Repentance from Sin or Wanting Heaven?

If you came to Jesus because you wanted to go to heaven rather than hell, that is considerably different than coming to Jesus out of repentance of sin.

Suppose you came to Jesus because you wanted to go to heaven. What are some ripple effects:

• You risk thinking that you were smart enough to decide for Jesus, which can actually raise your personal pride level.

• You risk believing that the only thing Jesus died for was your eternity, which can lessen your desire to “strive for the holiness, without which we will not see the Lord" (Hebrews 12:14). It's all about the pearly gates, not personal holiness.

• You risk believing that your Christianity is about receiving benefits (heaven) which can bleed over into other benefits (health, wealth, prosperity--a realized eschatology when the full benefits of heaven are realized here on earth), ignoring the fact that “through many tribulations we enter the kingdom of heaven" (Acts 14:22).

Now, suppose you came to Jesus out of repentance of sin. What are some ripple effects here!

• You approach your Christian life and ministry with humility, recognizing that Christ came to forgive sins, to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10), of which you realize you are in that number. This lowers the personal pride level significantly! You realize it is all of grace that you are part of the family of God through His death and resurrection.

• You realize that you will still struggle with the sinful flesh in the here and now, so your faith is earthy (not earthly) for the here and now. Striving for the holiness? Absolutely!

• You realize that Jesus warned us that “In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). His journey to the cross showed that sin is disgusting and could only be defeated by His sacrificial atoning work on the cross, and that His resurrection strength and hope are enough benefit. Heaven is incredible, but it is symptom of the reality of “Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).

Something to consider.