WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? If You Died Tonight And God Said …

It’s not pleasant to think about but it comes to all of us sooner or later, so it’s a question each and every human being has to confront: What would you say if you passed away tonight and then, when you appeared at the gates of Heaven, God asked you “why should I let you into my Heaven?”

What would you say?

If you are a Muslim, chances are good you will say something about following the teachings of Islam so that you end up in Paradise. If you are a Buddhist, you focus entirely on doing good in this life so that you can live among the “heavenly beings.”

If you are a Hindu, you probably think there are no places like Heaven and Hell, but you do think you will eventually be reincarnated enough and do enough good in each successive life to reach a final bliss.

There are multiple other religions in the world, but they all have one common element: Their focus is on the necessity for human beings to do good to earn their way to some sort of ultimate reward. That is, your good works get you there. Do enough good works and God has to let you enter His heaven!

But how do you ever know that you’re doing “enough”? Do you have to go back to first base every time you screw up? What if you have do all of the commands perfectly or you lose? And what if you get there and discover you didn’t quite make it??? I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard people say something like “I’ll do my best and take my chances.”

That is NOT what Christianity is about. In fact, Christianity makes it abundantly clear that no human being can ever do enough good works to earn his or her way into Heaven to spend eternity with God. So He does it for us.

Consider these verses from the New Testament:

“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.” — Ephesians 2:8-9

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” – John 3:16-17.

“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing His riches on all who call on Him. For everyone who call son the name of the Lord will be saved.” — Romans 10:9-13.

So why doesn’t everybody fall on their knees and ask God to forgive them and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? Well, Scripture tells us we all have this problem called “sin.”

“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” — Romans 3:23

What is sin? We all know about murder, rape, adultery, etc. etc. But have you ever acted selfishly? Thought hurtful things about somebody you think wronged you? Ignored the cries of the poor or the hurting? Those are manifestations of sin, too. We all have it because it is the Original Sin with which every human being is born.

Now, read those first three verses above again. See the difference? In Christianity, your good works don’t get you to Heaven, God does it by offering you the gift of eternal life. All you need do is what Romans 10:9 says.

Confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and Savior and believe in your heart that God really did raise Him from the dead on the third day after His crucifixion on the cross where He paid the price for my sin and yours.

Want to talk about these matters? I would love to sit down with you for an off-the-record, entirely non-judgmental cup of coffee. I promise you I will come with a listening ear, a caring heart, a truthful tongue and a helping hand. Email me and we’ll schedule it: mark.tapscott@hillfaith.org.

---