A “Kingdom with streets of gold,” where there are no tears, no pain, and no more death, is something that may capture the attention of many. (And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. Revelation 21:4; And the street of the city was pure gold. Revelation 21:21)

We can confidently say there is no person who, when presented with a land offering a life full of joy – free from trouble, suffering, and death – would not desire such a Kingdom.

However, this Kingdom, with its “streets of gold,” also involves spiritual realities that are difficult for the human mind to grasp – things that, to most people, seem like foolishness. (The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him. 1 Corinthians 2:14)

These heavenly things differ entirely from the things found in the world we were born into. For these reasons, the “Kingdom of God” remains a great mystery to many of us. (As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9)

We notice that when people are asked what happens after this life ends, and what we must do to live eternally in the Kingdom of God, the vast majority are deeply confused.

Because of a lack of knowledge of the Scriptures, we see today how many people are misled by various theories about how to enter the Kingdom of God.

Most have come to believe that salvation (which for many lies only in the forgiveness of sins) can be obtained if we admire God for what He has done for us, if we believe in the sacrifice at the cross. Many believe that if we confess our sins and have a form of godliness that consists of gratitude for what the Lord Jesus has done for us, it is enough to have free entry into His eternal Kingdom.

Note:
This excerpt comes from the booklet “The New Birth”, available free of charge in written form.
On unmodifiedword. com you will also find other resources devoted to growing into the likeness of Christ.