How do I Enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
So what are we told about how to enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Most of us have heard, at one time or another, “just ask Jesus into your heart”. I’ve come to believe that’s only the beginning of finding that narrow gate.
I caught a video on YouTube of some prominent pastors discussing or debating if Jesus preached the gospel. DUH! Yeshua is the gospel! So what is the gospel that Yeshua brought? Is the gospel that our churches proclaim today the same gospel that Jesus proclaimed? In Matthew 4:23 (NASB2020) it says, “Jesus was going about in all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness among the people.
What did Jesus teach about how to enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
Let’s take a look at Matthew 4:17 – From that time Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
So repentance is definitely part of the gospel. What is repentance? Is it merely saying, “I’m sorry, please forgive me?” NOT QUITE. Repentance involves asking for forgiveness, but it’s also a commitment to live differently. Along with the remorse that is felt for sin, is thankfulness and gratitude for forgiveness and a changed attitude in life, a changed walk…walking no more in sin but walking in righteousness and holy living, in communion with God, His son, Yeshua and their Holy Spirit.
Matthew 5:20 –
“For I say to you that unless your righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Earlier in the chapter, Jesus had said,
“Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished! Therefore whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
What commandments? Commandments that were in the Law… Jesus immediately lays some out starting in
Verse 21-
“You shall not murder and whoever commits murder shall be answerable to the court. “
What did Jesus say that he came to do? To fulfill. How do we surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees?
Pay attention to verse 22:
“But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother, shall be answerable to the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”
Another commandment – verse 27 –
‘You shall not commit adultery’
How is this law fulfilled? How do we surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, which is necessary for entering the kingdom of heaven? This involves a deeper look at the commandment. Verse 28 –
“but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. “
So stop lusting!
Next – Verse 31 –
“Whoever sends his wife away is to give her a certificate of divorce”,
Again, fulfilling the law seems to be explaining. Fulfill – fullness. What is the deeper true meaning of God’s commandments…how are they kept? How are they fulfilled? It’s a heart matter! It’s more than the letter of the law, our righteousness must surpass the Pharisees and scribes. Once more, Jesus takes it to the heart:
“but, I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Moving on – Verse 33’s commandment –
You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to The Lord. Fulfilled – “…take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God, nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. Nor shall you take an oath by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. But make sure your statement is ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil origin.
I won’t keep quoting all of chapter 5, the point has been made that we are expected to keep the heart of the law. Yes, we’re saved by God’s Grace but I do believe He expects repentance and obedience and Jesus discusses that obedience. He also further teaches on righteousness that brings rewards from our Father in heaven, in Chapter 6.
Back to entering the Kingdom of Heaven: In Chapter 7 of Matthew:
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
Let me repeat that last part: There are few who find it.
Entering in: Verse 21:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
The foundational beliefs of a disciple of Jesus must be based on His words; verses 24 – 27. The one that hears and acts on Jesus’s words is building his house on rock, it will stand the storm but the one that does not act on them, is building his house on sand and the storms will bring it’s collapse.
More?
Matthew 18:3 –
…unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. So whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name, receives Me; but whoever causes one of these little ones wo believe in Me to sin, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and tat he be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Matthew 19:17 –
“Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good, but if you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
He dealt with this young man a little more by telling him that if he wanted to be complete and have treasure in heaven, he was to sell his possessions and give to the poor and follow Jesus.
Jesus teaches on obedience and entering the kingdom of heaven again Chapter 21. The parable lays out the story of two sons that their father told them to go work in the vineyard. One refused but later regretted it and went to work in the vineyard as his father had told him to. The other son gave lip service. That son replied, “I will, sir” and yet he DID NOT go. So which one did the will of his father? Remember that Jesus said, the one that does the will of The Father will be the one that enters the kingdom of heaven. Jesus told this parable to the Chief Priests and elders and then told them that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before they will.
When Jesus fed the multitude in John 6, the multitude went looking for him the next day to get free food again. Jesus told them to not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for eternal life. Then they asked him what work they needed to do to accomplish the works of God and Jesus’s answer was
“ This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”
Doing the will of the Father is definitely believing in His Son and that takes faith in Him, Repentance, and Obedience. By His precious grace and mercy, we are saved but I believe that grace involves our repentance, mercy, doing the will of The Father, believing in Jesus as our savior, The Son of God. If we truly believe we will keep His commandments. How can believe in Him without loving Him and He said in John 14:15,
“ If you love Me, you will keep My Commandments.”
Read further in verses 23-24. And then there is Jesus’s statement:
“I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you,”
It is difficult to know where to stop with this discussion! Jesus’s words and teachings are so interwoven, there is no end to the discussion. It just keeps connecting with another teaching of His. For today, though, I’m signing off. How would you answer the question, “How do I enter the Kingdom of Heaven?”
It’s a heart matter.
