In this daily Bible reading Paul tells the people, “Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have Hope.” The pathway to Heaven is difficult to successfully navigate. We need God’s instructions and encouragement along the way. God’s instructions and encouragement are only found in the Bible. Therefore, I believe the Bible is essential for one to navigate the pathway to Heaven.
We cannot know for certain that we will be allowed it to Heaven. However, we can have a healthy hope of reaching that goal. God’s encouragement through His Word sustains that hope.
Many churches teach that we can know for certain that will make it into Heaven. Unfortunately, this teaching diminishes one’s motivation to persevere in walking rightly before God. On the other hand, a hopeful mindset encourages perseverance to obey God through the difficult and challenging times.
The Bible does not say that we have an ‘assurance of Salvation.’ Rather, it says we have a ‘Hope of Salvation.’ It also says that this healthy and sustained ‘Hope does not disappoint.’ It will help us to sustain our faithfulness to God’s Word until the end of our lives.
