Twelve Steps to Heaven I. T. MARK In this age of materialism, militarism, and Communism, we should seek a better country. When we think of the possibility of another war in which we may be trapped and destroyed by atomic power, bacterial warfare, or even worse means of destruction, I desire to be considered a stranger and pilgrim on this earth looking for a better land. Life has dealt many a person a hard blow. Many hearts are broken. Tens of thousands of people suffer affliction and realize that death is just ahead of them. It is to these, the weary, the sin-sick, the ones who seek a better country, that I outline twelve steps to heaven. 1. Repent thoroughly. This is the first step. The importance of this step is attested by the fact that John the Baptist, who came as a forerunner of Christ, preached repentance. Christ also said, “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). When the Apostle Peter preached his great message on the Bay of Pentecost that resulted in several thousand people’s conversion, the essence of his message was repentance. True repentance means the sounding of the death toll to the sin business and contains the effective counteraction to sin—namely, godly sorrow. 2. Confess completely. It is important not only to confess to God and to people whom we have wronged, but some people’s hearts are set at rest only after they have confessed the thing that bothers them to their minister or some other person whom they can trust. In a certain city two small boys came to my door one day, asking me to visit their home at once; they said their mother was dying. I went with the boys and found a very sick woman. I prayed that God would spare her life and give her a chance to get right with Him. Her tongue was so swollen she could not talk. Immediately after prayer she was able to talk. Her confession included all kinds of sin—even murder. She confessed completely, and God definitely saved her. Thereafter she looked different, she talked differently, she was different. Some people are so deep in sin they will never get out until they confess out. 3. Forgive freely. Jesus said, “If ye forgive not . . . your Father will not forgive” (Matthew 6:15). To clinch these words. Jesus gave us a great example of forgiveness. When he hung on the cross and was mocked by those responsible for his being there, he prayed, “Father, forgive them.” No one will ever treat you worse than they treated Christ. If he forgave, surely we can. 4. Ask forgiveness gladly. How important it is that we humble our hearts and ask forgiveness of those whom we have injured! When there are hard feelings between us and someone else, it is good exercise for the soul for us to ask forgiveness if the other person should not take the first step. The writer was preaching one time in a camp meeting on the subject of love. On the front seat sat a saint of God whom I had taken to task. What I had said was needful but the way in which I had said it was wrong. How could I preach on love facing this individual? I couldn’t. Therefore I left the platform and asked this person’s forgiveness, reentered the pulpit, and delivered the message with liberty and unction. It is hard to determine which is the worse of the two—the person who is not willing to ask forgiveness or the pouty individual who stands aloof always wanting someone to ask his forgiveness. 5. Pray fervently. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). When it comes to bringing souls through with victory, fervent prayer around the altar is better than mere talk and instruction. Earnest prayer is necessary if one is to succeed in the Christian life. It is one of the most important steps on the staircase to heaven. Fervent prayer is no doubt too much neglected in our day. The saints in days gone by gathered in the sickroom and prayed fervently until God heard, and things happened. In contrast we today enter the sickroom, speak a few words of encouragement, recommend that the patient obey the doctor’s instructions, and, because it is a custom among us, we anoint with oil, say a few words of prayer, and then go our way. Fervent prayer is never out-of-date in the life of Christians or in the Church of God. 6. Believe largely. Since the Bible says we should ask largely, reason tells us that if God wants us to ask largely, we must believe largely. “All things are possible to him that believeth” (Mark 9:23). We must believe on a large scale that the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin. We must take in large doses of the prescription, “My grace is sufficient for thee” (2 Corinthians 12:9). We must go after faith in a big way to obtain enough faith to keep us. “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). We must believe largely for a great infilling of the Holy Spirit that will sanctify and give us enough boldness to testify for Christ. We must believe large enough for salvation, sanctification, and the healing of our bodies when healing is needed. 7. Testify boldly. “They overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony” (Revelation 12:11). As soon as one is a Christian, he should confess his Lord. The day used to be among us when the saints would testify boldly and praise God. After such testimony meetings, an altar call would sometimes be given, and souls would flock to the altar without hearing a sermon. The best way for a new convert to lose the old crowd that causes so many new converts trouble is to give a ringing testimony for the Lord Jesus. 8. Read the Word daily. There is no language but the Word of God that Satan understands when being resisted. How important it is to know verses of scripture to quote when we are tempted! This was Jesus’ method of overcoming temptation. How can we quote what we do not know? Read the Word daily; know your Bible. 9. Attend church services regularly. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25). We can see from the signs of the times that the end is near. So much the more, therefore, we need to be at the house of worship. Do you desire to feel at home in heaven? Then assemble yourselves with the saints down here. 10. Give systematically. “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him” (1 Corinthians 16:2). Paul realized the necessity of giving abundantly and systematically. He knew the human weakness to neglect, forget. Systematic giving is one of the “musts” if we are to keep in God’s favor. If those who have low incomes but who give regularly over a long period of time could see the total of their giving, they would be agreeably surprised. On the other hand, people who give spasmodically would be surprised at how little they have given over a long period of time. If Christ gave his blood, Paul gave his head, and millions of others gave their lives for the privilege of stepping through the pearly gates, you and I should not hesitate in this matter of giving cheerfully, abundantly, and regularly to the cause of heaven. 11. Live sweetly. I heard W. F. Chappel say once that the Lord had poured a keg of honey on him. But Robinson used to say that God had poured a ton of honey on him. It is possible for every one of us to obtain enough honey from the rock to keep us sweet. The saints will vex you, disagree with you, try you sometimes to the limit, but there is honey in the rock for you. If we cannot live sweetly with a few saints down here, how will we live Sweetly with teeming millions of saints up there? 12. Die victoriously. You will die either Victorious or defeated. Oh, to die victoriously, to die in the faith, to be able to say with Paul, “I have fought a good fight . . . I have kept the faith”! To die victoriously, you must live victoriously. To live victoriously, I sincerely believe you must take the steps I have presented in this article.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Sep 2014 12:49:46 +0000
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