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What Must I Do To Be Saved?

  

FROM: 9/22/02 Radio Program

Question:

Will there be animals in Heaven?

Answer:

This is a question which comes up from time to time, and certainly worthy of consideration. God created animals (Gen. 1), and certainly they have an important place on this earth. When it comes to animals, and especially our dear pets, we grow fond of them and love them for the companionship that they provide us. Sometimes, in our fondness, we begin to think of our pets as people, and yes some have been known to treat their pets as children. Yet, when we look to the Bible, we see that God makes a distinction between a man and an animal.

While animals have that indescribable "spark" of life which all living things have, they do not share a soul with man. Ecclesiastes 3:21 shows a difference between man and animals at death. Leviticus 24:17-18, 21 declares a difference in penalties in the Jewish law between the one who kills an animal, and the one who kills a man. Furthermore, we see another distinction between man and animals, for when Christ came, He took the form of a human (He was "the Son of Man" Matt. 20:28; etc.), and died for the sins of humans (Jn. 1:14; Lk. 19:10). Animals, while playing an important role on earth, are never mentioned as candidates for Heaven. Christ wants "all men (anthropos, Strong's #444) to be saved" (I Tim. 2:4). Remember, that if one wishes to go to Heaven, he/she must: hear the gospel (Acts 2:22; Rom. 10:17), believe in Christ as the Son of God (Jn. 8:24; Acts 8:37), repent of his/her sins (Lk. 13:3; Acts 17:30), confess Christ as God's Son (Matt. 10:32; Rom. 10:10); and be baptized for the remission of sins (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38). Can an animal do this? Can an animal make a conscious choice to obey or disobey the Lord? Of course, not. It is interesting to note that of all of God's creation, it is only humans who have been given the free will to choose to obey or disobey God.

While we love the animals of this world, and love our household pets, the Bible never mentions animals as being candidates for Heaven.

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