Movin' On Up?
"Movin' On Up" is the theme song of the television sitcom "The Jeffersons" where George Jefferson worked very hard with his dry cleaning business so that he could move his family to a "deluxe apartment in the sky". There have been many through the ages and still are those who want to move up to that deluxe apartment in the sky known as heaven. The question is, how are they trying to do this? Are they trying to work hard like George Jefferson did?
Some people believe in reincarnation which is an outgrowth of this idea that one can work his way into heaven. Reincarnation is the idea that the spirits of living creatures move to another creature after one dies. If you have done enough good things you get to move up the scale and finally into Nirvana, but if you have done more bad things than good you drop back to a lower class of creature. Does this fit with what the Bible says?
If reincarnation were true, wouldn't all creatures had to have been the same type creatures first and then the good ones became better ones? This couldn't be because in the book of Genesis we find that everything in the water and in the air was created on day five. Twenty-four hours later all the animals and other creatures were created. Man was also created on the sixth day as the crowning glory. There was no time for death and there was no death until Adam sinned. God planned for nothing to die at the beginning, but man messed things up.
If reincarnation is right then we would have to die a number of times with our souls moving from creature to creature. This cannot be as we read below:
Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV)
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.
Man is created with a body, soul and spirit. When a man dies that is the end. He is then judged. At that point he either goes to heaven or to hell. His soul does not leave and go into another creature.
WE cannot work our way into heaven. The only way to get to heaven is to trust Jesus Christ for our salvation. John writes it this way:
John 6:29 (NKJV)
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
So the only work that we can do is to believe in Jesus Christ. Paul also writes about working our way to heaven:
Romans 4:1-4 (NKJV)
1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
Romans 11:5-6 (NKJV)
5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
Galatians 2:16 (NKJV)
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Some may say, "Wait a minute! How about this verse?"
Philippians 2:12-13 (NKJV)
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
It states that we are to work out our salvation, not work for our salvation. To work out your salvation means to do the work the Lord wants you to do, not to earn your way to heaven but because He wants you to do it. WE are not just to sit idly by and let other people do the work of the ministry. We each have a part to do.
Someone else might bring up the following:
Matthew 16:27 (NKJV)
27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Our works will be tested but, as Paul wrote, if we belong to Jesus Christ, we won't lose our salvation because of the little work or bad things we do:
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (NKJV)
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
So you see that good works won't get you into heaven. Jesus Christ has already done the work. All you have to do is trust him for your salvation. Repent of your sins and follow him. Then do the works He tells you to do because you love Him.
Dean W. Masters
"Movin' On Up" is the theme song of the television sitcom "The Jeffersons" where George Jefferson worked very hard with his dry cleaning business so that he could move his family to a "deluxe apartment in the sky". There have been many through the ages and still are those who want to move up to that deluxe apartment in the sky known as heaven. The question is, how are they trying to do this? Are they trying to work hard like George Jefferson did?
Some people believe in reincarnation which is an outgrowth of this idea that one can work his way into heaven. Reincarnation is the idea that the spirits of living creatures move to another creature after one dies. If you have done enough good things you get to move up the scale and finally into Nirvana, but if you have done more bad things than good you drop back to a lower class of creature. Does this fit with what the Bible says?
If reincarnation were true, wouldn't all creatures had to have been the same type creatures first and then the good ones became better ones? This couldn't be because in the book of Genesis we find that everything in the water and in the air was created on day five. Twenty-four hours later all the animals and other creatures were created. Man was also created on the sixth day as the crowning glory. There was no time for death and there was no death until Adam sinned. God planned for nothing to die at the beginning, but man messed things up.
If reincarnation is right then we would have to die a number of times with our souls moving from creature to creature. This cannot be as we read below:
Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV)
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.
Man is created with a body, soul and spirit. When a man dies that is the end. He is then judged. At that point he either goes to heaven or to hell. His soul does not leave and go into another creature.
WE cannot work our way into heaven. The only way to get to heaven is to trust Jesus Christ for our salvation. John writes it this way:
John 6:29 (NKJV)
Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
So the only work that we can do is to believe in Jesus Christ. Paul also writes about working our way to heaven:
Romans 4:1-4 (NKJV)
1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.
Romans 11:5-6 (NKJV)
5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.
Galatians 2:16 (NKJV)
Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Some may say, "Wait a minute! How about this verse?"
Philippians 2:12-13 (NKJV)
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
It states that we are to work out our salvation, not work for our salvation. To work out your salvation means to do the work the Lord wants you to do, not to earn your way to heaven but because He wants you to do it. WE are not just to sit idly by and let other people do the work of the ministry. We each have a part to do.
Someone else might bring up the following:
Matthew 16:27 (NKJV)
27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
Our works will be tested but, as Paul wrote, if we belong to Jesus Christ, we won't lose our salvation because of the little work or bad things we do:
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (NKJV)
11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
So you see that good works won't get you into heaven. Jesus Christ has already done the work. All you have to do is trust him for your salvation. Repent of your sins and follow him. Then do the works He tells you to do because you love Him.
Dean W. Masters
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