Heaven or Hell?

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. (John 10:1-4 ESV). In his book, What God Wishes Christians Knew About Christianity, Bill Gillham provides an eye-opening quiz to help us understand the importance of a clear focus on our relationship to Christ. Gillham asks us to imagine heaven with a miserable environment, hot, arid, and terribly crowded everywhere. No beauty, wildlife or flowers, just dust and dreariness. You would be required to work hard in the fields all day, under a blazing sun. But, your coworker, best friend and constant companion would be Jesus. He would labor alongside you, answering all your questions about life, encouraging you, loving you, pouring out all the secrets of his heart. Then imagine hell as a gorgeous paradise, overflowing with beauty, animals, stunning trees and wildflowers. Everyone would feast on gourmet food and live in luxurious mansions. Every type of entertainment would be available, from music concerts to fishing, skiing, and every imaginable sport. Satan would be banished to another realm, never to bother anyone again. The only thing that would be missing would be Jesus. He would be in the desert heaven. So, which place would you choose? That’s not a very difficult quiz really. Almost everyone reading these devotionals would answer that we would prefer to be with Jesus regardless of the environment. But is that really what our actions answer for us? I find myself often asking God for something. And, of course, there’s nothing wrong with making prayers of supplication and petition. Paul encourages us to do so. However, if that is the only communication we have with Him, it may be bordering on an insult to our relationship. It would be the same as asking your spouse to prove their love for you constantly by giving you what you need at the moment. It is the behavior of a petulant, spoiled child. We ought to remember that God proved his love for you on Calvary, when he sacrificed his only son for our redemption from sin and death. God continues to bless us with so many good things. I hope you will be encouraged to seek a relationship with him. Choosing the gifts instead of the giver is ultimately deeply dissatisfying. Tomorrow we’ll look at some practical ways to encourage the growth of your relationship with Christ. His declaration is that He does call out to us and we can recognize His voice to be called out to the best life has to offer us.