You Are Not Going to Heaven Because You Are a Good Person

Yahoo

17-04-2025

Disclaimer: The views and interpretations expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or positions of WiProud. This article is intended for informational and discussion purposes only. Readers are encouraged to explore multiple perspectives and conduct their own research when forming conclusions about religious texts and beliefs.
Nearly everyone on earth believes in some form of Heaven after we die. There are many well-meaning people who believe that 'all roads lead to Heaven, just be true to what you believe'; I used to be one of these people. On the other side of the spectrum there are some who simply do not believe in a Heaven at all, and believe after we die we simply cease to exist. And finally in the broad middle you get all the religions of the world claiming their own truths about Heaven, or a type of Heaven, and what you must do to earn admittance through good works.
Obviously, not every one of these views can be correct. If you think logically with any amount of intellectual honestly you need to admit that only one of these views is the correct answer. We can't simply 'believe' something into existence or truth. If I say, 'I believe two plus two equals five; that makes it true…' there is no logical thinking in that statement. You must start here in order to honestly and intellectually grasp any form of truth. You must accept that truth is not determined by any belief, anyone's feelings, or by popular vote. Truth is solidly objective no matter how you feel about it. With this established, let us look at the claims of Heaven and how to get there.
First point I would like to tackle is, do all roads lead to Heaven? Many that believe this have the very misleading idea that all the religions of the world are very similar at the core. However, this could not be further from the truth. I could spend pages explaining the many stark differences of each religion, but there is one thing they do all have in common. This one thing is the idea that you need to earn your way to Heaven with your good works. But if you look even closer at this idea, there is one belief that states getting to Heaven has nothing to do with your works… Christianity. While all other religions state we have to be good enough in our deeds to get to god, or even become a god, Christianity is the only belief that states we will never be good enough, so God did the work for us. Another way to state this is while all religions are trying to reach out to god, in Christianity God has reached out to us. This alone separates Christianity far from all religions. Let's explore how…
The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ was God appearing in human flesh,
'In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him [the Word/Jesus]; and without him was not any thing made that was made. … And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, … '
– Jhn 1:1-3, 14 KJV
I show this to emphasize the point that later Jesus is recorded as stating,
' … I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.'
– Jhn 14:6 KJV
In other words God Himself appears on earth as a man in flesh and that no one will get to the Heaven except by Him. To build up to the point even further, let's fast forward a little more to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus, in His last hours before His crucifixion, spent time praying that if there were any other way to save humanity, other than dying on the cross in place of us, that it may be known.
'And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.'
– Mat 26:39 KJV
If we sit back and examine everything so far, we have discussed that not all religions can be correct if we are being intellectually honest. Understanding that each religion has its own truth claims, of course, however, remember that Christianity is the ONLY belief where God does not require that you earn Heaven because He already did the work for us. So if Christianity is true, then it's clearly stated that Jesus is the only exclusive way to Heaven. And this is where I want to go for the remainder of this article.
Now many that consider themselves Christian still believe they are going to Heaven because they are 'a good person'. This is because they do not understand what happened on the cross when Jesus took our punishment. In fact, many Christians, or even non-Christians, don't even know how Jesus is all that important to their ability to get to Heaven. Yet as you have seen above in the previous bible verses, Jesus states He is the ONLY way to the Father. The meaning of the cross has over time become so diluted down that many misunderstand its impact, leaving in its place the idea that 'as long as I'm not a murderer or doing evil intentionally that God will allow me into Heaven'. Please hear me, this could not be further from the truth!
I want to tear down this idea of our good works leading to Heaven, but at the end I will build it back up leaving you with a greater understand and appreciation for what Jesus did for us on the cross. Ready… ? NO ONE IS GOOD! It doesn't matter who you are on this earth or what you have done. There is not a single soul, when measured against God's standards, that hits the mark. Read what Paul the apostle writes in the book of Romans.
