Do Good People Go to Heaven — E.A. Johnston

The Misconception That Good People Go to Heaven

Years ago, I was watching Billy Graham being interviewed on TV by Larry King. And Larry King asked Billy Graham the following question. Do good people go to heaven. And Billy Graham said yes. I believe good people go to heaven.

The Popular Belief in Goodness as the Way to Heaven

That interview misled millions of viewers because Billy Graham said good people go to heaven. But most people think that way. I believe if you stop 10 people on the street today and ask them if good people go to heaven.

Most of them would give you an affirmative response. Most folks think good people go to heaven and only bad people go to hell. That if you were an honest, decent, hard-working person. That's all that matters in life to get you into heaven.

That's why every time a Hollywood celebrity dies their colleagues will say something like this He's up there in heaven Entertaining God now or she's up in heaven Smiling down on us now. The reasoning is if you made people laugh or brought them some happiness into their life by Entertaining them then that qualifies you for heaven.

The False Scale of Good Deeds

Some folks think God has a scale and on that scale He will weigh your good deeds against your bad deeds. And if your good deeds outweigh the bad then you can enter heaven. I remember years ago A church friend of mine asked me if I'd go to the hospital to witness to his aunt who was dying.

A Hospital Conversation About Human Merit

When I got to the hospital room, I asked her how her relationship with God was. She informed me that for the last 20 years She never missed a church service in her Methodist Church. I rephased my question and asked her if she were to die.

Did she think she would go to heaven and she answered? Yes, she would go there. I then asked her why she thought she'd go to heaven and she informed me that She was a good person because she never killed anybody or robbed a liquor store.

That's what the old gal said in other words She believed that. Because she wasn't bad enough to go to hell that she would qualify for heaven. But people don't enter heaven based on their own merits good or bad.

God's Perfect Standard and Humanity's Sin

Because every person will be held up to the strictness of God's unbending law. In Matthew 520 Jesus laid down the standard of getting into heaven. He said for us saying unto you. That accept your righteousness Shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees.

He shall in no case Enter into the kingdom of heaven. In other words God's standard is that God requires Perfection to get to his holy heaven and no man is perfect. But when they all stand against God's holy strict severe law I will fail that test because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Forgiveness Through Christ Rather Than Good Works

So two good people go to heaven no friends only Forgiving people get to go there. You must have a saving interest in Christ Jesus by having your sins washing his blood. Salvation isn't found in a person's good works.

You cannot stand in your own merits. Your only hope is to stand in the merits of another but the Lord Jesus Christ. I know I'm not good enough for heaven. But I sure know I deserve hell and my only hope is when Christ's life is laid down And applied to me.

Let us pray.