Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven No matter your religious background - whether you are rich or poor, young or old, a man or a woman... one thing is absolutely certain about your life.
One day it will end.
Chances are, you have thought about death and wondered about exactly what happens next. Maybe it's a question that keeps you awake at night. Maybe it's something you ignore, hoping everything will ultimiately work out in the end.
In the Bible, God says:
- "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27)
- God has "appointed a day, in which He will judge the world in righteousness." (Acts 17:31)
- God is a righteous judge who will distribute justice "according to each person's deeds" (Romans 2:6)
I doubt that anyone, when given the choice, would choose punishment. But strangely, many people go through their lives simply assuming that their good deeds will outweigh the bad, and that God will ultimately grant them admission through the heavenly gates.
Good or Bad?
Most would agree that Adolf Hitler deserves to be in hell.
He is often considered one of the wickedest men in history, authorizing the extermination of more than 11 million people during the Holocaust. In fact, if God were to allow Hitler anywhere else but eternal torment, most would consider it a terrible display of justice.
On the opposite side of the scale, a person like Mother Teresa would certainly be a lock for heaven after a life of helping poor, sick and hungry all over the globe. Possibly no other human being in modern times displayed as much love in giving and self-sacrifice as her.
To see, let's examine just some of the basic moral laws that God gave us to live by. Almost every society has laws that pertain to the standards that God set out in the Ten Commandments more than 4,000 years ago.
Do Not Steal - Have you ever taken something that didn't belong to you? How about candy from the store when you were a kid? How about a bottle of shampoo from a hotel? Have you ever watched a bootleg movie or burned a CD? Have you ever been dishonest on your taxes?
Do Not Bear False Witness - Have you ever been less than completely truthful with another person? Maybe you just told a "little-white lie" or a fib to get out of trouble. Do Not Covet - In today's terms, this means to be jealous of someone else's possessions. Have you ever desired something that belonged to someone else, like their vehicle or their home? Have you ever wanted to trade places with a famous person that has lots of money?
Do Not Commit Adultery - According to Jesus, this does not just apply to cheating on your spouse. In Matthew 5:27-28, he says that any person who looks upon a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Have you ever looked lustfully at someone you weren't married to?
Do Not Kill - Generally considered the biggest sin of all. Again, Jesus gives us clarification, stating in Matthew 5:21-22 that even being angry at another person without a just reason, is just as bad as committing actual murder. Have you ever been angry or hateful to someone that really didn't deserve it?
Tipping the Scale
When a person stops for a second and really takes the time to examine their life like this, it can be pretty depressing. Against the basic standards of human morality, even the very best of us can admit to being hateful, adulterous, lying thieves.
Along with breaking most if not every commandment, the majority of us live selfish lives, pursuing our own pleasures and happiness above all else. We think nothing of spending our paychecks on entertainment, fancy restaurants and expensive clothes. At the same time, children overseas go hungry and people live homeless in our own city streets.
God sees this and puts it this way in Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
In other words, God is perfect in all of His ways. And not one person has been able to live up to his standard of perfection. No amount of good works or donations to charity is enough to tip the scales in a person's favor!
In Romans 3:23, the Bible says that "The wages of sin is death."
Just like a criminal must pay for his crimes with time in jail or prison, every sinner will have to pay the penalty for breaking God's laws - whether it be for stealing candy, lying to a police officer or committing murder. And it doesn't matter which laws were broken or how many times, the penalty is going to be the same.
As I pointed out earlier, every person is going to see their mortal body die. However, the Bible talks about the Lake of Fire (more commonly known as hell) as being the "second death." For those who receive punishment for their life's deeds, the afterlife will be a place of continuous torment, darkness and weeping.
The Good News
As I pointed out earlier, every person is going to see their mortal body die. However, the Bible talks about the Lake of Fire (more commonly known as hell) as being the "second death." For those who receive punishment for their life's deeds, the afterlife will be a place of continuous torment, darkness and weeping.
The Good News
God has every right to punish his creation for their rebellion and destruction. In the beginning, He created a perfect world without pain, sickness or sorrow. But man broke His rules, resulting in the many horrors (war, disease, poverty, death) that we live around today.
Instead, God offers us a way out.
In fact, He loved us so much that He came up with a plan to save sinful people from their inevitable punishment in hell. That plan involved sending his own son to be the substitute in our punishment. You have probably heard the verse (John 3:16) "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will have everlasting life."
First, the Son of God left his throne in heaven and became a man: Jesus Christ. Unlike every other person who walked this planet, Jesus was able to live his life without sinning and breaking God's laws.
Jesus gave us the perfect example of how to live. But He was much more than that.
At the age of 33, Jesus was sentenced, beaten and killed on a cross by the very people He came to save. Jesus always knew this was going to happen, but he allowed it, because he was to be the sacrifice that paid our "wages" for the sin we have committed.
Three days after dying a horrible death, Jesus raised from the dead, proving He was more than just a prophet. He was the very Son of God.
What Do I Do Now?
Instead, God offers us a way out.
In fact, He loved us so much that He came up with a plan to save sinful people from their inevitable punishment in hell. That plan involved sending his own son to be the substitute in our punishment. You have probably heard the verse (John 3:16) "For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will have everlasting life."
Jesus gave us the perfect example of how to live. But He was much more than that.
At the age of 33, Jesus was sentenced, beaten and killed on a cross by the very people He came to save. Jesus always knew this was going to happen, but he allowed it, because he was to be the sacrifice that paid our "wages" for the sin we have committed.
Three days after dying a horrible death, Jesus raised from the dead, proving He was more than just a prophet. He was the very Son of God.
What Do I Do Now?
Through His death on the cross, Jesus took the penalty that all of us deserved.
By this sacrifice, God no longer sees the horrible sins that a person has committed. Instead, he sees the perfection of Jesus and that the wages of sin have already been paid for by His death. Because of this, God will allow mankind into heaven.
There is just one catch.
By this sacrifice, God no longer sees the horrible sins that a person has committed. Instead, he sees the perfection of Jesus and that the wages of sin have already been paid for by His death. Because of this, God will allow mankind into heaven.
There is just one catch. God does not force the gift of salvation on people. Just as He has done from the very beginning of creation, God offers each person the choice whether or not to believe and accept what Jesus has done for them. Those who accept the gift will have their sins covered by Jesus, their perfect savior. Those who reject it will have to answer for their own evil actions.
Accepting the gift of salvation requires no magic words or fancy rituals. Instead, it requires a sincere heart before God.
- First, recognize that you are a sinner that has broken God's laws and repent.
- Confess and believe in your heart that Jesus is the Son of God, who died in your place and was later raised from the dead.
Of course, truly repenting before God means trying our best not to turn back to those old wicked ways. Although our salvation is not dependent on what we have done, the next step is to live a pleasing life to God from this point forward.
To find out some of the basics of Christian living, visit the other main pages on this site.