An American pastor says Heaven is not for good people. Surprisingly, I agree and I am going to tell you why.
Pastor Greg Laurie of the Harvest Christian Fellowship has said something seemingly controversial that I agree with.
Speaking at a three-day event, Christian Today reports that he almost caused some controversy while speaking on the subject of Heaven.
“Heaven is not for good people”, he said. “It is for forgiven people”, he quickly added.
Coming across this, I was immediately stunned, but after giving it some thought, I agreed with the preacher.
Why? You ask. It is because I get it, I get how we, as humans think.
As children, we are taught a reward system, we do good, good things await. You do bad, then bad things, probably hell is where you belong.
This way of thinking follows us into adulthood, thus, we begin to see and think of God in the same light.
We think God will reward with riches, blessings and everything nice (Heaven) because we do good things, and that He will punish us when we do wrong.
What we forget is that His ways are soooo unlike ours, that He does not think or behave like us.
I think it is possible to do good and not go to Heaven. Why?
This is possible for someone to do good, be moral but not know God, so what was the point of God sending His son, Jesus Christ, to die for that person?
Also, God operates on a different frequency, which is why the Bible is filled with so many stories and advice, that seem humanly impossible.
Take the story of the labourers in Matthew 20: 1-16, where the master pays everyone the same wages, regardless of how much time they put in or Luke 6:29, which says, “If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone takes your cloak, do not withhold your tunic as well.”
How many people can live like that? Very few.
These show us that God does not see things the way we do, thus, it is quite possible for someone to do good, but still not enter Heaven.
So, who is going to enter Heaven? Forgiven people, like the preacher said.
Heaven, in my humble opinion, is not for pompous, self-righteous people. It is for people, who recognise their flaws, who can forgive because they have and are forgiven on daily basis.
Ephesians 2:8-9; “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
It is for people, who constantly come to God, with contrite hearts, begging to be forgiven, who understand that our very nature is flawed, sinful.
Romans 3:23; “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
Heaven is not for people, who are just good, it is for people that have been saved, that have God in their lives.
John 5:24 says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
John 3:3 also says, “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Thankfully, Heaven is not a first come, first, serve place, it is a place with open doors, waiting for someone, anyone to be saved.
This is why Luke 15:7 says, “I say unto you that likewise more joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth, than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance.”
Note: This does not, in any way, say that we should stop doing good. No, rather we should do good for the right/Godly reasons. Not necessarily because our parents or the laws tell us to, but because of the kind of God we serve.
Luke 10:25-28; “On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.”
“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
As this bible passage says, people, who love God, first, then their neighbours, basically all the people you see, friends, family, and strangers, alike, are the ones who will have eternal life (Heaven).
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