How to get into the Kingdom of heaven?

[Wootah]

Matthew 5 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Assuming Jesus is speaking truthfully. How does anyone get into heaven?

[Divine Insight]

[Replying to post 1 by Wootah]

Attain to a "righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees" as Jesus said. It's right in the scripture!

I feel extremely sorry for anyone who feels that they cannot meet this extremely low bar. Although there are clearly a lot of people who do not meet it.

Here's the criteria that Jesus offered me through Luke:

Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven

According to these words attributed to Jesus my entrance into heaven is guaranteed. I don't need to believe in Jesus or accept him as my "savior".

I have earned my own entrance into heaven according to Jesus via Luke 6:37.

I qualify for everything in that verse, including being forgiven for any sin that I may have committed. So I don't even need to be sin free.

I most certainly cannot be condemned as I have no condemned anyone. So unless Jesus is a liar, I cannot be condemned.

In fact, according to Jesus I won't even be judged on Judgement Day. I'll by-pass the courts and go directly to Heaven, as per the words of Jesus. In fact, based on his forgiveness clause there wouldn't be any point in judgement since I would be automatically pardoned by Jesus anyway. So any judgements would be rendered moot.

So according to Jesus my entrance into heave is guaranteed. And I don't even need Jesus to be my penal substitute.

So if heaven is real I'm in. It doesn't even matter that I don't believe in Jesus or Yahweh, or anything. If it's true, then Heaven exists, and according to Jesus I'm in.

So what I believe wouldn't matter anyway.

[Wootah]

[Replying to post 11 by Divine Insight]

Do you feel you are using that verse in context with the rest of the Bible or do you think your usage of that verse results in contradictions with other parts of the Bible?

For example, Proverbs 31:9 Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Your use of the Bible contradicts this proverb.

Also

Leviticus 19:15 Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.

If you don't judge how will you not contradict the Bible?

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 1 by Wootah]

One is saved by believing Jesus and trusting in the Atonement Jesus secured on the cross, that pays the penalty for ones transgressions against the Will of God..

The quoted passage does not affect anything in regards to salvation.. It points to the Law that causes one to understand that one Needs the salvation of the LORD Jesus.. The Law identifies the Problem.. Jesus provided the solution..

We're not talking about salvation here. The question was "how does someone get into the Kingdom of heaven," or, I imagine the question is: "how do we get to heaven?"

That is not the same as saying how do we get saved."

Most of the "saved" will not go to heaven. The majority of the saved will live forever here on the earth.



.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 11 by Divine Insight]

If you don't feel inclined to believe in Jesus or Jehovah, why would you be at all interested in going to heaven?



.

[tam]

Peace to you,

[Replying to post 1 by Wootah]

Attain to a "righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees" as Jesus said. It's right in the scripture!

I feel extremely sorry for anyone who feels that they cannot meet this extremely low bar. Although there are clearly a lot of people who do not meet it.

Here's the criteria that Jesus offered me through Luke:

Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven

According to these words attributed to Jesus my entrance into heaven is guaranteed. I don't need to believe in Jesus or accept him as my "savior".

I have earned my own entrance into heaven according to Jesus via Luke 6:37.

I qualify for everything in that verse, including being forgiven for any sin that I may have committed. So I don't even need to be sin free.

I most certainly cannot be condemned as I have no condemned anyone. So unless Jesus is a liar, I cannot be condemned.

In fact, according to Jesus I won't even be judged on Judgement Day. I'll by-pass the courts and go directly to Heaven, as per the words of Jesus. In fact, based on his forgiveness clause there wouldn't be any point in judgement since I would be automatically pardoned by Jesus anyway. So any judgements would be rendered moot.

So according to Jesus my entrance into heave is guaranteed. And I don't even need Jesus to be my penal substitute.

So if heaven is real I'm in. It doesn't even matter that I don't believe in Jesus or Yahweh, or anything. If it's true, then Heaven exists, and according to Jesus I'm in.

So what I believe wouldn't matter anyway.

If this is what you believe to be true, then I imagine you would have good things to say of Christ (and of His Father, whose words Christ spoke). Life (even eternal life) is a pretty awesome gift, given out of love and mercy.



Peace again to you,
your servant and a slave of Christ,
tammy

[Elijah John]

Matthew 5 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Assuming Jesus is speaking truthfully. How does anyone get into heaven?

