I can’t tell you how many times folks tell me that they are going to heaven because they are good people. That’s the number one answer I receive when talking to someone about where they will spend eternity. In case you are interested, the second most common answer is, “I was baptized…”. These folks honestly believe that they will spend eternity in heaven with God the Father and Jesus because they were sprinkled as a child, or immersed as an adult. And they are serious… clearly, they are not clear on what it takes to get to heaven.
The reason this subject has come up again is because President Trump has been in the news this week indicating that he is trying to get into heaven, but doesn’t know how well he is doing with that goal. He is not alone. Millions of people around the world think about the same thing. Please know that this is not a political post, either for or against our president. I certainly hope, and pray, that those believers close to him will explain the FREE gift of salvation.
Salvation can’t be earned – it is a free gift from God that we can accept. You can’t buy it, or earn it, or give it to somebody, or receive it from a neighbor. Salvation is what happens when you accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life. At the moment you do this, the Holy Spirit comes to reside in you and you now have what is called, “positional sanctification.” That means that you are now in a position to grow in a relationship with Christ and, throughout your lifetime, become more like Him.
As you grow in your faith, you become more “progressively sanctified” and finally, when you enter heaven, you achieve what is called “perfect sanctification” – in the presence of God Himself. But all these folks that think they can end up in heaven as a result of doing good deeds are terribly mistaken, no matter how popular or good their actions have been.
When people talk about works and how that makes them good people, they have an incorrect understanding of how works and salvation relate to one another. Once you are saved, people should be expected to do good works out of their love for the Lord. Not as a means to get to heaven, but because they want to help others in response to their Christian beliefs. Belief comes first, then demonstrations of a commitment to Christ through works. But works don’t get you on the path to heaven. That’s where people start to get confused.
The Bible is very clear that we can’t earn salvation. Our verse for tonight is the simplest verse in the Bible to understand what Jesus was willing to do for us. The apostle John, who wrote the Gospel bearing is name, tells us, in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, and that whosoever believes in Him shall never die, but have everlasting life.”
My encouragement tonight is that if you are trying to work your way into heaven, forget it and choose a different path. Let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart, at the urging of God the Father, and when the invitation comes, just say “yes, Lord, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He died for my sins.” It’s as simple as that. Every person will receive that invitation one way or another. My encouragement this evening is that God wants to spend eternity with each of us. My prayer is that people will become more knowledgeable about what it means to have salvation and to look forward to an eternity with God in heaven. It’s easier to achieve than many people think… Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…