I was recently reminded about the misconceptions that are out there about how to get into Heaven. A story was passed around through emails discussing a 9-11 victim and the victims spiritual condition. Now, I admit that I didn't get around to reading the original story, but I did read the response of one woman who received the message. She expressed that according to how she believed God to be, that the courageous action of the victim alone, regardless of how he lived the rest of his life, would be more than enough for him to enter Heaven. According to the Bible, this is not how it works.
Romans 3:23 says "For all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". It doesn't say that some sin, it says that all sin. What constitutes a sin? The Ten Commandments are a good place to start. Have you ever told a "white lie"? Of course it was done with the best of intentions, but it was still a lie. Did you ever take a grape while shopping in the produce aisle at the grocery store? "No big deal, right? I mean, it was just one grape and they don't sell them individually. No one ever even noticed." Still, noticed or not, you stole the grape. If you at any time in your life have broken any one of the ten commandments, then you have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
"Okay, so I committed a couple of minor sins. It's not like I killed anyone." God does not grade sins on a scale. That is something we do to feel better about ourselves because we all know deep down that we all sin. God, however, does not sin and can not tolerate sin of any kind.
"So what does the Bible say about sin?" Romans 6:23 reads "For the wages of sin is death..." In this case, death refers to eternal separation from God. In death, there are only two destinations, eternity in Heaven with God or eternity separated from God in Hell. The word "wages" means penalty. Therefore, the penalty for committing even one sin in the span of our lives is to spend eternity in Hell.
"But how is that fair when I've done so much more good in my life than evil?" Consider this, a man spends his life helping those in need. He feeds the hungry, he repairs the homes of the elderly at no charge, he tutors school children and by every other measure is and always has been a good man in the eyes of everyone who knows him. But what they don't know is that in his generosity, he has neglected himself and is about to lose his family's home and his wife and children will be put out on the street. He is desperate and has exhausted every other avenue to pay his debts. So he drives to a bank a couple of cities away, holds it up with a gun and in the ensuing chaos, accidentally shoots and kills the clerk. Now, should this lapse in judgement be overlooked because of the previous good he had done? Of course not, that would not be justice. A person still lost their life and a family lost a loved one. In the same manner, for God to be a truly just God, all sin must be paid for.
"Alright, so I'm a sinner and I am condemned to Hell because of that sin. What hope do I have?" John 3:16 reads "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." Romans 5:8 says "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 1John 4:14 says "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world." God knows us better than we know ourselves and in that knowledge provided us a way out in the willing sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Jesus is the only man who ever lived without committing a single sin. That is what made Him a suitable sacrifice. He loved us enough to allow himself to be beaten beyond recognition and then be nailed on the cross taking our sins upon himself and using His blood and death as payment for our sins.
"So I'm covered, right? I believe in Jesus." Not yet, Luke 3:13 says "...but unless you repent, you too will perish." Repenting is the turning away from willful sin. You will not be able to stop sinning entirely because it is in your human nature, but you need to live your life, daily turning away from sin and striving for perfection knowing that you will never fully achieve it until you are in God's holy presence.
"So, I believe that Jesus died for my sins, and I want to repent from my sinful ways. Now what?" Now, you pray. You pray to God and confess to Him that you are a sinner and that you repent from your sins and that you accept Jesus' death on the cross as payment for your sins and ask that he come into your life as Lord and Savior" That's it. If you do that, Hebrews 8:12 says "For I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more."
I hope this mock dialogue cleared up any misconceptions that some of you may have had about how to access Heaven when your time here on earth has expired. I would urge any of you who have not taken the steps to secure your eternity to do so. The Bible tells us that we are not promised tomorrow. Don't let the first death sneak up on you and usher you into the second death. Take care of it now, and if you have any questions, if I was not clear on something or you just have more questions, let me know. I'll be glad to explain further.
May God Bless!
Romans 3:23 says "For all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". It doesn't say that some sin, it says that all sin. What constitutes a sin? The Ten Commandments are a good place to start. Have you ever told a "white lie"? Of course it was done with the best of intentions, but it was still a lie. Did you ever take a grape while shopping in the produce aisle at the grocery store? "No big deal, right? I mean, it was just one grape and they don't sell them individually. No one ever even noticed." Still, noticed or not, you stole the grape. If you at any time in your life have broken any one of the ten commandments, then you have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
"Okay, so I committed a couple of minor sins. It's not like I killed anyone." God does not grade sins on a scale. That is something we do to feel better about ourselves because we all know deep down that we all sin. God, however, does not sin and can not tolerate sin of any kind.
"So what does the Bible say about sin?" Romans 6:23 reads "For the wages of sin is death..." In this case, death refers to eternal separation from God. In death, there are only two destinations, eternity in Heaven with God or eternity separated from God in Hell. The word "wages" means penalty. Therefore, the penalty for committing even one sin in the span of our lives is to spend eternity in Hell.
"But how is that fair when I've done so much more good in my life than evil?" Consider this, a man spends his life helping those in need. He feeds the hungry, he repairs the homes of the elderly at no charge, he tutors school children and by every other measure is and always has been a good man in the eyes of everyone who knows him. But what they don't know is that in his generosity, he has neglected himself and is about to lose his family's home and his wife and children will be put out on the street. He is desperate and has exhausted every other avenue to pay his debts. So he drives to a bank a couple of cities away, holds it up with a gun and in the ensuing chaos, accidentally shoots and kills the clerk. Now, should this lapse in judgement be overlooked because of the previous good he had done? Of course not, that would not be justice. A person still lost their life and a family lost a loved one. In the same manner, for God to be a truly just God, all sin must be paid for.
"Alright, so I'm a sinner and I am condemned to Hell because of that sin. What hope do I have?" John 3:16 reads "For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." Romans 5:8 says "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 1John 4:14 says "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world." God knows us better than we know ourselves and in that knowledge provided us a way out in the willing sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Jesus is the only man who ever lived without committing a single sin. That is what made Him a suitable sacrifice. He loved us enough to allow himself to be beaten beyond recognition and then be nailed on the cross taking our sins upon himself and using His blood and death as payment for our sins.
"So I'm covered, right? I believe in Jesus." Not yet, Luke 3:13 says "...but unless you repent, you too will perish." Repenting is the turning away from willful sin. You will not be able to stop sinning entirely because it is in your human nature, but you need to live your life, daily turning away from sin and striving for perfection knowing that you will never fully achieve it until you are in God's holy presence.
"So, I believe that Jesus died for my sins, and I want to repent from my sinful ways. Now what?" Now, you pray. You pray to God and confess to Him that you are a sinner and that you repent from your sins and that you accept Jesus' death on the cross as payment for your sins and ask that he come into your life as Lord and Savior" That's it. If you do that, Hebrews 8:12 says "For I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more."
I hope this mock dialogue cleared up any misconceptions that some of you may have had about how to access Heaven when your time here on earth has expired. I would urge any of you who have not taken the steps to secure your eternity to do so. The Bible tells us that we are not promised tomorrow. Don't let the first death sneak up on you and usher you into the second death. Take care of it now, and if you have any questions, if I was not clear on something or you just have more questions, let me know. I'll be glad to explain further.
May God Bless!
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