How We Spiritually; then Physically Come into Heaven

We must understand our spiritual and physical beings. See also Soul-Spirit-Heart; Body-Mind Conscience

Our spiritual being: is our soul; where our spirit lives processing the thoughts of our spiritual being.

Our physical being: is our body; where our mind lives processing the thoughts of our physical being.

Our heart is the part of our spirit where our spiritual moral decisions are made; our Father, Jesus, and the Spirit live in believers’ hearts.

Our conscience is the part of our mind which makes our physical moral decisions; will be guided by the Spirit if He lives in our hearts.

We all have a spiritual being; our soul, spirit, and heart; with each part a separate spiritual entity.

*And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ Mk 12:30 ESV+

We all have a physical being; our body, mind, and conscience with each part a separate physical entity.

*Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1Thes 5:23 NKJV+

*Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. Heb 13:18 ESV+

Our spiritual being (soul, spirit, heart), is an eternal spiritual being, is held together as one spiritual unit; like our physical joints and marrow. Yet in Hebrews we are told that the Word of God is powerful enough even to divide our soul and spirit, to discern the thoughts and intentions of our heart. This can mean Jesus will judge us by His words, and whether we have accepted them in our hearts. Or whether we can read the Word of God with the help of the Spirit, and see if the thoughts and intentions of our hearts are pleasing to our God.

*For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Heb 4:12 ESV+

*The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. Jn 12:48 ESV+

*This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 1Co 2:13 NIV+

In God’s Word our soul, spirit, or heart can refer to itself alone, or to our entire spiritual being because they cannot be separated from it. It all depends on the context in which they are used.

Our soul is the outer spiritual body of our spiritual being; is like our physical body, only spiritual in nature, without flesh. Our spirit lives within our soul, and our heart is part of our spirit. Our spiritual being is eternal; goes either to Heaven or Hell when our physical being dies. John saw the souls, the outward part of the spiritual beings waiting in Heaven, which identified their physical being which had been beheaded, presumably had a scar on their neck; yet while physically living they had not taken the mark of the beast on their foreheads or hands.

*I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. Rev 20:4 NIV+

*And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matt 10:28 NKJV+

We know the soul in the verses above cannot refer to our physical being. For flesh and blood cannot come into Heaven until Jesus returns in the clouds over earth to establish His 1,000 Year Kingdom and gives Believers glorified bodies like He has.

*I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 1Co 15:50 ESV+

*But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Phil 3:20-21 ESV+

Our spirit is the thought process of our spiritual being soul, spirit, and heart. Our spirit can on its own pray, talk, and sing to our God, without using our physical mind.

*What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also. 1Co 14:15 NASB+

This does not mean just talking in tongues, though one does pray and sing with their spirit when talking in tongues, a gift given to some. We can also communicate with our God through our spirit in many different ways including; meditating with our God, often through deep thoughts not processed by our minds; or when our minds cannot fully express the joy we have for all our God has done for us, we can express it through our spirit. When our minds shut down due to the problems or grief we can have in this world, we can seek help from our God, not even knowing what we are saying; but know that He is listening to us, and He gives us answers without words being expressed.

If we had the Spirit in our hearts before our minds fail us, and then due to injury, mental illness, old age dementia, or any other reason, our minds no longer function properly, they may even be thinking or saying evil things; with the help of the Holy Spirit, our spirit will still be praising our God, keeping us children of God. Believers’ babies can praise our Savior through their spirits, before their mind is mature enough to understand what they are saying.

*And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. LK 1:46-48 NKJV+

*and said to Him, "Do You hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'" Matt 21:16 NKJV+ Verse comes from Ps 8:2

Our heart is where our spiritual moral decisions are made. When the Spirit lives in our hearts, He gives us the faith to believe in our Savior, and through faith Christ likewise dwells in our hearts, we become one spirit with Him.

*But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 1Co 6:17 NKJV+

*that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Eph 3:16-19 NASB

Our physical being (body, mind, conscience) is mortal, and they grow old until they die; then return to the dust which God created Adam from.

