There are many in the religious world who claim that “all religions lead one towards the same place. This statement is true, but not for the reason those who make them have suggested. They believe everyone is going to Heaven. This is not true.

The Bible confirms that all will be going to the same place. However, it’s not Heaven. 2 Corinthians 5:10 states, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” We are all going to the same place – the judgment seat of Christ! Here the final judgment will decide where each person shall spend eternity.

Folks will be separated after this, as we see in Matthew 25:32-33. “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.” Then, as it says in Matthew 25:46, “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Not everyone will see eternal life. The scripture is clear on that. In Matthew 7:21, Jesus states, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.” It’s not enough to be religious. Not everyone who claims to follow Jesus will get to Heaven. It’s that simple. Only by doing God’s will can we have hope of seeing eternal life. As it says in Hebrews 5:9, “And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.” Obedience is required to be saved, not just believing Christ is Lord.

Everyone is going to the same place, and that’s to the judgment seat of Christ! The question that needs to be asked is, where will you go after the judgment? Where will you spend eternity?

- The Old Paths, Oct. 23, 2022