'As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. … Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: … For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;'
– Rom 3:10-18, 20, 23 KJV
OUCH! I don't know about you, but that stings! This is speaking of everyone that has ever lived, is living, and will live. In order to fully understand the cross, this is the first feeling you need to have… the feeling of hopelessness. The feeling that no matter what you do, you'll never be good enough by yourself to deserve Heaven. Why? Because when you finally do understand this, learning the truth of how to get to Heaven is so much sweeter. You see, God already knew you'd never be able to meet His standards. He knew that in His perfect justice He would have to punish everyone for their sins. But God is so awesome in His foreknowledge that He had a plan since before the moment Adam and Eve bit into the forbidden fruit. Here in Genesis chapter three you see the very first prophecy of the coming of Jesus Christ and His redemption plan. God, speaking to the serpent, Satan, who deceived Adam and Eve said,
'And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.'
– Gen 3:15 KJV
God knew that sin and death were now in the world, intertwined with our flesh, and He needed to deal with the debt of sin in order to bring us back into prefect relationship with Him. Something we can never do ourselves. Why? Because our fleshly bodies BECAME SIN. That is why Jesus stated many times that a bad tree can never produce good fruit. That is our helpless condition. It's not that most of us don't want to do good things, it's that we are unable of doing good in-and-of ourselves apart from God's help. And this is where Jesus and the verse above comes in.
You see, as the verse in Genesis three says, Satan plotted and killed Jesus Christ, metaphorically bruising Jesus's head. But Jesus rose from the dead, defeating death and sin, metaphorically bruising the head of Satan which is far more fatal. That was the payment that had to be made.
By saying you will go to Heaven by doing good works, it is equal to saying you can defeat sin and death on your own. It's equal to a bad tree bringing forth good fruit. Without the spirit of God to overpower your flesh, you remain as sin and death. Paul writes,
'O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?'
– Rom 7:24 KJV
Who will save him from his body of death? Who will save you from your body of death? What is the answer that Paul gives us to this problem? Jesus Christ is the answer! But not just to know about Him, but to believe that He paid the price for your sin, took your death for you, and rose from the dead showing that whoever believes in HIS work will rise from death to a new life lived with the spirit of God inside of you. You need only to put your faith in Jesus that His work on the cross was enough to cover your debt of sin. This payment, Jesus's death in exchange for yours, allows for God to forgive you as though you have never sinned. This is given as a free gift! No works required.
'For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.'
– Eph 2:8-9 KJV
I would like to ask a question here. If you are a Christian, and you believe that you are going to Heaven because you are a good person and not because of what Jesus did… What was the purpose of Jesus's death? If we could save ourselves by our own works, why did God find it imperative to come down as a man and allow Himself to be brutally murdered in the most humiliating way, nailed naked to a cross after being beaten, mocked, and spit on? Afterall, Jesus did ask if there was any other way to save us from sin and death, yet the cross stands.
Getting back to salvation by faith, any good works you do after accepting this gift only becomes evidence of your genuine conversion and relationship with Christ. Any sins you may do while in faith are forgiven over and over again, so long as the apology is genuine and you always strive to do better. Your body… , it never recovers from sin and death. It will always be sinful, even as a Holy Spirit filled Christian. Many may not realize that Christians have a war raging continually inside of them between their new spirit and their flesh of sin.
'For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.'
– Gal 5:17 KJV
Paul even writes to us saying, for the good things that he wants to do, he doesn't do them; and he does the evil which he does not want to do.
'For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.'
– Rom 7:19 KJV
In conclusion, when you are born again in the spirit, having faith in Jesus Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit, then your soul will be saved from spiritual death and go to Heaven to be with God forever. Not because any of us are good, but only because God is good, and He loves beyond understanding. Peace and blessings to you all.
Disclaimer: The views and interpretations expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or positions of WiProud. This article is intended for informational and discussion purposes only. Readers are encouraged to explore multiple perspectives and conduct their own research when forming conclusions about religious texts and beliefs.
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