By Zhao Hui

Gu Hanlin is a house church preacher. He has dedicated himself to the Lord and worked hard for Him for many years. But recently, he was troubled by a question …

One day, in the co-worker meeting, Gu Hanlin spoke out his confusion, “Brothers and sisters, the Bible says, ‘That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation’ (Romans 10:9-10). From these verses we can see that we can be approved by the Lord and be called righteous because of believing in Him and following Him. These years, we have also thought that we will be brought into the kingdom of heaven when the Lord comes. We have served the Lord for many years and have read the Bible many times, but we still often commit sins, tell lies, deceive, and have not the slightest tolerance and patience for others. Can such behaviours of ours be approved by the Lord? Are we able to enter the kingdom of heaven like this? I can’t see through this matter, so I want to explore it with you.”

Q: Can We Enter the Kingdom of Heaven If We Frequently Commit Sins?

A: There are some brothers and sisters who think, “The Lord Jesus’ sin offering is effective forever. No matter what sin we commit, as long as we confess and repent to the Lord, then we can obtain the Lord’s forgiveness and ultimately we will enter the kingdom of heaven.” But is this view really correct? Is there a basis for this view in God’s words? According to this view, it seems as though, once we believe in the Lord, there is nothing to worry about no matter how we may sin, for the Lord will always forgive us and the Lord Jesus’ sin offering is effective forever. If this is true, then how can the following verses be explained? “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries” (Hebrews 10:26–27). Besides, it is mentioned in Revelation, “[B]ehold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12). When the Lord returns, He will reward the good and punish the wicked depending on the actions and behavior of each individual. The Lord Jesus also prophesied that He will come in the last days to separate the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the tares, and the good servants from the wicked servants, and whether we will ultimately go to heaven or hell in our belief in God is directly linked to whether or not we practice the Lord’s words and follow the Lord’s way. According to our views, however, it seems as though we’re saying that the Lord will forgive us whether we follow His way or not and regardless of the sins we commit. Wouldn’t that make the Lord Jesus’ words “to give every man according as his work shall be” meaningless? Because they cling to this kind of view, many brothers and sisters pay no attention to putting the Lord’s words into practice or following the Lord’s commandments. They even become more and more degenerate, they shun the Lord more and more, and they live in a state of sinning and confessing from which they cannot escape. Does it accord with God’s will to go on that way? God says, “[Y]ou shall therefore be holy, for I am holy” (Leviticus 11:45). “Truly, truly, I say to you, Whoever commits sin is the servant of sin. And the servant stays not in the house for ever: but the son stays ever” (John 8:34–35). The Bible also says, “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and whoever loves and makes a lie” (Revelation 22:15). “For this you know, that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God” (Ephesians 5:5). We can understand from this that God is holy and that His righteous disposition brooks no offense. If we can never cast off the shackles of sin and frequently knowingly commit sin, then God will detest and reject us for sinning and resisting Him. We will forever be unable to enter the kingdom of heaven.