So, I'll ask again . . .Are you sure?

This is such an important question that I'm not going to coddle you or beat around the bush hoping to not offend you. Frankly, I don't care if I offend you — if it gets your attention and makes you think!

I'll skip over the first answer for now and just respond to the last three. Let's be honest. Except for one possible exception, those last three responses are mainly from people who don't want to take responsibility for anything. They just want to live their lives in the here-and-now and hope they'll have time at the very end to make an honest decision. Laziness and foolishness personified!

The reason I said, "Except for one possible exception," is because I know there are some who'd respond, "I'll just be dead," who honestly believe this life ends at death. I'm not going to try to convince you you're wrong, that there is life after death. There are many super-educated people with lots of letters after their names who have researched and written on the subject. And, there is so much evidence for the reality of life after death that it's hardly disputed anymore. So, I won't waste my time on this.

Instead, let's talk about that first response, the one from those who think they'll go to Heaven. Now, I'll ask you what I've asked before . . . Are you sure?

Or . . . do you just think so or hope so? May I ask, on what are you basing your hope?

Well, I'm mostly a good person. In fact, better than most.

Yes, I'm sure you are. Me too. But, y'know what? That just might not be good enough. Think about this.

You've probably seen those television commercials that compare two laundry detergents. They take two dirty socks or undershirts and wash each one in one of the detergents. Then after washing, they compare the two articles to see which one is whiter. Of course, the purpose of the demonstration is to prove that detergent "A" is the better value. But have you noticed, they never compare the formerly-dirty article with a new one that's never been dirty?

God's Word says: "but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." (2 Corinthians 10:12b)

And, really, isn't that what many people do when you ask them why they think they're going to Heaven? There are any number of things people may think qualify them for Heaven — faithful husband, nurturing mother, loyal friend, honest employee, generous humanitarian, dependable church deacon, Sunday School teacher, choir director, soup kitchen volunteer . . . Or, they may think about the things they haven't done — never robbed a bank or stole anything (they think those pens and paper clips from work don't count), never killed or even intentionally hurt anyone, never committed adultery, never drank alcohol or at least never drove drunk, never told any "big" lies, and so on.

When evaluating our own goodness, many of us compare ourselves to others; and if we look hard enough, even the worst of us can find someone whose actions make us look better. In other words, comparing one dirty soul to another dirty soul.

So . . . what happens when we hold ourselves up against God's perfect holiness and righteousness? There's no comparison! Even the best of us have to admit that we fall short.

Well, nobody's perfect!

You're right. That's exactly what the Bible says!

Notice, it says "all". That means my mother (who was a saint by most people's standards) . . . your mother . . . our grandmothers . . . and the pastor, church organist, and Sunday School teacher. As hard as it might be to hear, it also means the Virgin Mary and spiritual giants like Peter and the other Apostles, Billy Graham, the Pope, and Mother Teresa! And last but not least, it means me . . . and it means you . . . !

It means just what it says. All of us have sinned! All of us do things every single day that cause us to fall short of God's standard of perfection. This includes gossip, lying, pride, jealousy, mixed motives, nursing grudges, etc. Most of us, too, are guilty of sins of omission; that is, not doing what we know we should and could do.

The fact is that entrance into Heaven isn't based on good works, high morals, church attendance, baptism, or membership in the "right" church or denomination. In fact, the Bible says that no matter how much good you do, it isn't "good enough". "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6a) That term "filthy rags" in the original Aramaic and Hebrew actually refers to menstruation cloths! Menstruation cloths! That verse is saying that, from God's perfectly righteous perspective, the things we do that we think are good look like menstruation cloths compared to His holiness!

Let me get this straight. Even though I'm a good
person by most people's standards, I'm really not a
good person? And I'm not going to Heaven?!

No, not if that's the only thing you're counting on to get you there. Now, here's where I was going to hit you with a whole bunch of theological stuff that probably would've sent you into the hills screaming. I won't do that to you. Even though it is important to know, it isn't important to know now.

What you need to know now is: 1) what I've already shared about us all being sinners and 2) that God has done for us what we couldn't do for ourselves.

• "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)


• "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)


• "But God has made clear his love to us, in that, when we were still sinners, Christ gave his life for us." (Romans 5:8)


• ". . . the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:7b)


• "For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:9)


• "And the love of God was made clear to us when he sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him." (1 John 4:9)


• "And we have seen and give witness that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." (1 John 4:14)