Assured of heaven

Many scripture verses the church interprets as evidence of the existence of hell and eternal punishment are also words that instill doubt in one's assurance of going to heaven. Even many professing great faith and the love of God will be denied entry to heaven. With that, if one hold true to the doctrine of hell, and no clear assurance of entering heaven even in all sincerity, what is the predominant emotion that drives his spiritual journey? Is it peace in his faith or fear in his doubt?

So many teachings say just confessing faith in Jesus as savior is not enough and empty, but demanding fruit and more fruit. The obsession with fruit-bearing is based on fear that one is not good enough or doing enough to assure of salvation. Is that really the faith Jesus wants us to have? To constantly prove our faith? I say it is not the adornment of our faith in all its false glitter that pleases the Lord, but our faith that He is faithful in saving us and loving us that brings peace not as the world gives. For the world gives peace only upon payment (the Hebrew root word for "shalom" is "shalam," which means "making compensation"), where God's peace is without demand but wholeness restored fully in grace.

God's will is to save us, and if we believe he will do so no matter what by our seeing His love on the cross, then that is the faith He receives as fragrant offering. yet the church teaches: Do not be self-assured of salvation but be fearful of not being acceptable in His eyes, and constantly adding credit in the form of work (confession, obedience, mission...etc.) to show Him on the day of judgment. But Jesus will deny knowing them because these are the fruits of self-righteousness, selfishness and fear, and not of true acceptance of Christ living out His life through faith.

Therefore, the doctrine of hell and not knowing one's ultimate destination keeps a believer in bondage and fear, and the natural consequence of that is an obsession with earning entry into heaven. But if by the ample evidence of love in His shed blood we are assured of God's will to save us, the peace within allows the flow of living water where true faith is revealed in all manners of good fruit on earth.

A loving father's heart grieves when his child does not trust him to abide by him always, but may one day abandon him for whatever condition not met. A loving father does not give up looking into the distance for His son's return, but waits day after day, and without rebuke upon the son's change of heart...

How much more our Father in Heaven?

James