Man was to be judged
According to how he would behave
Concerning God,
Concerning the angels,
Concerning other men, and
Concerning the animals.
He was even to be judged
Concerning his own inner life,
Right down to his very thoughts
And how he would learn and mature
While he is in the Earth.
But we can observe that
Not every one is the sort
To surrender all that up
To God’s wise design,
Giving his life over
To God’s Way.
Many fail that test,
Being unwilling to
Give up their lives
In the here and now
In order to take them up again*
In the next world.
They are like the toddler unwilling
To yield to guidance,
Depriving themselves of what is better
For the sake of being in control now.
And those, simply put,
Are not the sort God wants
For his Heaven,
Whether they want it or not.
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:28-31. NIV
Some people can read this passage a thousand times and never see that the command centers around the word “all“. They will live out a halfhearted religion, and never give it any thought. Similarly, they will miss the importance of “your“. They may accept teaching generally as a good teaching, but will not fully grasp that it applies to them individually. They will not see their own halfheartedness as defiance against this command. They simply are not listening. They are unresponsive to his words. And these are not the sort God wants in Heaven.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
Jesus. Matthew 7:21-23. NIV
Many a modern temple is dedicated to the halfhearted practice of God’s Word. And the people know. They know it’s halfhearted. Deep down inside, they will not be surprised to hear God’s condemnation on account of this whenever he tells them face-to-face. They just don’t want to hear it right now. And for now, they are still in control of what they will listen to.
*See John 10:17-18. I believe that Jesus’ example in literally laying down his life, knowing he would get a greater reward for it, is a metaphor for how we are to submit our Earthly lives to God, so as to gain a Heavenly life afterward.
