HYPOCRITES IN HEAVEN?

In all my years of ministry, I have talked with lots of people about heaven, and asked them if they wanted to go to heaven when they die. In all those conversations, only one person ever told me he didn’t want to go to heaven. When I asked him why didn’t want to go to heaven, he said something like this: “I don’t want to go be with all those hypocrites forever.”

Amazing! At first I was shocked. Then, I began to wonder: are there hypocrites in heaven?

To answer that question, we need to consider what people mean when they say “hypocrite.”

That word commonly refers to someone who says one thing and does another. It’s typically used to describe folks who come to church on Sunday, and seem to be pretty saintly in the sanctuary; but who then spend the rest of the week sinning like those who never go to church at all.

Unfortunately, that definition of “hypocrite” disregards the Biblical nature of the church. God’s Word doesn’t define the church as a saint museum, but rather as a sinner hospital. There’s no better place for sinners to be than in church, because that’s supposed to be the place we gather to learn of God’s mercy, forgiveness and healing. That includes you and me.

Jesus encountered the same problem in His earthly ministry. His infant church was comprised mostly of people formerly famous for sinning, but who were now forgiven and striving to overcome sin. Jesus was accused of having a hypocrite-filled church back then, so it shouldn’t surprise us if the church is accused of the same thing today.

But that’s the church.

Heaven’s going to be different: perfectly different. All the sin that plagues the church, that we Christians struggle to overcome, will be completely wiped away in heaven. Gone. Erased. Forever.

When you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, at that moment, God delivers you from the eternal penalty of your sin. Then, as you grow in your faith and begin to obey God, He delivers you from the power of sin, so that little by little, you sin less and less. Finally, when you die, He opens heaven to you and delivers you from the presence of sin.

Free from sin’s penalty – that’s salvation, or “phase one.”

Released from sin’s power – that’s spiritual growth, “phase two.”

Delivered from sin’s presence – that’s heaven, “phase forever.”

If you are a Christian, right now you are in “phase two,” still striving to defeat sin. But when you die, you will enter into complete and sudden victory in the heavenly presence of God.

Heaven will be filled not with hypocrites, but with former hypocrites, those who were once very imperfect sinners, saved by grace and welcomed into heaven by God’s astonishing mercy.

If you’re willing to look humbly at your own sin instead of glaring proudly at the sin of those around you, there’s always room for forgiveness with Jesus. There’s still plenty of room in heaven, and lots of room in church!