Written by What is heaven like?
We don’t know exactly what heaven is like but the Bible gives us some clues. Heaven is where God lives (Matthew 10:32-33). There will be no sorrow in heaven (Revelations 21:4) but we will be very joyful and happy (Matthew 13:44). We will worship God when we are in heaven (Revelation 4:8-11). The best description we have of heaven comes from Revelations. The apostle John (one of Jesus’ followers) had a vision of heaven. He saw a new heaven and a new earth that God would create in the end days of this earth. God sat on a throne and said that all the faith people who believed in him would come to heaven. There is a description of the city of New Jerusalem. John sees a river, a mountain and the Tree of Life. The light of heaven comes from God himself and there is no night (Revelation 21-22).
What is hell like?
Again, we don’t know a lot about what hell is like, but we can gather some hints from the Bible. Just like heaven is eternal (lasts forever) so is hell. Heaven is our eternal reward but hell is our eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46). It is not a pleasant place to be, the Bible says that people will be in torment and there will be no rest (Luke 16: 19-31, Revelations 14:11). It will be hot like a furnace and there will be flames (Matthew 3:12, Revelations 9:2). It will not be a happy place and people will be weeping and gnashing (grinding) their teeth (Matthew 25:30).
How do I get to heaven?
God wants all of us to go to heaven. All we have to do is believe that Jesus died on the cross for us and that our sins are forgiven (John 3:16-17). Some people believe that we just have to be good people and do good things but that is not what the Bible says. It says that we need God’s grace and our faith to go to heaven and not good behavior (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Does that mean I don’t have to be good?
No. When we believe in Jesus we are made new. Sometimes we call it a rebirth; it is sort of like your second birthday. When we are made new we are supposed to put all our bad acts and sinfulness behind us. We should try to act more like God and Jesus (Ephesians 4:23-24). That doesn’t mean we will be perfect all the time. We still are human and we need to struggle to be good. Being a Christian means we will try our best and if we ask God will help us to be good.
Do I have to be baptized to go to heaven?
No. Baptism is a special symbol for Christians. It means that we believe in God and we are showing everyone what we believe. When we accept Jesus’ gift of salvation (he took our punishment) then we are baptized with the Holy Spirit and he will guide us (Matthew 3:11).
What is sin?
Sin is when we do bad things or things that are wrong. When we sin, we obey Satan and disobey God (Acts 13:10).
Is everyone sinful?
Yes, even when we are trying are best to be good we still do some things wrong. Even from the day we are born, we are sinful (Romans 5:12).
What is the Lord’s Supper?
Right before he died Jesus had a special supper with his disciples and he gave wine and bread to everyone (Luke 22:7-22). He called the bread his body and the wine his blood and said that we should do the same thing to remember Jesus. So most Christian churches celebrate the Lord’s Supper (or Communion) and we eat bits of bread and drink wine or grape juice to remind ourselves of what Jesus did for us.
Are there really angels?
Yes, they come up in the Bible many times. Often they are messengers for God. They gave messages to Abraham (Genesis 18), Zechariah (Luke 1:5-23), and Mary (Luke 1:26-38). They protect us from harm (Psalm 91:11-12). Basically Angels carry out God’s instructions. Two of God’s angels are actually named in the Bible: Michael (Daniel 10:13,21) and Gabriel (Luke 1:26-38).
Who is Satan?
Satan is also known as the devil or the evil one. He is a liar and a deceiver (John 8:44, Revelations 12:9). Satan tempts people to do bad things. He tempted Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11) and Judas (John 13:2). Satan is trying to stop us from getting to know God. In the parable of the Sower (farmer) Jesus says that Satan tries to take God’s word away from us (Mark 4:15). Some times we call Satan the Antichrist, which means he is the opposite of the Jesus Christ. Satan is the enemy of God (Matthew 13:39).
Should I be afraid of Satan?
No, in the Bible it says that Satan will be defeated by God (Matthew 25:41, Revelations 20:10). When Jesus died on the cross and rose again he defeated death and Satan (1 Corinthians 15:25-26).
Can Satan make me do bad things?
Satan can tempt us to do bad things but in James 4:7 it says if we refuse or say no to Satan he will flee from us. God has promised that he will never let Satan tempt us with things we can’t say no to and he will help us say no (1Corinthians 10:13). God protects us from Satan, so you don’t need to worry about him you just have to pray and ask God to help you.
