"She's in heaven now" At funerals, it seems that everyone seems to come to eternal rest and we wish that the dead may rest in peace. I do not judge someone's passing away, we have no right to determine what happened before anyone died. Maybe God came and appeared at the last moment and that person was willing to believe and confess their sins.
Is it enough to go to church, pray to God and of course forgive his neighbour?
Is it not Joh3:16 enough? (For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.)
The Christian life begins with Joh3:16, believing in Jesus means communion with God, obedience and holiness.
We walk on a narrow road
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Luk13:23-27 Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ “But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
Our calling is primarily fellowship with God. That which was broken by the fall of man shall be restored again. 1cor1:9 God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Fellowship with God is the foundation of our life with God, but without a living relationship with God so we can forget about sanctification and true obedience, none of this will become a reality.
Sins that we have not repented from is a hindrance for us to enter the kingdom of God.
Rev 3:4-5 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.
Rev 2:7 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God. Victory over the enemy of souls, the sin.
Judas is an example of one who was in the team and healing people, (Mark6:7) but still lived in unrighteousness, he was lost forever, Jesus called him a devil (John 6:70)
Mark 9:45 "And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell."
Not willing to repent: Hebrews 10:26-27 "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgement and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God." read Numbers 15:30-31 which has similar meaning.
A pure heart is a condition for us to see God. (Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.) Consequently, if we do not have a pure heart and we will not see God. Do we have little sins hanging here and there? What does that matter?
Gal 5:19-21 "The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."
Paul describes the struggle going on between the flesh and the Spirit in Romans 7. Fact that you do what you hate, that carnal deeds come from the sin that dwells in man. That there is a sinful nature in man and we have a tendency to fall for the sin is not the same thing as we are completely lost because we was not able to kill the flesh to 100%. The continuation and the solution is found in Romans 8:1 "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus," Some eng. translations have an addition for those who do not live according to the flesh but after the Spirit. We find that further down: by the Spirit kill the works of the flesh, etc.
Our goal as Christians is to become blameless: 1Tess5: 23 "May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
How do you get free from the bondage of sin? In some cases it is sufficient to choose the way of the Sprit as God's Word speaks of, we simply choose the path that is right according to God's Word. Or we are reminded by the Holy Spirit what we should choose. The whole basis for the forgiveness of sins, confession, by addressing sin in the light the power of sin must be broken. Confession is basically facing another human being and God. It costs you nothing of your pride of that in solitude confess your sins before God that you did not dare tell anyone. Jak5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." I do not think you understand this verse until you have begun to practice "confession" in its true sense.
Disobedience...
Matt7:21-23 "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ "
Some said that they obeyed God but lived on in iniquity that is disobedience to God's Word.
Luke 9:25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?
Is there hope?
There is hope, God is for you and loves you, the one he loves he disciplines (Heb12:6).
Phil 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Keep your heart pure, live in obedience to God and stay close to him and everything will be fine.