Posted on 02/23/2015 5:15:08 AM PST by Gamecock
Full Title: Do We Deserve Heaven? Thinking that I deserve heaven is a sure sign I have no understanding of the gospel.
Religious people are always profoundly disturbed when they discover that they are not, and never have been, true Christians. Does all of their religion count for nothing? Those hours in church, hours spent doing good things, hours involved in religious activity—do they not count for something in the presence of God? Do they not enable me to say: “Look at what I have done. Don’t I deserve heaven?”
Sadly, thinking that I deserve heaven is a sure sign I have no understanding of the gospel.
Jesus unmasked the terrible truth about His contemporaries. They resisted His teaching and refused to receive His Word because they were sinners—and slaves to sin.
Some years ago, the British media reported that a Presbyterian denomination had pulled fifty thousand printed copies of an edition of its monthly magazine. The report indicated that the author of an article had referred to a prominent member of the British royal family as a “miserable sinner.”
Intriguingly, the member of the royal family, as a member of the Church of England, must have regularly used the words of the Anglican prayer book’s “Prayer of General Confession,” which includes a request for the forgiveness of the sins of “miserable offenders.” Why, then, were the magazines pulled? The official comment: “We don’t want to give the impression that the doctrines of the Christian faith cause people emotional trauma.”
But sometimes the doctrines of the Christian faith do exactly that—and necessarily so.
Or should we say instead: “How cruel Jesus was to these poor Jews! Fancy Jesus speaking to them in this way!”?
Jesus did say, “You are miserable sinners.” He unmasked sinners and drove His point home: “You have no room for my word” (John 8:37, NIV). They had heard, but resisted it. Later, He described the result: “Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say” (John 8:43, NIV).
Jesus had already patiently explained this to Nicodemus: “Unless God’s Spirit opens your eyes, you cannot see the kingdom of God. Unless God sets you free from the bondage of sin, you will never enter the kingdom of God” (see John 3:3,5). “The truth is,” Jesus said later, “you do not hear what I am saying because you are not really the children of God” (see John 8:41, 44). They were, to use Paul’s language, spiritually “dead” (Eph. 2:1).
Some time ago, while relaxing on vacation on a wonderful summer day in the Scottish Highlands, I sat outside enjoying a morning coffee. A few feet away I saw a beautiful little red robin. I admired its feathers, its lovely red breast, its sharp and clean beak, its simple beauty. I found myself instinctively talking to it. But there was no response, no movement. Everything was intact, but little robin red-breast was dead. The most skilled veterinarian in the world could do absolutely nothing for him.
So are we, spiritually. Despite appearances, in my natural state I am dead toward God. There is no spiritual life in me.
Only when I see this will I begin to see why God’s grace is surprising and amazing. For it is to spiritually dead people that the grace of God comes to give life and release.
Acts 2: 36-39
"36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Jesus answered that for us.
Luke 18:9-14King James Version (KJV)
9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
I often get asked “How can a God who is good, send someone to hell?” My response is simply this:
Your statement shows two incorrect perceptions. First, God is not “good”... God is perfect. Which is better than merely being good. And as such, God remains perfect by requiring perfect justice. We are sinners from our births, separated from God because of this sin. Until there is judgement and justice, we can not enter into God’s presence. But God in his mercy, made a path that everyone can follow. This path is accepting Jesus as Lord and savior. The sin-less (Jesus) became the atonement under a perfect God’s judgement and justice for those who were tainted by sin.
But God has allowed us to choose. During our lives, we either choose to be with God or to be away from God. We either strive to live a life pleasing to God ... or we don’t care. God honors that choice. If a person chooses to live a life of sin and separation from God, then they have chosen to spend eternity in hell. Because the very definition of hell is the absence and separation from God.
So the correct question would be:
Why does God who is perfect, honor a person’s choice to spend eternity separated from God? I find that when you ask the right question, the answer becomes obvious.
Very nice apologetic.
People just don’t want to believe they are sinners.
Of course, St. Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates.
St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."
"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "that's worth three points!"
"Three points?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."
"Terrific!" says St. Peter. "That's certainly worth a point."
"One point!?!!" "I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."
"Fantastic, that's good for two more points," he says.
"Two points!?!! "Exasperated, the man cries.
"At this rate the only way I'll get into heaven is by the grace of God."
"Bingo, 100 points! Come on in!"
We often try to fix problems with WD-40 and duct tape. God did it with a nail.
AMEN
Excellent. Just excellent. Thanks.
How does imperfection come out of perfection?
And they make a hero out of the fallen instead of looking to Jesus.
***We often try to fix problems with WD-40 and duct tape. God did it with a nail.**
Funny and sad at the same time.
For centuries, the chances that a person born in East Asia would become Christian were practically nonexistent. There must be billions of their souls destined for the lake of fire, if Rev. is literally true. Is that justice, in your opinion?
Because the very definition of hell is the absence and separation from God.
What about the burning in torment. Do you believe that is a reality for those who chose poorly?
The Catholics will say Mary deserves Heaven, because she was sinless.
If God had made everyone and everything perfect, wouldn't we all be little robots?
***For centuries, the chances that a person born in East Asia would become Christian were practically nonexistent. There must be billions of their souls destined for the lake of fire, if Rev. is literally true. Is that justice, in your opinion?***
Decision is made way above my feeble understanding of justice.
I, for one, and not counting on justice, but mercy.
Blame it on Adam and Eve’s free will.
Blame it on Adam and Eve’s free will.
I don’t deserve it because I’m a sinner. He died for our sins. I have faith that he did this so I will get in.
My struggle has always been with the guilt that He had to suffer because of my sins. I don’t deserve it, but he loves me that much - hurts to know.
And that is exactly the premise of a wonderful little book titled: “Why do bad things happen to good people”.
God gave us free will as we were made in his image. (I think I read somewhere else that the angels did not have this - though I don’t know of any scriptural basis for it). But with that free will, Eve and then Adam choose wrongly resulting in a sinful nature in mankind.
The other answer is that there can be no good if there is no bad. What is good if there is no bad? How would one know? Since God is perfect he would not create 1/2 of something, but the whole.
Your post is really great.
My favorite thing Jesus said was, “only believe”.
He said this to a young father who approached Jesus on the street. He begged Jesus to come to his home, stating that if Jesus would lay hands on her she would live.
But, Jesus recognized the young father’s faith, even while the crowd around the young father was saying the girl was dead already and he shouldn’t bother Jesus.
But .. Jesus looked directly at the young father and said, “only believe”. Jesus went to the home and the daughter was healed.
Sometimes, we need to “ONLY BELIEVE”.
Remember, God gave us the most wonderful gift .. the POWER TO CHOOSE. Everything in life is a CHOICE.
This gift of choice came with our birth, way before our Salvation. The gift allowed us to choose to worship GOD .. because GOD did not want robots .. he wanted a family.
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