Here are the questions people ask, real people looking for real answers...
These are just a few I came across during my search of the question "who goes to heaven."....
"Ghandi was a budist, thus he didnt believe in God. Therefore he did not get into heaven. Now lets say that a horrible person, a Hitler like person believes in God. He kills all these people, then truely asks for Gods forgiveness. This man then dies. He is in heaven, and Ghandi is not. How does this work?"
"If someone is truly bad but also truly believes in God/Jesus/Bible then can that person get into Heaven? Imagine somebody like Tony Soprono - he believes in God and will wack anybody who says otherwise. But does someone like that deserve to go to Heaven?"
"There's one thing I would say about heaven. If you believe that there's a heaven, your life here on Earth here is different. You may believe that you're gonna see your loved ones again. So the grief that you had after they're gone isn't as strong. You may believe that you'll have to answer for your actions. So the way you behave here on Earth is changed. So in a certain way, just believing in the idea of heaven is heavenly in and of itself,"
Then there is my favorite...
"All dogs to to heaven because, unlike people, dogs are naturally good and loyal and kind."
That is a lot of stuff...
But Andy makes some great points in this chapter...
What points did you find helpful or interesting?
Go ahead, you know you want to, comment...
So comment away!
Scott Hunt said:
on August 31, 2015 at 10:42am
In response to why even “good people” say they hope they will get into heaven, Andy says, “Because nobody can tell you how good you have to be to go to heaven.” (Pg. 16) While I understand why Andy says what he does, I cannot agree. You know, I know, and quite frankly, every other person on earth knows how good they must be to get to heaven. We just don't want to admit it. The truth is, we must be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. Paul has told us the unrighteous suppress the truth in unrighteousness – including this particular truth.
I do appreciate the fact that this book is coming right on the heels of our discussions on Grace. One thing that I think is essential to remember is that it is GRACE that keeps the sinner from being as bad as he could be. Abimlelech tried to make the “I was good” argument for why he should not be punished for not touching Sarah, Abraham’s Wife. But God set him straight. The Lord told King Abimelech, “…I also kept you from sinning against me; therefore I did not let you touch her.” Gen. 2:6 (NASB). Abimelech’s argument FAILED! It is this point that makes the “good enough gospel” most offensive. People who say they are “good enough” or that “I have lived a good life” are demonstrating how BAD they really are. The person who says “I think I am good enough - I hope I am good enough” is taking credit for being “good” when that credit is due only to God.
Having not read the whole book yet, I may be jumping the gun or speaking out of turn. Perhaps Andy will address this concern later. But the heart of the matter is people do not think themselves as bad as they ought. “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.” James 2:10 (ESV). One sin (eating the forbidden fruit) is worthy of our eternal death. To make any kind of “I am good” argument is to deny the very Word of God.
