How can God accept us into heaven after we receive Christ even though we still sin?
(Christian)
To be clear, the following isn't contradicting the fact that the Father judges the saved by Christ's righteousness and not our own, but to look into the method by which Christ cleanses us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
So we know that he helps us during this life, but we also know that while in this world we will never be perfect. So how then, specifically, is it that "Christ cleanses us from all unrighteousness."?
The bulk of the answer may be in this one verse:
1 John 3:2
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
We're transformed into something so magnificent that it's described as "being like him"!
That's it, case closed, let's all go home...
But is there even more to it?
First let’s look at the starting point of a human life, the initial state of man...
Romans 7
9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.
11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.
So here Paul the Apostle explains that he was born spiritually alive, a human baby in innocence before God, but then grew and came to know good from evil and spiritually died, being a sinner. So we are born with a living spirit, but that spirit dies when sin enters in. In the same sense that Adam and Eve died when they ate the forbidden fruit. Their bodies and souls didn't die, but their spirit did.
Next let’s look at the regenerate (quickened, made alive, born-again) state of man:
2 Corinthians 5
14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
And there we see both confirmation that we WERE dead and that when we believe on Jesus, we become a new creature. The same person, the same soul, but with a new spirit.
Next we'll see that the old man and the new man coexist within us what that coexistence looks like.
Ephesians 4:24
21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation [i.e. behavior, attitude, philospohy] the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
We're told above to quit the behavior of the old man and do the behavior of the new man.
Romans 7 describes coexistence of the old man (flesh) and the new (inward) man.
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
1 Corinthians 2 Also describes the old (natural) man and the (spiritual) man...
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.
So it's proven then that we’re sort of stuck with the dead weight of the “old man” but thankfully we see in Romans 8 that:
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Consider this question: Which man is able to “walk not after the flesh”? The old or the new?
So then how are we who are in Christ allowed into heaven?
2 Corinthians 5
9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
and here's the big reveal:
1 Corinthians 3
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (Suffering eternal loss of reward, but still saved and admitted to heaven.)
16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
He's clearly talking to the saved here, so ask yourself which man will God destroy? The natural man or the spiritual man? The old man or the new? God destroys the old man!
And consider...
1 Corinthians 2
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God...
So which man receives reward? And what (and in a sense, who) is burned away?
(Here’s a hint: 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,”)
The old man (that spirit that died when sin entered in) doesn't get into heaven! Your soul does, that is, you as a person do, but not that dead spirit that troubled you all your life in this world and neither does his conversation (deeds, attitude, philosophy).
So it seems the answer to the mystery of how God can accept us after our redemption in Christ, even though we can never fully rid ourselves of the sinful “old man”, is because HE rids us of that sinful, natural man. First he transforms us to "be like him" and then even continues to clean out every last drop of ungodliness from us. Jesus does it all!
So what to do with this information?
Don't let so much of your being be the natural, sinful, old man that the best you can hope for is "...shall be saved; yet so as by fire."! Have enough of the new man in you that when you arrive it's not like you're showing up penniless after your home and business both burnt down the same night and having nothing to offer!
Kind of a neat little peak into how He ultimately completes the task of getting us cleaned up to present to His Father, huh? We see our confidence was not misplaced when we trusted Him to finish the job. "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Philippians 1:6
And a bonus!...
2 Timothy 2
11 It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
12 If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
13 If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
That sure sounds like not every saved person will reign with him but those who suffer with Him will (but don’t forget 1 Corinthians 3:15 says “If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved”.)
So while the scripture is clear that there will be varying rewards, it seems that applies even to reigning with Him, and that not every saved person will be granted that honor.
Let’s be eligible for some “next level” rewards!