Adam was the first and only human being who was originally created by God from dust, not reproduced from the DNA/seed-egg of human parents. And all humans have inherited through Adam’s DNA/seed, the curse of physical death God put on Adam; for committing the first sin of the human race, for all human beings can die.

*Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned-- Ro 5:12 NKJV+

*and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. Eccl 12:7 ESV+

Our physical body is also the tent where our spiritual being lives. When our physical being dies (our body, mind, conscience); our spiritual being is taken to Heaven or Hell.

*For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. Ja 2;26 ESV

*You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. Ro 8:9 NIV+

Our body is also the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the outer protection for our spiritual being; where the Holy Spirit dwells.

*Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 1Co 6:19 NKJV+

*For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 2Cor 5:1-2 ESV+

In God’s Word our body, mind, conscience (our flesh); can refer to each part separately. Or each part can refer to our entire physical being; as they are all united together to make up our physical being. It all depends on the context in which they are used.

Our mind is where we process the thoughts of our physical being. When we are conceived by our parents our mind will inherit the original sin of Adam, which will cause it to become sinful, and a sinful mind will be set on the flesh, be hostile to God, unable to submit to His commands. When our sinful mind matures enough it will rule over our spirit, pushing or keeping the Spirit from dwelling in our hearts. But if we surrender our will to our Father, He will spiritually wash away our sins, and give us the indwelling of the Spirit; so we belong to Christ.

*So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. Ro 7:17-18 NASB+

*The mind of sinful man [or mind set on the flesh] is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind [or mind set on the flesh] is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. Ro 8:6-8 NIV+

Our physical conscience is the part of the mind which controls its moral thoughts; the moral intentions of our flesh, our physical being. Our conscience can follow the moral values which come from the Holy Spirit through God’s Word, through a Christian family, congregation, or believer, or through a Christian nation or society. Or they can reflect the evil moral values or lack of morals which are prevalent in our world, the political correctness of our society, and the peer pressure of the groups of people we are around. Allowing our minds and conscience to be defiled, by the sinful pleasures they soon come to desire, which are gratifying to our flesh.

*To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. Titus 1:15 NASB+

*speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 1Ti 4:2 NKJV+

*For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Ro 8:13 ESV+

How we spiritually come into Heaven while still living physically on earth.

Jesus told us that on Resurrection Day, after His blood on the cross had atoned for our sins; that the sins of those who would surrender our will to our Father would be forgiven, so our spiritual being could become holy, and receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And the Spirit would give us the love and faith to believe in Jesus, so He likewise could spiritually live in us, and we would spiritually live in Him. When Jesus spiritual lives in us; His Father also comes and makes His home within our spiritual being.

*On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Jn 14:20 NIV+

*And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. Jn 20:22 NKJV+

*Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. Jn 14:23 NKJV+

The Spirit sanctifies us; continually forgives our sins through Christ’s atoning grace on the cross, as long as we love our God above all things. So we can remain spiritually holy, so the Holy Spirit and Christ can continue to live within our spiritual being. Yet our physical being can never become perfectly holy, our flesh and blood cannot come into the Kingdom of God, until Jesus returns again to give us an eternal, holy, glorified body like His.

*to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Ro 15:16 ESV+

*If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. Ro 8:10 NASB+

*I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 1Co 15:50 ESV+

While we physically live on earth, the Kingdom of God resides within a believer’s spiritual being; it is the righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

*Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." LK 17:20-22 NKJV+

*for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Ro 14:17-18 NASB+

This was foreshadowed by God’s Temple in Jerusalem, which our bodies became in the New Covenant of Christ’s grace. Our body is the outer part of the temple; the larger room of the 2 rooms in the Temple, the Holy Place, is our physical mind. While the smaller room, the Holy of Holies, the only place which could become holy enough for God to come and be with Israel, is our spiritual being. See Soul and Spirit; Body and Mind

We must not allow our flesh, the desires of our mind and body to rule over our soul, our spiritual being; or our evil passions will push the Spirit out of our hearts. And the evil one, satan, is just waiting for the opportunity to come into our hearts, and make us his children.

