Living With Purpose

A man was admiring a picture on his physician’s wall, when the doctor came up from behind and mentioned, “That’s my mother and her dog.” “She’s attractive,” the man said. “She’s more like a friend really. I miss her.” “She’s no longer alive?” he asked. “No. But my mother is.” Some people regard pets as family members. What about you? How many pets do you have running around your home? Most people enjoy the companionship of one or more animals at some point in their life. Animals are one of life’s greatest joys. Pets bring hope, comfort, enjoyment, and happiness to millions of households every day.
I can come home from a day at work and my cats come running to me with joy. Through the years animals have brought much joy to my own life and it’s a very short time frame indeed that I haven’t always had some type of pet that lived alongside of me. Now pets are considered subordinate to humans in intellect and reason, but a few of them try to defy this and act as though they are human in their behavior. Scientists have proven that some species of animals do in fact possess intelligence. It’s also true they should be fed, loved, cared for, and given shelter just like any member of the family.
Because animals are such an important part of our lives, I’ve had more than a few people ask me about the eternal destiny of our beloved pets. Do all dogs and cats go to heaven? One of my friends ask me my thoughts about the subject of animals and heaven. So, I’ll try to explain my opinion concerning this.
The Bible is certainly not silent on the subject of animals. God’s Word is also very clear concerning the death of babies, young children, infants and toddlers before they understand sin and accept Jesus as their Savior. “… and your little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad—they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it” (Deut. 1:39). “…or like a miscarriage which was discarded, as babies that never see the light?…they are at rest” (Job. 3:16-17). The Bible says, “Unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matt. 18:2-3). We know innocent children go to be present with the Lord, but what about animals? What are about those precious pets that love on us, sit in our laps, rub our pants leg, or fetch a stick for us? Isaiah 11:6-9 says, “The wolf will live with the lamb. The leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the young lion and the young fat animal will lie down together. And a little boy will lead them. The cow and the bear will eat side by side. And their young will lie down together. The lion will eat straw like the ox. The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra….they will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain (heaven)…” Animals will be in heaven.
As far as our duties and responsibilities toward the animal kingdom—God tells us in Proverbs 12:10, “A person who is right with God cares for his or her animal, but the sinful person is hard and has no pity.” God instructs us as His caretakers for our pets; to provide for them. Why is God so concerned with pets if He did not have a very legitimate and special plan for animals in His Kingdom? The Bible says in Job 12:10, “In His hand are the life of every living thing and the breath of all men.” God is so sensitive to the creatures He has created, not one of them is insignificant: “Are not five small birds sold for two small pieces of money? God does not forget even one of the birds” (Luke 12:6). But what about heaven you may ask. The Apostle John’s vision of heaven included animals. Rev. 19:11-14, “Then I saw heaven open. A white horse was standing there. The one who was sitting on the horse is called Faithfull and True…the armies of Heaven (angels) were dressed in clean, white, fine linen. They were following Him on white horses.”
Scripture supports that animals will be in heaven. Will your favorite pet be there? If your pet brought you comfort, joy, and happiness while on earth and if heaven is more grand than life on earth (and it will be), who is to say your pet won’t be there waiting on you. There’s no definitive answer in the Scripture saying so, but we do know animals will not be banned from heaven. And theologians are stubborn when it comes to classifying animals as “having souls”. But instead of speculating on proof, let’s instead give thanks to God for the gift of joy He has given us in our pets. You and I can be confident in the knowledge that whatever His plans for our pets, it will be perfection. But here is the most important question—what about you? It’s pointless to ponder the question of whether your pet goes to heaven if you yourself are not there. The only way to be sure is to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. When you do this, accepting his death on the cross as payment for your sins, you can have the full assurance that you will go to heaven and receive eternal life. As far as your pet being in heaven or not, the only way to find out is to go there yourself.
God in all His great love, wisdom, and care has created heaven to be a place of rewards, glory, and perfect happiness. God knows your needs, and if you need your dog, cat, or other pet to complete your happiness, you will find them there. Attend a local church to study more of God’s Word and follow HIM in all your ways!
• This weekly column is written by Matt Dobson. A graduate of Florida State University, Univ. of West Florida, and Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, he is Pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in Jay, Florida and a 1LT Chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserves. Matt can be reached by email: rmdobson@liberty.edu. He welcomes your thoughts concerning faith, belief, and Christian living. Visit the Living With Purpose website at www.living-with-purpose.org.