107. (9) Hereafter no one from among Christians enters heaven unless he believes in the Lord God the Savior, and approaches Him alone. We read in Isaiah:
Behold I create a new heaven and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered nor come into mind; and behold, I will create Jerusalem a rejoicing and her people a joy (Isa. 65:17, 18);
and in Revelation:
I saw a new heaven and a new earth: and I saw the holy Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, made ready as a bride for her husband. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold I make all things new (Rev. 21:1, 2, 5)
and in other places:
That no others should enter heaven than those who were written in the Lamb's book of Life (Rev. 13:8; 17:8, 12; 20:12, 15; 21:27).
By the "heaven" here mentioned the heaven visible to our eyes is not meant, but the angelic heaven; by "Jerusalem" no city coming down out of the sky is meant, but a church that is to descend from the Lord out of the angelic heaven, and "the Lamb's book of Life" means not a book written in heaven, which is to be opened, but the Word, which is from the Lord and which treats of the Lord. In the preceding sections of this chapter it has been proved, authenticated, and established that Jehovah God, who is called the creator and the Father, descended and assumed a Human in order that He might be approached by man and be conjoined to man. For does anyone get near to a man by approaching his soul? Can that be done? It is the man himself who is approached, who is seen face to face, and who is talked with mouth to mouth. It is the same with God the Father and the Son; since God the Father is in the Son as a soul is in its body.
[2] That the Lord God the savior is he in whom men ought to believe is evident from the following passages in the Word:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life (John 3:15, 16).
He that believeth in the Son is not judged; but he that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:18).
He that believeth in the son hath eternal life; but he that believeth not the son shall not see life, but the anger of God abideth on him (John 3:36).
The bread of God is He that cometh down out of heaven, and giveth life unto the world. He that cometh to Me shall not hunger; and he that believeth in Me shall never thirst (John 6:33, 35).
This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who beholdeth the Son and believeth in Him may have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:40).
They said to Jesus, What must we do that we may work the works of God? Jesus answered, This is the work of God, that ye believe in Him whom He hath sent (John 6:28, 29).
Verily, I say unto you, he that believeth in Me hath everlasting life (John 6:47).
Jesus cried saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. He that believeth in Me out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:37, 38).
Unless ye believe that I am, ye shall die in your sins (John 8:24).
Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he die, shall live and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die (John 11:25, 26).
Jesus said, I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth in Me may not abide in darkness (John 12:46; 8:12).
While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be sons of the light (John 12:36).
The Lord also said that the disciples should abide in Him, and He in them (John 14:20; 15:1-5; 17:23);
which is done by faith:
Paul testified both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21).
I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me (John 14:6).
[3] That whosoever believes in the son believes in the Father, since, as said above the Father is in him as the soul in the body, is evident from the following passages:
If ye had known Me ye would have known My Father also (John 8:19; 14:7).
He that seeth Me, seeth Him that sent Me (John 12:45).
He that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that sent Me (John 13:20).
This is because no one can see the Father and live (Exod. 33:20).
Therefore the Lord says:
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father He hath manifested him (John 1:18).
Not that any man hath seen the Father save He that is with the Father, He hath seen the Father (John 6:46).
Ye have neither heard the voice of the Father at any time, nor seen His form (John 5:37).
But those who know nothing about the Lord, like most of those in the two divisions of the globe called Asia and Africa, including those in the Indies, provided they believe in one God and live according to the precepts of their religion, are saved by their faith and life; for imputation has reference to those who know, not to those who do not know; as when the blind stumble it is not imputed to them; for the Lord says:
If ye were blind ye would not have sin; but now ye say that ye see therefore your sin remaineth (John 9:41).