*among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind Eph 2:3 ESV+

*Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 1Pe 2:11 NASB+

Our mind must let the Spirit lead us in all things; and the peace of our Father which transcends our understanding, will guard and keep our hearts and minds, which control our thinking processes, in Christ Jesus.

*For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” Ro 8:14-15 ESV+

*And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:7 NIV+

Since children of God are spiritually in Jesus, we are spiritually taken to Heaven with Jesus, and seated with Him on our Father’s throne. Although while in our human physical body we are unaware of what is spiritually happening; for now we see but a poor reflection in a mirror. But when our physical being dies, our spiritual being will come to Heaven, and we shall see Jesus face to face; in all of His glory and majesty.

*and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Eph 2:6

*Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1Co 13:2 NIV+

Children of God should not fear death, for then our spiritual being (soul + spirit) will come into our Father’s glorious heavenly Jerusalem. To innumerable angels, to the souls and spirits of the general assembly of believers who were saved before Christ’s atoning death on the cross; and to the souls and spirits of all who are in the body of Christ, and have their names registered in the Book of Life. We come to be part of the spirits of all people who have been made perfect. This includes the many souls who have been killed for believing in our great God.

*But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, Heb 12:22-23 NKJV+

*When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. Rev 6:9 NIV+

The words spirits and souls in verses above can be used interchangeable; for they refer to our entire spiritual being.

Children of God who have died (sleep) and spiritually gone to Heaven, along with God’s children who remain physically on earth, are waiting for Jesus to return in all of His glory, and take us to be home with Him. Paul explains the mystery of how this will happen. When the angel sounds the 7^th and last trumpet of Rev 10:7 + 11:15; Jesus will return to the clouds over earth, with all the spiritual beings of believers who are in Heaven. He will resurrect the dead physical being (body + mind) which these believers’ spiritual beings were unite with, no matter what deteriorated condition they are in; make them perfect, holy, and eternal. Then Jesus will reunite the believers’ spiritual beings with their eternal physical beings so they are perfect, holy, eternal beings.

Then all believers who are alive on the earth, who still have their physical being and spiritual being together; will be caught to be with the Lord in the air, where He will change their mortal physical being (body + mind) to be a perfect, holy, eternal physical being. And all believers who came from Heaven, and all believers who came from earth, shall join together together as children of God; and always be with our Lord.

*Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 1Co 15:51-53 ESV+

*For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1Thess 4:14-17 NKJV+

We all become citizens of Heaven, when Jesus transforms our lowly physical being, our bodies, to be like His glorious body, when He returns in all of His glory.

*But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Phil 3:20-21 ESV+

There is more to this story, for after Christ has returned in all of His glory, He will return in all of His power to defeat the antichrist, and establish His Kingdom predominately from Israel, on earth for 1,000 years. And after the 1,000 years there is the final White Throne Judgment. We should all read and study Revelation, other prophesies from the Old and New Testaments; realizing all the answers of how this world will end have not been revealed to us, and some things will never be revealed to us. There are many different thoughts on how end times will happen, including ours: Order 105 Events – Kingdom Events Happen In – 800+ Verses to Validate – Specific Topics

Yet in this message we want to deal with what could happen to us if we would die right now. Here are some questions we should ask ourselves. And and if we can answer yes to them, we are assured that we are children of God and heirs of Heaven.

Have we surrendered our human will, our mind, to our Father, and accepted His will; repenting of our sins, striving to follow His Word and commands.

Do we have the Holy Spirit spiritually living in our hearts, leading us through God’s Word; and enabling us to love our God above all things, all people as ourselves.

Do we believe that the Son of God became man, became Jesus, and died on the cross to atone for our sins; arose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven, so He could save us, bring us to Heaven as His brothers and sisters.

Do we believe Jesus spiritually lives within us, therefore is always present within us to help us in our troubles; present within us to know every thought we have; see every action we make; so we strive to do only those things which will please Him.

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+ ESV “Scripture quotations marked [ESV] are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version,” copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good New Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Some words in the verses from these Bibles may be emphasized with bold letters.