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Chapter 5

HEAVEN IS A PREPARED PLACE FOR A PREPARED PEOPLE

I think I hear some dear soul say, "I want to go to that heavenly home, but what should I do to get there?"

There is but one answer, and it is from the Word: "Prepare to meet thy God." "Be ye also ready." Prepare for heaven.

This world in which we live is a preparatory world. Every vocation worthy of the name calls for preparedness, and so it is true spiritually, both in life and in death. When we leave this world, the state of soul, the condition of character in which we are at the time, will determine our state and place in the spirit world. We shall go to our own place, that is, to the place determined by our character. This is true of both good and bad.

There are two passages of Scripture touching the question before us. The first contains the words of Jesus Christ, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." The second passage is recorded in Hebrews 12:14, "Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord;" that is to enjoy Him here and eternally.

These two passages correspond beautifully with the statement of Scripture respecting glorified saints. "They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

Note: they washed their robes and made them white down here. "Therefore are they before the throne." They had a lot of heaven in their souls here. The heavenly home is but the completion of what had already begun on earth.

The preparedness is through the blood; and here is the promise: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins; and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." "If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin."

Here is my closing word with the city in view; the words of that expressive stanza; repeat it with me, will you?

"The cleansing stream I see, I see, I trust, and Oh, it cleanseth me!" "It cleanseth me now, Hallelujah to God, I'm out on the promise, I'm under the blood."

THE END