Do you have to go up to heaven or down into the deep to find Christ?
No. Scripture teaches that finding Christ does not require ascending to a high mountain or going down into the lowest parts of the earth, nor bringing Him up or down. He is near and right in front of us, available through the word of faith that is preached.
Les explains that we do not have to ascend to some high mountain to find Christ, and we do not have to go down into the lowest portions of the earth to find Him. We do not have to bring Him down or bring Him up, because He is right in front of us. To illustrate, Les goes back to John’s Gospel chapter 10, where Jesus uses Himself as the shepherd of the sheep and the door to the sheepfold. Jesus says that anyone who does not enter by the door but climbs up some other way is a thief and a robber. Les points out this is spiritual: people who try to gain heaven by a way other than the one Jesus described will be cast out as thieves and robbers. But the one who enters by the door is the shepherd. The porter opens to him, the sheep hear his voice, he calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out. This parable shows Christ is near and accessible, not far off.
But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
More Questions
What does Romans 10 mean by 'who shall ascend into heaven' to bring Christ down?
In Romans 10 Paul is saying you do not have to ascend somewhere to bring Christ down to your level, nor bring Him up from the deep, because He is right in front of every person.