Luke 20.35 promises those who are counted worthy of being raised from the dead get to heaven.

Everyone will live for eternity according to the Word of the eternal God. Not everyone will spend that eternity with God in heaven or upon the new earth instead many will spend eternity in torment and suffering in hell.

Getting to heaven is like getting a job for which we have no education or skill but was given to us by the owner because He loves us. This job pays well and is a joy to do every day. While the job was not earned but given freely still the owner expects production from the employee and not idle wasting of His time or resources. The owner evaluates the employee by his performance based upon his ability to accomplish the assigned work.

The Scripture repeats two themes about eternity: it cannot be earned through any amount of good deeds we can perform but must be received as a gift from God paid for by the work of Jesus the Savior.

Second, people are judged by what they do for God toward other people particularly the work of helping people know God and love Him as demonstrated by living obedient lives to God.

All of the judgment passages in the Bible revolve around the actions, as opposed to the beliefs, done by people whether for God and with God or against God and in disregard for God.

Heaven is free because Jesus worked for humanity’s ability to go there but it is maintained by a person’s following of Jesus doing the works He did in the manner He did them for the purpose He gave them: the glory of His Father and the building of His Kingdom.

To believe in God but do nothing for God does not make us worthy of living forever with God.