What is this? I had never heard the phrase "fit for heaven" before, but over the last couple of months I've heard it twice. Both times it was used in reference to our sanctification — not our positional sanctification, but our walk — and how it is daily making us more fit for heaven. The first time I heard this, I was a bit surprised. The second time I thought, "What's going on here? Why am I hearing this all of a sudden?" But my immediate reaction both times was, "What?! That's legalism!"
And that's the problem with quite a few words and phrases we throw around in our "Christian language" (Christianese) today. Some terminology just naturally leads us to think "legalism", while others lead us to think "license" or some other wrong theology. I think of them as "baggage words" — words or phrases that need to be defined or, in some cases, not used at all. Others that come to mind are "repent", "confess", "kingdom", "God-inspired", "Spirit-led", "the providence of God", "let go and let God", and the "yes, no, and wait" explanation regarding answers to prayer. That's why it's so important to go back to Scripture to see what is actually said about these things.
So, what about this phrase "fit for heaven"? It sure led me to think that what was being said was Christ's death and resurrection were insufficient so we need to work hard to make ourselves fit for heaven. And some, but not all, seem to believe that's true. Therefore, it seems to me that the phrase "fit for heaven" is confusing at best, and misleading at worst.
For those who hold to the belief that we're declared perfect at our conversion but after that we need to work our way to heaven, I'd like to discuss the following question: "Are believers unfit for heaven now?"
First off, I'd like to figure out where the phrase "fit for heaven" came from. When we look in Colossians, we see that it speaks about our being made fit for heaven, so perhaps it came from there:
Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit (notice the past tense?) to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints in the light. [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins (Col 1:12-14).
From these verses we can see it's nothing we do that makes us fit; it's all Christ's doing. And because Christ has already done it all, we're just as fit for heaven as newborn believers as we are when we're mature (2 Cor 5:21). (Remember the dying thief on the cross next to Jesus in Lk 23:42-43?)
Actually though, it is true that our old nature is unfit for heaven, but it is also true that it will always be 100% unfit for heaven. It can never be improved. Notice how we are exhorted to put off — not clean up — the "old man" (Eph 4:22; Col 3:9). The fact is, Christ didn't come to reform our flesh; He came to execute it and to give us new life (Gal 2:20-21; Col 3:3-5). Trying to clean ourselves up is merely returning to the law — the ultimate exercise in futility.
That's why we were instantly given a new creation/nature at our conversion (2 Cor 5:17-21), which is 100% fit for heaven now — and always will be! It is this new creation/nature or "new man" that we are instructed to "put on" (Eph 4:24; Col 3:10). Reading further in Eph 4:25-32 and Col 3:12-17 tell us what it "looks like" when we put on our "new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."
Thankfully, when we physically die we'll be free of our old, dead sinful nature (Rom 7:14-8:10). It will never be in heaven; only our new nature will be there. So what exactly are we trying to make fit for heaven? Our new nature, which is already perfect in every way, or our old nature, which can never be improved and is considered dead already?
Maybe you think I'm encouraging license by saying Christ's blood is all that's needed to make us fit for heaven. But that is exactly what Scripture tells us — Christ's blood is fully sufficient (1 Cor 1:30-31; 2 Cor 5:21; Eph 2:8-9)! And actually, having full confidence in the finished work of Christ on the cross for us does not produce carnal Christians; rather, His love and grace compel us to live godly lives (Rom 6:14; 2 Cor 5:14-15; Titus 2:11-12).
In light of all this, I would like to make a motion that we stop using the Christianese phrase "fit for heaven" in reference to our daily walk — as if it's something we're working toward — because in Christ we are complete (Col 2:9-10) and fully fit for heaven now!
And that's the problem with quite a few words and phrases we throw around in our "Christian language" (Christianese) today. Some terminology just naturally leads us to think "legalism", while others lead us to think "license" or some other wrong theology. I think of them as "baggage words" — words or phrases that need to be defined or, in some cases, not used at all. Others that come to mind are "repent", "confess", "kingdom", "God-inspired", "Spirit-led", "the providence of God", "let go and let God", and the "yes, no, and wait" explanation regarding answers to prayer. That's why it's so important to go back to Scripture to see what is actually said about these things.
So, what about this phrase "fit for heaven"? It sure led me to think that what was being said was Christ's death and resurrection were insufficient so we need to work hard to make ourselves fit for heaven. And some, but not all, seem to believe that's true. Therefore, it seems to me that the phrase "fit for heaven" is confusing at best, and misleading at worst.
For those who hold to the belief that we're declared perfect at our conversion but after that we need to work our way to heaven, I'd like to discuss the following question: "Are believers unfit for heaven now?"
First off, I'd like to figure out where the phrase "fit for heaven" came from. When we look in Colossians, we see that it speaks about our being made fit for heaven, so perhaps it came from there:
Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit (notice the past tense?) to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints in the light. [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins (Col 1:12-14).
From these verses we can see it's nothing we do that makes us fit; it's all Christ's doing. And because Christ has already done it all, we're just as fit for heaven as newborn believers as we are when we're mature (2 Cor 5:21). (Remember the dying thief on the cross next to Jesus in Lk 23:42-43?)
Actually though, it is true that our old nature is unfit for heaven, but it is also true that it will always be 100% unfit for heaven. It can never be improved. Notice how we are exhorted to put off — not clean up — the "old man" (Eph 4:22; Col 3:9). The fact is, Christ didn't come to reform our flesh; He came to execute it and to give us new life (Gal 2:20-21; Col 3:3-5). Trying to clean ourselves up is merely returning to the law — the ultimate exercise in futility.
That's why we were instantly given a new creation/nature at our conversion (2 Cor 5:17-21), which is 100% fit for heaven now — and always will be! It is this new creation/nature or "new man" that we are instructed to "put on" (Eph 4:24; Col 3:10). Reading further in Eph 4:25-32 and Col 3:12-17 tell us what it "looks like" when we put on our "new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."
Thankfully, when we physically die we'll be free of our old, dead sinful nature (Rom 7:14-8:10). It will never be in heaven; only our new nature will be there. So what exactly are we trying to make fit for heaven? Our new nature, which is already perfect in every way, or our old nature, which can never be improved and is considered dead already?
Maybe you think I'm encouraging license by saying Christ's blood is all that's needed to make us fit for heaven. But that is exactly what Scripture tells us — Christ's blood is fully sufficient (1 Cor 1:30-31; 2 Cor 5:21; Eph 2:8-9)! And actually, having full confidence in the finished work of Christ on the cross for us does not produce carnal Christians; rather, His love and grace compel us to live godly lives (Rom 6:14; 2 Cor 5:14-15; Titus 2:11-12).
In light of all this, I would like to make a motion that we stop using the Christianese phrase "fit for heaven" in reference to our daily walk — as if it's something we're working toward — because in Christ we are complete (Col 2:9-10) and fully fit for heaven now!
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