When reading your post I immediately thought of Jesus’s statement...
“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”
I do not understand what He meant by that, but it always sticks in my mind when I read comments by many who assume to understand all the “rules” of Christianity.
I am a Christian, because I was born into a Christian family, here in the USA, but perhaps my fortunate place of birth/faith represents only one of God’s “many mansions”.
Jesus is my path because of my upbringing, but when I consider that “pride” is one of the 7 deadly sins, I fear being “proud” of that inheritance.
I know only this, I am ignorant of His plans that are beyond my human and limited comprehension, and I fail, every day, to live up to what is expected of me.
None of us are capable of knowing the mind of God, all of us fall short, and we all need to ask for forgiveness. I could go on about splinters and beams, but most of you know about that.
Don’t let those among us who misrepresent Christianity, even though they are convinced they are “doing good”, turn you against the Creator of us all.
For all we know, God has a “mansion” planned for your wife, and many who profess to be Christians will be found wanting and turned away. I
The metaphor of the house and mansions seems to me to mean we go through a narrow door—full devotion to Him—and enter a wide place, with “room for all who come.”
Salvation is of the spirit, so our spirit must turn toward Him completely before we die. Beware of the pagan-like images of streets paved with gold and wings and halos and harps. If we have done even one tiny thing solely for Jesus, we have eternal life. Even if we don’t but want to and don’t have the time (deathbed conversion).
This is what it means to me.