Anyone in Heaven?

Salvation or Eternal Life in Jesus Christ is one of the running themes repeated many times over throughout the gospel of John. The verse, ‘No one comes to the Father except through me (Jesus)’ John 14.6b is just one such.

The following verses by Jesus need to be understood in this context.
John 3:13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
John 6:46No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father.

Jesus spoke these words before His crucifixion. After His dead, burial, and resurrection, all mankind received the unique privilege to enter Heaven the dwelling place of God provided they met the Father’s only condition –Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord (Jesus) will be saved (Romans 10.13).

We use the words ‘saved’ and ‘salvation’ to mean Eternal Life in Jesus Christ. The Words, ‘Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me;( John 14.11a)’ helps us understand that if one is in Jesus Christ then one is in the Father too, and so has Eternal Life. (the Father is the source of all Life)

God is Just and He judges people according to His Word. Before Christ’s death according to Hebrews 11 people were declared righteous by faith. After Christ’s death and resurrection people are still being declared righteous by faith.

Another understanding of the verse ‘No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father’ is based on the word meaning of the original word used to express the word ‘seen’.

1 Corinthians 13.12 says, ‘Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” The knowledge of God the Father is beyond the realm of human mind.

In conclusion we can safely say that no one alive has seen the Father the way Jesus sees and knows Him. During our time on earth we see Him through the ministry of Jesus but limited by the immaturity of our soul. In Eternity, if our name is in the Book of Life, we will ‘see’ the Father as He is seen by Jesus Christ - perfectly. What a blessed privilege.

{There is no evidence in the Bible for the belief that after death the souls are in a state of suspension, in purgatory, etc etc. These theories have their origin in the belief that man is justified not only by faith in Christ but also by ones good deeds and by observing the sacraments prescribed by the church.}