Recent preachers who are more motivational of speakers are pretty misleading about the people who will go to Heaven and those who will not. Even though God invites everyone to Heaven, not all people accept the invite because they conduct themselves opposite to what God demands of us. The confusion leads us to ask, who will not go to Heaven?
According to the scriptures, people who commit the sins listed in 1st Corinthians 6:9-10 and Galatians 5:19-21 and do not repent will not go to Heaven. It is suggested in the Bible that by the time Jesus comes for his people, everyone will have heard the Gospel. Therefore, failure to repent and stubbornness to sin will shut people away from Heaven.
So, Does God invite everyone to Heaven? Who does the Bible say will not go to Heaven? How does one get to Heaven, according to the Bible? Will people who died before the coming of Christ go to Heaven? Read on to find out.
Does God Invite Everyone To Heaven?
Bible verses suggest that God has invited everyone to Heaven because God loves his people. However, the problem comes in when only some people want to attend. Revelations 19:9 says, “And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And there is a parable that suggests everyone is invited, but some will not give much meaning to the invite. In Matthew 22:1-10, the Bible suggests that everyone is invited to the feast.
The story goes like this; there existed a King who organized and threw a magnificent party. He invited many people who knew him to attend the feast of his Son’s wedding. Sadly the invited guests turned down the invites, and nobody showed up. The King and His Son decided to invite everyone who passed by the road, whether he knew them or not. Many people unaware of the King and his Son were now aware and did not hesitate to attend the big feast. Many of the second invites came, and the hall of the King was full.
This parable symbolizes how Heaven relates to people on earth. When Jesus used this parable, he was trying to give his disciples an example of what Heaven looks like. Matthew 22:2 says, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son,” If it is compared to the whole parable, then it means that invites are sent to everyone to be in Heaven. The Gospel taught and spread by Jesus Christ is the invitation sent to people just like the King sent to the people he knew.
Also, according to Revelations 5:9, “And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood, you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” This scripture echoes the parable because when the King celebrates his Son, it symbolizes how God celebrates when Jesus saves everyone, which is, in a way, sending them invites to Heaven.
God invites people to believe in Jesus, his Son, who is the only way to Heaven for every believer because John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” God loves everyone in the universe to the point that He sacrificed his Son to give everyone an invite to Heaven which equates eternal life. All people from all nations receive salvation for free, which is a requirement to get to Heaven, and God sent his Son to save people, Jesus’s Gospel was an invitation to everyone.
Even after Jesus conquered death, God ensured that there were ways to send more invites to people worldwide. After Jesus was resurrected, he instructed his disciples to spread the Gospel to everyone. In Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” The fact that the disciples were sent to all the nations to preach the Gospel and convert people into believers of Christ suggests that God has invited everyone to Heaven.
There is no restriction to access to Heaven provided whoever receives the invite heeds and leaves according to the prescription of God. According to the book of Luke 13:9, “And people will come from east and west, and north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God” It is evident that there is no race, geographical area, or sinful people that are not given a chance to get the invite and turn to God.
We can draw back to the birth of Jesus, who is the only way to his Father. Non-Jews came to visit him. The Magi who visited Jesus were not Jewish, but God allowed them to visit Jesus because he invited all people to his Kingdom through His Son Jesus.
Who Will The Bible Say not Go To Heaven?
Although God invites everyone to Heaven, just like in the parable, some will turn down the invite, knowingly and unknowingly. Therefore, some scriptures imply that not everyone will make it to go to Heaven. The book of 1st Corinthians 6:9-10 says, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with humankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”
This Bible verse, therefore, suggests that sexual sinners will not make it to Heaven. Also, people who worship other gods, which is against God’s first commandment, will not go to Heaven. Again, people who covet and steal and those who are diviners might not go to Heaven, according to the scripture.
Today, believers are misled by motivational speakers who cannot back up their information with Bible verses when they say that everyone will go to Heaven. They are hell-bent on creating optimism in believers about going to Heaven rather than preaching the truth that faith is needed for Christians, and it is so different from optimism.
It is suggested that Heaven will not be where God will tolerate sinful souls like He tolerates the sinful universe. Being a believer and continuing to stubbornly indulge in sins like idolatry, adultery, covetous acts, and all the sins mentioned above is disobedience.
Galatians 5:19-21 says, “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
This verse gives a comprehensive list of the people that will not make it to Heaven. However, it is undeniable that every one of us on earth has fallen into one of the sins mentioned above. But it does not mean that none of us will make it to Heaven. It implies that people who stubbornly commit the above-listed sins and do not bother to repent and they disregard the power of God are the ones who will not make it to Heaven.
Jesus came into the world to save sinners who have sinned in the above-listed ways. God sent him to redeem sinners and not to condemn them. However, humans have free will to choose to listen to him and heed his commandments or to go against them. His grace is sufficient for those who believe in Him. However, all those that choose not to listen and fall into the above sins will perish, as recorded in Romans 6:23.
How Does One Get To Heaven According To The Bible?
According to the Bible and Christian teachings, people will die and face the judgment that will determine if they are to be in Heaven or hell. Death is not bargainable because it is the destiny of every human being. A person must be saved for them to enter Heaven. Roman 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Also, John 3:16 echoes the suggestion that a person must be saved for them to have eternal life in Heaven. Also, Romans 3:10 suggests that no one is righteous. Going to Heaven depends on Christ’s righteousness and people’s faith in him but not individual goodness. By Christ’s righteousness, it means that he lived a sinless life and died for the sake of saving humanity.
Will People Who Died Before The Coming Of Christ Go To Heaven?
It is suggested that the people who had become friends with God before Jesus came went into the waiting room called Limbo.
The first people like Abraham were in Limbo, where Jesus went to set them free after his descending into hell. Jesus went to hell before the resurrection and preached the good news to people who had no chance to get the good news while alive because all of them were in hell, at the Bosom of Abraham. In this manner, Jesus opened the gates of Heaven for those people who died before He was sent to earth.
References
Did all the people who died prior to Jesus Go to hell?
Where did dead people go before Jesus?
Who will not go to Heaven? Get the facts
A List Of Those Who Will Not Enter Heaven. 08/17/2015 (Morning thought)
Does God Really Invite Everyone?
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.
