As a
ChrisUianWhat is
my Best
Reason
for being
Allowed
into
Heaven?
Should Ask Themselves
ü Questions Every
Christian
Standing before God,
my best reason for being
allowed into Heaven is:q I was a pretty good person
q I was no worse than most
q I gave to charities
q I did a lot of good things
q I was baptized
q I went to church often
q I was very religious
q I did more good things than bad
q I changed my mind
and trusted YouNow look inside [below] and compare your answers
with what the Bible says . . .
q "I was a pretty good person." This reason assumes that some people are better
than others. But God clearly states: "There is none righteous, no, not
one:" (Rom. 3:10). "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory
of God;" (Rom. 3:23). No one can be "pretty good" when we are ALL sinners before God.God is not going to compare you with others. Instead, He will compare your thoughts, deeds,
and intentions with His perfect law, as found in the Bible: "For as many as are of the
works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that
continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the
law [the Bible] to do them." Gal. 3:10q "I was no worse than most." This reason assumes "two wrongs make a right."
Just because everyone has sinned doesn't mean everyone is off the hook. It merely means
everyone is condemned! "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith
to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the
world may become guilty before God." Rom. 3:19q "I gave to charities." "I did a lot of good things." "I was baptized."
"I went to church often." Don't assume you can bribe a holy God into ignoring
your sin. It is not your righteous acts that God will focus on. It is your sin that He will
remember.
God says to the self-righteous: "if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit
iniquity [sin] , all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered;
but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it." Ezek. 33:13Furthermore, the Bible specifically says you can't merit your way into Heaven with good
works or "acts of righteousness": "Not by works of righteousness which
we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us," Titus 3:5."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) It's no
use trusting in your good works. God will simply say: I never promised that your good deeds
would get you into Heaven; "a man is not justified by the works of the law," Gal. 2:16.q "I was very religious." This would be fine IF being religious is what God wants
you to do. But notice what Jesus told the religious crowd of His time: "Well hath Esaias
prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with
their lips, but their heart is far from me." Mark 7:6How many times have you seen religious hypocrisy? How many people do you know who
show up in church Sunday, all dressed-up, on their best behavior, looking somewhat pious
over the things of God, only to find them during the week, swearing, telling dirty jokes,
taking the Lord's name in vain, and drinking on Wednesday nights after work?
Religion never saves anyone; it can't even give you the assurance of going to Heaven.
Religion is nothing more than organized self-righteousness, and God hates it! Furthermore,
religion tends to do things its own way and not God's way, such as when a denomination
teaches you more doctrine from its catechism than it does from God's Word, the Bible.
That's why Jesus told the religious: "And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the
commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." Mark 7:9q "I did more good things than bad." This argument assumes that God will
weigh our good against our bad. But if that is the case, then none of us stand a chance,
because the Bible says: "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in
one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10-11) God's law acts as one
complete set. Break one commandment; sin only one time; and it's like breaking every law
in the book!
The result of one sin alone would automatically outweigh a lifetime of righteous acts.
Besides, we've already seen that our acts of righteousness will not count anyway. It's no use
trusting this last argument. God will simply say, "I never promised you I would weigh your
good against your bad."q "I changed my mind and trusted You." This is what God wants to hear! Jesus
began His ministry by preaching, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at
hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." Mark 1:15God wants you to change your mind about your sin and turn from it. Repent! Stop trusting
in the "reasons" we've looked at--God will not accept any of them as a valid argument.
Instead, believe the fact that you are a lost, hell-deserving, hell-bound sinner in need of a
Saviour, and trust Jesus Christ, making Him your only Lord and Saviour. God's word says:
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood,
we shall be saved from wrath through him." Rom. 5:8- 9Christ died in your place to earn your salvation for you. All you have to do is claim what
Christ has ALREADY done for you. With a REPENTANT ATTITUDE, put your trust
100% in Christ's death and shed blood as payment for your sins. Stop trying to pay for your
sins by some other means. Call upon Christ to save you, making Him the Lord of your life.Jesus said: "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved,"
(John 10:9). "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the
door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way [i.e. by using
the arguments we looked at ], the same is a thief and a robber." John 10:1The bottom line: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [i.e.
REPENT], and shalt believe in thine heart [i.e. TRUST] that God hath raised him
from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. 10:9) "For whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Rom. 10:13
This quiz was designed to help separate truth
from error. How did you score? If the
answers seemed strange or unfamiliar to you,
the Bible gives the following advice:
"Examine yourselves, whether ye
be in the faith;" (2 Cor. 13:5).A.) Have you truly had a point in time when
you saw yourself as a lost, hell-deserving
sinner that needed a Saviour? The Bible
says: "For all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God;" (Rom. 3:23). "For the
wages of sin is death [Hell];" (Rom. 6:23).B.) Did you REPENT of what you were
trusting in to get you to Heaven? (Baptism,
reciting a sinner's prayer, good deeds, self-
righteousness, etc.) The Bible says: "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)
To insist on trying to get to Heaven on your
own merit is to rebel against the payment for
sins that Christ has already done on your
behalf when He died for you on the cross.
That's why God says, REPENT, change
your mind, and make Christ your LORD and
SAVIOUR. Jesus warned, "except ye repent,
ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:3)C.) Did you call upon the Lord IN FAITH,
trusting that He alone could save you from
your sins? The Bible says: "That if thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord
Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved." (Rom. 10:9)SEND THE LIGHT
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