First off, let’s set the record straight- heaven is the domain and abode of God and the angels. According to everything we read, especially in Revelation, we who are written in the Book of Life will be on a new Earth, with a new Jerusalem lowered from the heavens.
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Okay, then- how do I know there are sinners in heaven, or more correctly, that there will be people who have sinned but will still be in the Book of life, and a member of that fraternity which will live eternally in the presence of the LORD?
Simple…Yeshua tells us it will be this way.
In Matthew 5:17-19, what must be one of the MOST misinterpreted, misused, and misunderstood verses in the entire word of God, he tells us that he hasn’t come to change anything, especially not the Torah or the requirements to obey the Torah, and as he finishes telling us that, he also warns that anyone who tries to change even so much as a letter in the Torah, and then teaches others to do so, will be the least in the kingdom of heaven. But those who obey the Torah and teach others to do so will be considered greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Besides this clear statement that there will be those who disobey the Torah, yet will still be allowed into the kingdom of heaven, is the undeniable truth that every single one of us, even those written in the Book of Life, are still sinners, and will continue to be sinners
We can’t help it- it is the Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination) that we are all born with, also called Iniquity (the desire to sin), and Christianity calls it Original Sin. Any way you look at it, we are all sinners (Oy! How many times are we told that in the Bible, right?) and we will continue to sin throughout our lifetimes.
That’s why God sent the Messiah- he is our only hope for finding forgiveness when we accept him as our messiah and, by means of his sinless life and sacrifice, we can be washed clean of the stain of sin by his blood, shed for all.
Now, does this mean that you do not have to obey the Torah, at all? Of course not! Just because we are all sinners, and those who disobey Torah can still be a member of the kingdom of God, that’s no excuse to purposefully disobey.
In Leviticus Chapter 4, God talks about the way people can be forgiven for inadvertently sinning, and I believe that God considers his sacrificial system based on people sinning by accident, or in ignorance. In fact, he also includes a means for receiving forgiveness when a sin is committed, but the person is unaware of it.
Here’s what scary about that- even if someone sins by accident, or is unaware of their sin, they are still guilty! When they are made aware of it, then they must do what God commands, under the sacrificial system- which still exists! The only difference is that instead of sacrificing an animal at the temple in Jerusalem, which was the Torah commandment, Yeshua’s sacrifice has replaced that step. However, still need to confess the sin, repent of it, and ask forgiveness.
As for me, to be safe I ask for forgiveness of whatever sins I have committed against God every, single morning. I think this is a really good idea, and strongly recommend you do the same.
You are asking yourself now:
“So, what is the requirement? Do I have to obey the Torah completely or not?”
I wish I could give you an absolute answer, and even if I think I know, I am going to say, simply, that the choice is up to you.
I will say this, though: I believe that God is more concerned with our desire to be obedient than the actual act of obedience. He states clearly, in Isaiah 1:11-17, that just going through the motions, without really feeling or desiring to do as he says, is meaningless to him. In fact, not just meaningless, but he says they are a stench in his nostrils, and the reason for his disgust is this (Isa. 1:12):
“Who wants your sacrifices when you have no sorrow for your sins? “
This is all I have to say on this topic, at least for now. The bottom line is this: as I see it, the Bible is clear that trying to be Torah observant is more important to God than actually being in complete accordance with the Torah. The fact that no one can obey Torah completely, for more than a minute or so, is why he sent Yeshua, who also is very clear that obedience to his father’s commandments is still important until everything has come to pass.
And it seems pretty obvious that the kingdom of God is still coming, so I would suggest you listen to Yeshua and not some religion.
Unless you would rather be assigned a seat at the kiddie table on the new Earth.
That’s it for this week, so l’hitraot and (an early) Shabbat Shalom!
