He continued, “And heaven is a layover. It’s not the final goal. Heaven is a place you go to wait for the final resurrection, when we will all be given new, resurrected bodies. That’s why Jesus is called the ‘first fruits.’”
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“I had no clue that’s what the real heaven was,” remarked Schulz. “I didn’t know that this current one—dude, I really should. I started on the Old Testament. It’s dense.”
Schulz went on to recount listening to the description of the Tabernacle in Exodus and hearing all the specifications. “I’m not a [general contractor],” he joked. “So I didn’t even get to the fun stories.”
Huff advised Schulz, “Start with the gospels.”
Later in the conversation, Huff was asked whether non-Christians can go to heaven.
“I would say, God is not going to force anyone into heaven,” Huff said, “in that heaven—remember, once again heaven is not the final destination…Essentially, ‘No one comes to the Father but through me,’ Jesus says.”
Nevertheless, Huff added, quoting C.S. Lewis, “Hell is locked from the inside.”
“If you have spent your life not living out a life that is what Jesus has called you to do, to be, then Jesus is not going to force you into his presence,” Huff said. When pressed about the exclusivity of the Christian view of salvation, Huff said, “Christianity is inclusivistic in that all are called to come. But it is exclusivistic in that Jesus loves you and calls you to come as you are, but he loves you too much to leave you where you are.”
“It’s unconditional, but it’s not unconditioned,” Huff added. “Because all you have to do is give up your life and follow Jesus.”
Singh pushed back, recounting that he grew up getting told he was going to hell and expressing that he doesn’t understand how Jesus could forgive murderers who turn to him but not a “good person” who “doesn’t fully believe.”
