John 14:1-2 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Fathers house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Jesus starts Chapter 13 by washing the discilpes’ feet. He is beginning to prepare them for living in a mansion. No one in their right mind thinks the door keeper of a mansion would allow someone with filthy feet to enter the mansion. It just isn’t done. The second thing he does is give them the new house rules: John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” They needed these rules for none of them had ever lived in a mansion before. It was all new to them. It is a lot like going into an ultra fancy restraurant and using your fingers to eat with. Rules are necessary evils, for we need to know how to live in a mansion, since we never have before.

I came from a two bedroom old farm house that the wind blew through in the winter time. There were two parrents and three kids that lived in that old house until my grandfather came to live with us. He was suffering from dementia so he got the best bedroom and a heavy chest of drawers in from of the doorway.

Since I wiggled and squirmed in my sleep, so one would share a bed with me. Mom took pity on me sleeping on the floor and came up with an old double bed and set it up in the attic. Folks, it was like sleeping outside, but at least the others could get some sleep without me keeping them awake. I had plenty of blankets and learned to stick my head under the covers to keep my ears from freezing.

Well, to tell you the truth, I have no idea how to live in a mansion either. I’ve never actually even been a mansion, but Jesus is preparing a place for me among the mansions found in His Father’s House.

So first know how to get there, we need to understand what Jesus said in John 14:6. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

That is pretty plain isn’t it? You are not going to the Father or the Father’s House any other way than Jesus. Acts 4:12 tells us: “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

Salvation, cleaning your walk (feet) is necessary to get to Heaven. Oving those people who also have salvation is necessary. Believe it or not, there are many people who hate their brothers and sisters, humanly speaking, and truly think they are going to heaven!

What does John tell us: ljohn 2:8-9 “Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.”

“Hmmmm.. .preacher, is that true about today?” If you are born into the family of God tthrough faith in Christ Jesus, then you should have changed from a hater to a lover no matter who is in from of you.

“But some are dirty, rotten sinners! Do I have to love them, too?” you ask.

Jesus does. He love them enough to endure the Cross… in fact, He died there for you and me so that we might have the ability to be clean from sin. His blood washes it all away if we plead for Him to save us, cleanse us, and give us eternal life.

Have you done that? Have you asked Jesus to save you, cleanse you, and give you eternal life? It isn’t just saying some words. There is no magic encantation. God looks in your heart when you ask to be saved. He is looking for your need and desire to change from what you are to what you can become.

You can have a mansion in heaven, but only is you are saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ! Remember Acts, 4:12? “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

If you have questions, please come visit us at Vian Baptist Church and we will sit down and open a Bible with you to show you what God asked for to come to live in one of His mansions.