Jesus seems to have regarded the Scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites, observing the letter of the Law, but not the Spirit of the Law. And he seemed to have seen them as unforgiving. So from that we can conclude that we are to embrace the Law* from the heart, and realizing we are not perfect, we are to forgive others who are also not perfect. (Ref. the Lord's prayer, and the Beattitudes)

(*or for non-Jews the portion of the Law that applies to Gentiles)

[Elijah John]

[Replying to post 1 by Wootah]

One is saved by believing Jesus and trusting in the Atonement Jesus secured on the cross, that pays the penalty for ones transgressions against the Will of God..

The quoted passage does not affect anything in regards to salvation.. It points to the Law that causes one to understand that one Needs the salvation of the LORD Jesus.. The Law identifies the Problem.. Jesus provided the solution..

That is Pauline theology. Where does Jesus teach this? And doesn't Pauline theology ignore Jesus instructions in the Lord.s Prayer, the Beattitudes and the Parables?

What does "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy" have to do with any Pauline, blood-atonement theology?

Seems Jesus message was far more simple. Simple repentance and mercy.

[Checkpoint]

[Replying to post 1 by Wootah]

One is saved by believing Jesus and trusting in the Atonement Jesus secured on the cross, that pays the penalty for ones transgressions against the Will of God..

The quoted passage does not affect anything in regards to salvation.. It points to the Law that causes one to understand that one Needs the salvation of the LORD Jesus.. The Law identifies the Problem.. Jesus provided the solution..

That is Pauline theology. Where does Jesus teach this? And doesn't Pauline theology ignore Jesus instructions in the Lord.s Prayer, the Beattitudes and the Parables?

What does "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy" have to do with any Pauline, blood-atonement theology?

Seems Jesus message was far more simple. Simple repentance and mercy.

What you term "blood-atonement theology" is consistently found throughout the Bible.

So-called "Pauline theology" has this as its firm foundation, including the words of John the Baptist and of Jesus.

The instructions Jesus gave are not ignored.

[Elijah John]

What you term "blood-atonement theology" is consistently found throughout the Bible.

Like this?

I desire mercy not sacrifice

(Hosea 6.6). How do passages like that (and there are many more) square with blood atonement theology? Seems to me they contradict the notion that YHVH needs or desires blood in order to forgive.

So-called "Pauline theology" has this as its firm foundation, including the words of John the Baptist and of Jesus.

The instructions Jesus gave are not ignored.

Well then, how do you integrate Jesus preaching forgiveness without mentioning "the blood" as in "forgive as we forgive" and "blessed are the mercifu, for they will receive mercy"? No mention of the blood in those passages, or in the Parables which constituted the bulk of Jesus preaching. Why is that?

Also, John the Baptist performed "baptisms of repentance for the forgiveness of sins". No blood needed, no blood shed in those baptisms. The contrite were dunked in water not in blood.

They were not "baptisms of preparation" as the RCC and it's offshoots have explained to us. Or else wouldn't Luke have told us that they were "baptisms of preparation" instead of "baptisms of repentance?

[Checkpoint]

What you term "blood-atonement theology" is consistently found throughout the Bible.

Like this?

I desire mercy not sacrifice

(Hosea 6.6). How do passages like that (and there are many more) square with blood atonement theology? Seems to me they contradict the notion that YHVH needs or desires blood in order to forgive.

Those verses are talking about daily living, not about the laws instituted or why they were in place in Israel.

The verses are making a comparison of the value of outward acts of law-keeping with the inward contrite heart and the fruit it fosters.

They are as different as chalk and cheese, as it were, which is what such verses point out.

So-called "Pauline theology" has this as its firm foundation, including the words of John the Baptist and of Jesus.

The instructions Jesus gave are not ignored.

Well then, how do you integrate Jesus preaching forgiveness without mentioning "the blood" as in "forgive as we forgive" and "blessed are the mercifu, for they will receive mercy"? No mention of the blood in those passages, or in the Parables which constituted the bulk of Jesus preaching. Why is that?

These were teachings about daily living and its results. There was no need to "mention the blood", which every Jew already understood was the backdrop to their culture and religion.

Also, John the Baptist performed "baptisms of repentance for the forgiveness of sins". No blood needed, no blood shed in those baptisms. The contrite were dunked in water not in blood.

They were not "baptisms of preparation" as the RCC and it's offshoots have explained to us. Or else wouldn't Luke have told us that they were "baptisms of preparation" instead of "baptisms of repentance?

John the Baptist preached repentance very strongly, yet without a single word about "the blood".

Yet, what sprang from his lips when he saw Jesus?

John 1:

28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’
31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.�

32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.
33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.� f

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!