do his thinking for him?" The Scriptures never teach such an absurd notion. Jesus addressed the multitudes and individuals personally. Someone who refuses to listen to what the Bible says (whether for the previous reason, or any other) is proud and not the least bit humble. This man may have had many other fine qualities, but he was not poor in spirit.
What he said was akin to what many others do when asked a Biblical question. "Uh, my uncle is a denominational preacher; so he tells us what we need to know." Probably, this person is not listening to the uncle, either, but the remark is a door-slammer, which interpreted means, "Look! I don't know anything about the Bible and don't intend to learn anything, either. I'm quite happy just the way I am, and I don't want anything to upset my personal applecart." Can anyone seriously think that the kingdom of heaven will be enjoyed by such an arrogant person? Those who shut God out of their lives may not be atheists or plotting evil against others, but they are selfish, and they cannot be saved. The rich young farmer exhibited characteristics like these (Luke 12:15-21).
Then there were the parents of some teens who joyously obeyed the gospel. One young lady was dating a Christian youth. They studied, and she desired to become a Christian. She encouraged her parents to be present for her new birth, and they came for worship on a Sunday morning. It was a glorious day for the church. The singing sounded better than normal, the sermon fit the occasion, the prayers and the Lord's Supper were conducted solemnly, and at the conclusion the young lady was baptized. That Lord's day was marvelous for the brethren.
But not for her parents. They absolutely forbade her to come back and worship with us. They belonged to a particular denomination, and they would be going there from then on. The parents made a big show of going to "their" church for two or three weeks and then slipped back into their hit-and-miss approach to worship, but still they refused to let their daughter come to be with us. Even if they were not going to be devout, there was no way their daughter would be attending anywhere else! We asked them to please sit down and talk with us, but they refused. It was a matter of pride. Another family forbade their two sons to attend after they had been baptized. Pride keeps people from searching for the truth and prevents them from even a friendly discussion about the Scriptures.
Some appear humble enough when they are learning the gospel, but once they have been baptized, it is difficult to teach them much else. Paul considered those whom he had converted his children in the faith. Imagine how surprised he would have been if Timothy had begun to try to teach Paul two weeks after the apostle baptized him. Some mistakenly think that, because they have learned a few new truths, they have "arrived," but true learning takes time.
Whether a person refuses to listen to what the Scriptures teach to come to a knowledge of the truth, or whether, having been taught a little, he fancies himself to be an expert, the problem is still one of pride. In Jesus' day, some refused to listen to Him early on—even though He was working miracles that proved He was sent from God. Many people would not commit various horrendous sins, but is there a worse one than refusing to listen to His teaching?
Giving Up Sin
How many times have people heard sin preached against but have refused to repent? Consider a young person who has been present in worship assemblies since he was a baby. He knows that fornication is wrong; he has been taught that those who are not married to each other have no authority to engage in a sexual relationship. He knows that it would be a sin to do so, but he does it anyway. Obviously, the lust of the flesh has overtaken him, but what about pride?
People invent ways to except themselves from God's law. He may say, "Fornication is wrong for others, but I am justified in what I am doing." Is that humility, when someone convinces himself that he is the exception to a clear Scriptural teaching? "Oh, but God understands my situation!" Notice the personal pronouns. The fact is that sin is sin—no matter who commits it. Did God say, when David committed adultery with Bathsheba, "Oh, there's the great and pious David committing adultery; well, I certainly understand his situation, and I won't hold it against him"? No, people simply flatter themselves when they think that God will overlook their sins.
Sometimes people try to compensate for the sin they refuse to abandon. They think that, since they have not committed 19 bad sins, surely the 20th one of which they are guilty will not keep them out of heaven. Or they might reason incorrectly, as some did under the old law. They try to buy God's forgiveness with tithes and offerings. "Since I have given so much to God, He surely cannot refuse me eternal life." But God did reject the sacrifices of those who thought that way. How vain to think that God could be bribed!
Refusing to listen and to repent will be keeping many people out of heaven. What many fail to take seriously is that God is the Creator, and we are part of the Creation. We are the only part that is made in the image of God. Part of that privilege includes having the ability to think and reason. Every privilege carries with it a responsibility; since we are rational beings, our responsibility is to think logically. Through the evidence of the universe we can reason that God exists. Through the Revelation that He has given us, we can determine what He expects of us.
Sadly, human beings can choose to be irrational; we sometimes allow emotions to override logic. Often, the cause of such irrationality is pride—doing what we want instead of what God commands. When we set ourselves up as judges over the Word of God, we in no way can be called poor in spirit. Are we wiser than God and the teachings He gave us? If we believe that faulty notion (or live as though we believe it), then we will never be part of the kingdom of heaven. Only the King has the right to allow people into His kingdom, and He has spoken to us about the need for humility. Those who decide to tell God what they will and will not believe and practice shall be forever among the lost. Their pride has made the decision for them.