Opening THE Book with Rev John K-S November 2020

Rev John Kinchin-Smith
Assistant Minister, St Andrew’s Church, Gorleston

The great preacher Billy Graham was once asked on television: “Do you believe that you will go to heaven?” Most certainly” he replied. “Isn’t that rather arrogant?” said the interviewer. “I know I’m going to heaven” replied Billy Graham, “not because of anything I have done but solely because of what Jesus Christ has done for me”

Such a dialogue presupposes two things: that there is a life after this one, known as heaven; and that the only way we are able to get there is by placing our faith in what Jesus did by dying on the cross, and not in ourselves. Are these true? What does the Bible actually say?

There are many passages in the New Testament which speak clearly of a life beyond the grave. The longest and fullest teaching is found in the writings of St Paul, especially in the 15th chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians. He first argues that the proof of our own resurrection from the dead is Jesus’ own resurrection from the dead. Because Jesus was raised, so shall all who belong to him also be raised. The chapter ends with a description of the glory, splendour, and power of our resurrection bodies when we shall be clothed in immortality

Perhaps the best known descriptions of heaven are found in the final two chapters of the last book of the Bible, “Revelation”.  The

 words of chapter 21 verses 1-6 are often read at funeral services: “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away ... I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is among people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away”

Next month we

 will look at other passages in the Bible and hopefully answer more of those questions about the life to come and how we can be sure that we will go there

also published by St Andrew's Church in the Gorleston Community Magazine

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