This Bothers Me!

The song When We All Get to Heaven by Eliza E. Hewett, 1898 has the refrain:

"When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!"

Whenever we sing that in church, it bothers me! Why? We ALL won't go to heaven. I know... she's referring to Christians, but yet my thoughts are on the REMAINDER OF ALL included in the ALL.

The song reminds me of those I love who aren't Christians. It reminds me of those who believe they are Christians, but aren't "born again". It reminds me of nominal Christians. It reminds me of those who seem to have inherited their Christianity, and it reminds me of those whose priority on Christ is zilch; and it reminds me of those who don't believe in Christ and those who hate him!

Hebrews 10:22a "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake..."

Yes, some people hate Christians just because they believe in Christ! Are they part of "when they ALL get to heaven"? That bothers me!

How many people are going to heaven? Very few? That bothers me!

Matthew 7:14 "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

"How many" is a "few". Look at the time of Jesus death. How many stayed with him to the end? FIVE! That's a small number.  Most people believe in Jesus, but fail to trust in him. Belief, by itself, is not enough:

James 2:19 "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble."

Devils will be cast into the Lake of Fire, but they believe. Why? Although they fear God (because he is a just God), they don't trust him! They know that God CAN BE trusted, but their allegiance lies with pleasure, the reward to those who follow the devil. Christians must RELY on Jesus. That's the crucial difference. By relying on Jesus we have faith in him.

Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God..."

ALL those who fail to TRUST in Jesus are part of the ALL who aren't going to heaven.

In America most people purport to be Christians, but demonstrate little of the obedience and charity of Christ. As do the devils, they believe, but have not trusted Jesus for salvation. Most of them are not born-again. They are nominal Christians... CINO's (Christians In Name Only)!

Trust and faith go together. Scripture makes "faith" a metric. There are those who have "no faith", "doubt", "little faith", "faith of the grain of mustard seed", "faith of Abraham", "abiding faith", "secure in the faith" and "the faith of God"! Where is the faith of most? Answer: Most doubt! Doubt is "negative faith".

We have an assurance of our faith by our works:

Romans 2:6 "Who (God) will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath..."

Nominal Christians (CINO's) are contentious, are disobedient to God and are unrighteous in their lifestyles. Their reward will be God's "indignation and wrath"!  They are part of the ALL who aren't going to heaven. That bothers me!

A refrain sang by most is "I've Been Good" (L. Herrin 1/3/2015):

"I think I'm going to heaven.
I've been good!
I do what I am in the mood.
Sin and fun is my leaven
Yes, I think I'm going there!
Why, I've been good!
Going because I think I should.
Living my life without a care!"

Why do those who "do good" come up short?

 Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags..." or as the New Testament says Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God..."

If a person has sinned even once, and that is YOU, then justice served by God is eternal hell, unless that person makes a DECISION to follow Jesus... "To trust and obey... there's no other way!" as the song says is an accurate song and a song which is clear! The saying "when we ALL get to heaven" is meant for only those "who trust and obey" for there is "no other way"!

Making a DECISION to trust and obey Jesus is being "born-again". It's a new birth and the reborn person is a "new creation". The old man is buried in the water of baptism and the new man arises a clean person, those sins symbolically washed away and the babe in Christ begins to change because that person is a new creature!

Are we ALL going to heaven? I am. Are you? Others can't measure your faith (it is measurable as I have shown), but you can! We're not to judge you, but you can for God will! How will you be judged? Will you be part of the ALL, or the few who fail to enter through the narrow gate?

Nominal Christians are damned fools! CINO's know in "in whom they have believed" and their belief is neither trust nor obedience. That, my friends, is what bothers me when I sing that refrain!