Falling Backwards Into Heaven?
Darkness to Light: Part 22
I have heard it said at different times from the pulpits of my former church that there will be some of God’s people who will “fall backwards into heaven”. To an outsider, this may seem like a bizarre comment, but if you grew up in that church and understand the context, you know what it means.
What does it mean?
“Falling backwards into heaven” means, in context, that one reaches heaven without often making any conscious effort or responding to the gospel. In a sense, they spent their whole life not knowing if they were saved, and were surprised to end up in heaven.
What’s Wrong with it?
Teaching like this many times leads hearers to become passive in their response to the gospel1. Additionally, many do not seek assurance of salvation, which can lead to a very small or nonexistent bearing of fruit2 and sharing of the gospel. This teaching overemphasizes the sovereignty of God and downplays or even removes man’s responsibility to believe3. Most of the time in the preaching in that church, the facts of the gospel are presented to sinners, but rarely is an open call made to those sinners to repent and believe today. Sinners are also told to look for evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work before they can go to Christ to believe. This is not Biblical, read John 3. You will see that Jesus says one must be born again, which is all the work of the Spirit. However, at the end of the chapter, Jesus points Nicodemus to active faith in Himself, not looking for the work of the Spirit. Active faith in Christ is the work of the Holy Spirit.
I have also often heard from multiple ministers that they love to quote the first half of John 6:37 and conveniently leave off that last half.
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
John 6:37
The first half speaks of God’s sovereign power in election and salvation, and the second half tells of the promise that any man who goes to Jesus will not be turned away. This verse would be such a help to many who are seeking Christ but are afraid to claim faith in Him. Preaching only half of this verse is only preaching half a gospel.
A Biblical Response
God is fully sovereign in the workings of salvation, but man also has a responsibility to believe.4 All through the book of Acts, the apostles command their hearers to repent and believe. They don’t say “oh it must be given to you”, “take it to your inner room”, “go home and pray and ask God for a new heart”. Nowhere is that recorded in the Bible. The call of the gospel is a call for an immediate response! Now, lest some should accuse me of being Arminian, I will say that I don’t believe walking down an aisle, saying a guided or rehearsed prayer to accept Jesus, or signing a card is following the true gospel command either. God is still sovereign, and the Holy Spirit does the work in our hearts by guiding us to willful acceptance of Christ. Thus, meaning, God uses man’s responsibility to work out salvation in the hearts of sinners.
“Sinners are not directed first to secure their souls that they are born again, and, then afterwards, to believe; but they are first to believe that the remission of sin has been tendered to them in the blood of Christ . . . nor is it the duty of men to question whether they have faith or not, but actually to believe; and faith in its operations will evidence itself.”
John Owen
Dear unconverted reader, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you WILL be saved! Today even! Do not wait any longer, for tomorrow is not promised. Cry out to God, I believe, or I want to believe! Help my unbelief! Jesus save me ere I die! Dear reader, this is the most important thing you will ever do! Do not put it off any longer!
1. Approach, my soul, the mercy seat
Where Jesus answers pray'r;
There humbly fall before his feet,
For none can perish there.
2. My only plea, your promise true;
With this I venture nigh;
You beckon burdened souls to you,
And such, O Lord, am I.
3. Bowed down beneath a load of sin,
By Satan sorely pressed;
By war without and fears within,
I come to you for rest.
4. Thus be my shield and hiding place!
That sheltered near your side,
I may my fierce accuser face,
And say the Lamb has died.
5. Oh, wondrous love! To bleed and die,
To bear the cross and shame,
That guilty sinners, such as I,
Might plead your gracious name.
6. “Poor tempest-ravaged soul, be still,
My promised grace receive,”
’Tis Jesus speaks—I must, I will,
I can, I do believe.
John Owen - Approach, my soul, the mercy seat
While it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Hebrews 3:15
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:9-10
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Acts 16:31