Is there only one way to heaven? (test essay; different contest)
Published by Jake Allen May 2nd, 2005 in Uncategorized
Yes. No. Maybe? Before a person knows how to get to heaven, they must know what heaven is and why a person would want to go there. Some religions teach that heaven is a place of pure happiness. Others, that heaven looks and feels a lot like earth. Still others believe that heaven is the melding of a person into the rest of reality.
But not all of these can be true at the same time. Just because some people believe something does not make it true. People can make some choices, but those choices must conform to reality. A runner can train to be a better runner, even train hard enough to win a race, but he can’t train hard enough to fly into the Sun. Some ways to heaven have to be wrong.
Like the runner, we are racing toward the afterlife, and we have lots of people giving us directions. Some are telling us to sit down, that running doesn’t matter. Others are asking us to fly. Choosing the right way to run is a difficult decision.
The Bible teaches that we can’t win the race alone, and that we shouldn’t have to run alone. It teaches that Jesus Christ won the race already, and that no matter how slow we have run, we win on his team.
So what’s the prize?
The Bible describes a reality where God loves mankind, and wants to live with mankind in a perfect family. That perfect family is built on perfect love, and perfect satisfaction in the presence of God. That security is more valuable than mere perfect happiness, more valuable than union with the universe, and much more valuable than disappearing.
God builds that family on his son, Jesus Christ. Jesus claimed that only he can bring us to the Father in heaven. Unless Jesus lied, he is the only way to heaven.
The good news is that Jesus offers this free ticket to all who believe. It does not matter how good or how bad a person is, what they look like, or where they come from. All who believe in the name of Jesus Christ will be saved.
Every religion has a training method for the race. Only Jesus is willing to run the race for us, and bring us to God.
