Making It to Heaven

Most people hope to make it to Heaven. Regardless of how much fun you might be having now, there is an inherent recognition that life will eventually end. But many wish to delay departure for as long as possible. As a popular country song puts it, “Everybody wanna go to Heaven, but nobody wanna go now.” For every person, however, the time to pass on will come.

Assuming you wish to enter Heaven’s gate, how will you get there? Understandably, there are some very diverse opinions on this subject. We know that God is holy, just, merciful, and good. Hence, it seems perfectly logical that to be granted an eternal home in Heaven one must strive to be as good as possible during one’s years on earth.

Indeed, a survey of 1000 randomly selected adults last year confirmed this perspective as dominant. Only 28% were convinced that it is impossible for someone to earn their way into Heaven through good behavior.

The critical flaw in this perspective, however, is that it is God who determines the qualifications for residency in Heaven, not human reasoning. He has spoken decisively on the subject: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” Thus the door to Heaven is opened by the work of God Himself in changing the human soul and imparting spiritual life. Through the work of Christ, God grants saving grace. The changed soul responds by embracing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Don’t be deluded into thinking that you can achieve sufficient goodness through your own efforts. God doesn’t grade on a curve. The required perfection for heavenly citizenship comes only through the merit of His Son, Jesus. The necessity of the crucifixion points to the inability of humans to be saved apart from Christ and His work.