Who Will Go to Heaven?

An evangelist preaching a revival one night asked all who wanted to go to heaven to raise their hands. Everyone in the audience did so, except one elderly man sitting near the front of the sanctuary. The preacher pointed his curly finger at him and said, "Sir, do you mean to tell us that you don't want to go to heaven?" "Sure I want to go to heaven," the non-conformist replied, "but the way you put the question, I figured you were getting up a busload for tonight!"

Heaven…who will go there? This is the question I want you to consider with me this morning. Who is going to get there? A Gallup poll a few years ago showed that 78 percent of Americans expect to go to heaven when they die. However, the poll revealed that many of those polled who said they expect to go to Heaven hardly ever pray, read the Bible, or attend church.

My experience of being in the ministry now for over 35 years has found that the majority of people I’ve come into contact with believe they’re going to Heaven. So I want us to look at a passage this morning that gives us an answer to this question. It’s found in 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 . Read.

1 Corinthians 6:1–11 NASB95

Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers? Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

I want you to notice this morning that the context of this passage deals with Christians and lawsuits against each other. It’s pretty clear that many of the Corinthian Christians were caught up in the practice of entering lawsuits against each other. And this grieved the Apostle Paul. Why? 4 reasons basically…

1. Christian shouldn’t be suing each other – suppose to love each other.

2. Christians shouldn’t make a spectacle of themselves and bring reproach on the name of Christ.

3. Christians should be able to resolve their conflicts without legal proceedings.

4. Christians should let Godly standards be used to help resolve disputes and issues with other Christians not the world’s.

One clear application that can be drawn is that Christians who act like the unredeemed should evaluate their hearts and lives. Because one of Paul’s main points here is that a true Christian should not live contrary to who he is.

So Paul comes to the end of this section and emphasizes 2 things that help us answer our question this morning. First, he emphasizes that…

1. THOSE WHO PRACTICE UNRIGHTEOUSNESS WON’T MAKE IT TO HEAVEN.

- Friend, there are a lot of people who think (believe) they’re going to Heaven no matter how they live!

- So what are these people basing their beliefs on? Let me share with you 6. Some base their belief…

(1) Good works – because they do some nice things - problem: “doing, works” doesn’t get you there – you can’t work your way to Heaven – if you could it would depend on you!

(2) Morality – being a good moral person – problem: good morals doesn’t get you into Heaven - it’s good to be a moral person but it’s not what gets you there.

(3) Parents – some people think because their parents were or are Christians that this is going to get them in – this may work in the secular world but it doesn’t work in the spiritual world!

(4) Baptism – some people think that as long as they have been baptized that everything is okay - baptism is what follows salvation.

(5) Church attendance – some people think that by going to church however frequently or infrequently, that this is going to get them into Heaven.

(6) Church Membership – some people think that as long as their name is on the roll of a church that this is going to get them into Heaven.

- The sad reality is that individuals who are counting on these things getting them into Heaven view them as a “Fire Insurance” policy.

- Many today who want to go to Heaven but want to go on their own terms, not God’s!

- Friend, I want you to notice very clearly what the Bible (God’s Word) says in verses 9-10. Notice 3 things:

(1) Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God– in other words, do you not understand this fundamental truth?

(2) Do not be deceived.

- How many have been deceived through the years? How many are being deceived today?

- Understand: the devil wants people to “think” they are okay when they’re not – to believe that because of any of the just stated reasons that they are okay – as long as you’ve done any of these stated things, everything is fine and you can just go on and live any way you want to live – don’t have to read Bible, pray, attend church, tithe, witness…

- How many have been shocked when they’ve passed through the doorway of death?

(3) Who God classifies as unrighteous.

- God lists here 10 types of people…1 Corinthians 6:9-10

1 Corinthians 6:9–10 NASB95

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

- Notice this list isn’t exhaustive but it does cover a lot of territory!

- Anyone who PRACTICES ANY ONE of these lifestyles gives indication he or she is unrighteous and therefore WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD – will not make it to Heaven!

- Notice the list again…read… fornicator (sexual immorality), idolater (worships anything or anyone other than God), adulterers (unfaithful to spouse – either physically or emotionally), effeminate (male prostitutes)/ homosexuals (perverted male-female roles and relations), thieves/covetous (greed), drunks…

- Friend, God’s Word is clear on this point – it is black / white!

TS – 2nd he emphasizes that…

2. ONLY THOSE WHO’VE HAD A REAL ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS CHRIST WILL MAKE IT TO HEAVEN.

- Listen carefully to what Paul said to the Corinthian Christians: AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU!

- He emphasized that some had experienced a real encounter with Jesus Christ! They had experienced a sordid past but they were genuinely saved now and would inherit the Kingdom of God!

- Let me apply this in 2 ways:

(1) All of us come from some type of sordid past – we’ve all sinned! Thank God the Gospel is for all of us – not just a select few!

(2) Our church is filled with ex-fornicators, ex-adulterers, ex-idolaters, ex-homosexuals, ex... – the point: we who know Christ no longer live this way! Yes, there was a time in the past (a day in the past), but not anymore!

- Notice here that the word “but” is repeated 3 times in verse 11 to stress the revolutionary change the power of Christ works in a life that truly gives itself to Christ!

(1) BUT YOU WERE WASHED.

- The word washed used here speaks of spiritual cleansing – the tense is past tense emphasizing a point of time in the past when your sins were washed away and regeneration took place – you became born again!

(2) BUT YOU WERE SANCTIFIED.

- The word sanctified used here speaks of new behavior – to be set apart for God. Before a person is saved he has no holy nature, no capacity for holy living. But in Christ the believer is given a new nature and empowered to live out the Christian life. Sin’s total dominion is broken and replaced by a life of holiness and purity.

- This word too is in the past tense emphasizing that at a point of time in the past after being washed, you were sanctified.

(3) BUT YOU WERE JUSTIFIED.

- The word justified used here speaks of your new standing before God! In Christ you are now clothed in righteousness and God sees His Son’s righteousness instead of your sin and unrighteousness.

- As Rom. 4 instructs, Jesus’ righteousness has now been credited to your account!

- Again this word is in the past tense emphasizing that this took place at a point in time in the past after being washed.

- What is the point God is trying to make here: Three: When you have a real encounter with Jesus Christ…

(1) You are converted and radically changed!

(2) A transformed life should produce transformed living! – can’t be the same again!

(3) You are forever His!

Conclusion

So who will go to Heaven? Clearly, the Bible lays it out: The unrighteous – those who’s lifestyle is a lifestyle of sin – will not make it there. Only those who’ve had a real encounter with Jesus Christ will.

Friend, I simply ask you this morning: Based on what you’ve heard, will you go to Heaven when you draw your last breath here?