"If you miss Heaven by a hair's breadth will you go to hell?" (part2)

by Don Gibson

"Among all this people were seven hundred chosen men lefthanded; every one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and not miss"[Judges 20:16]. The Benjamites were excellent marksmen. Indeed, such remarkable marksmen were they, that they could set up a human hair as a target and not miss! had they it everywhere else, expect the hair they would have missed the mark. Whether by just a little or a wholelot, they would have missed the mark by a hair's breath.

The word "miss" in Judges 20:16 is the word the Hebrews usually used for "sin". Heaven is the mark or the goal that God has set for us. if we fail to meet the standard of holiness God has raised up, we SIN, or miss the mark.Men have set up standards for people to liveby. But you can keep those standards and still miss the mark. God's standards are higher than ours. Christ's standard is perfect. He is our perfect example. We are not told to imitate Him, but to be like Him. There are too many cheap imitations in the world now.

Paul said, "follow me as I follow Christ." I believe Paul walked perfect before the Lord.

It has often being saidthat we have to sin a little every day, but this is not the teaching of the New Testament. The Bible says, "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God"[1John 3:9]. Again Paul wrote, "I an crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but CHRIST LIVETH IN ME." It is not possible for anyone to keep God's standard completely, apart from Christ. But with Christ living within, He makes up for what we lack, and helps us to be overcomers for Him.

Heaven is a holy place, and only a holy people may enter there. If God were to permit just partially cleansed people there, there would be pain, sickness, sorrow and even death in heaven. So let's stop trying to persuade God to accept our standards and let us endeavour  to keep His. Let us, like Paul, "press toward the mark." Isaiah tells us that there shall be a highway, "...and it shall be called THE WAY OF HOLINESS; the uncleanshall not pass over it; but it shall be for those..."[Isaiah 35:8]. The Way of Holiness is for everyone. But we cannot travel upon it in an unclean and unregenerate condition. The first requirement that puts you on the road to heaven is SALVATION. This means being saved from your sins or that whichis unholy. And, if you are saved, you are holy. The Bible teaches a present-tense, know-so salvation; not a hope so, think so, probably so affair. Not, you will be saved, but "Now Are ye saved (from sins)."

The rich young ruler, who confessed to have kept all the Mosaic Law, was found default of ONE point. Unwilling to yield his wealth, he missed becoming a disciple of Jesus by a hair's breadth. When Christ shall come again, it will be for "...a glorious church not having spot, or wrinkle..."[Ephesians 5:27]. Without holiness "...no man shall see the Lord"[Hebrews 12:14]. Christ is coming for His Church so fast that there will be no time on that day to repent or to make things right.

"...The time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still"[Revelation 22:10,11]. If you miss the mark only by a fraction, you will have missed heaven by a hair's breadth