What would be your response to this quote by Desmond TuTu?

[Dr. Walter]

This reminds me of the joke about the lawyer who went to heaven. He got to the gates and stood in shock at who was there. Those already in heaven were standing with their mouths gaping open. The lawyer said to St. Peter, "Why are they all looking at me like that?" St. Peter said, "They're shocked to see you here!" ....or something along those lines.

I think Mr. Tutu's quote is sort of right. I don't know that I would say that God's standards are "low", but rather that the way to Heaven is simple...belief in Christ and what He did on the cross. Nothing more.

I do agree with the first part, however....and I know many who will be shocked at finding folks they didn't think it possible for them to be there. My first husband's mother was sure only Southern Baptists could go to heaven. I think she found out differently!

Salvation is a revelation of Jesus Christ to the soul of man (2 Cor. 4:6) that provides the "light" of knowledge of God through Jesus Christ as the sufficient Savior. This light dispells the darkness in the human soul (Eph. 4:18). Saving faith ALWAYS embraces this revelation as its object of hope and it is kept by the power of God. This revelation occurs always in connection with the communicated gospel and God is able to give the seeing eye and the hearing ear in spite of mental and/or physical obstacles.

For example, when John the Baptist was still in the womb of his mother God enabled him to receive the news shared by Mary so that he leaped for "joy" in the womb. If God can do that with an unborn infant, I don't think he would have any difficulty with a born infant, or a person that was born with mental or physical obstacles.

There may be some surposes about who is in heaven but there will be no surprises how they obtained entrance into heaven because there is but ONE WAY and it is the way revealed in the gospel.

 

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

The saved 'going to heaven' is as fictitious as ol' Nick guarding the (fictitious) 'pearly gates'.

 

[Dr. Walter]

The saved 'going to heaven' is as fictitious as ol' Nick guarding the (fictitious) 'pearly gates'.

The only thing that is "fictious" is your statement


Rev. 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.


Rev. 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

2 Cor. 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.


Philip. 1:21 ¶ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:


Where is Christ? He is in heaven.

 

[Gerhard Ebersoehn]

The only thing that is "fictious" is your statement


Rev. 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.


Rev. 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

2 Cor. 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.


Philip. 1:21 ¶ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:


Where is Christ? He is in heaven.

GE:

True of BOTH the here and now through faith for the saved,

and, and as,

the Return of Christ and the New Earth ---

NOT, 'heaven' without 'earth', ever!