Month: March 2019

Why is being a Nice Person not enough to get you to Heaven?

I have met many nice people in my lifetime. In fact, they put me to shame with their kindness toward others. Instead of being selfish or judgmental, they are quick to help others regardless of their beliefs. Basically they live by the Golden Rule that Jesus taught – “Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them” (Matt. 7:12). Many of the world’s religions advocate this teaching. But is being a nice person enough to get you to heaven?

God has told us in His Bible that all people have a fundamental problem that separates them from Him. It is called sin.

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

No human being is “nice” enough to get to heaven because we all have sinned against God and fall short of His standard for being “nice.” 

“For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23a

“Death” in the Bible means separation from God. Sin separates us from God because He is holy, righteous, and perfect. He cannot be around sin. The only way to approach God is on His terms, not ours. 

God tells us that there is only one way to receive eternal life (access to heaven) and that is “in” Jesus Christ. 

“But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23b

Notice that eternal life is not in being nice or good. It is “in Christ Jesus our Lord.” God loved you and me so much that He was willing to come to earth in human flesh (John 1:1, 14-17) and die on the Cross for our sins and come back to life (I Corinthians 15:3-6) so we could have everlasting life simply by believing in Him (John 3:16).

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

No amount of being nice can take away our sins. 

“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Isaiah 64:6

God looks at the good things we do, such as being nice or good to others, and sees that it is like “filthy rags.” The good things we do are all stained with sin before a holy God. For example, we may be nice to someone with selfish motives such as wanting their approval or wanting something in return from them. God sees our sinful motives even though we or others may not be aware of them.

Being “nice” cannot take away our sins. Only Jesus Christ is qualified as the God-Man to take away our sins (John 1:1, 14-17, 29; 14:6; Acts 4:12; I Timothy 2:3-6). Only Jesus was “nice” or good enough to earn heaven. Believe in Him and God will credit Jesus’ righteousness to your life so He can welcome you into His heaven.

“But to him who does not work, but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.” Romans 4:5

Then Jesus will come to live inside of you (Galatians 2:20) through His Holy Spirit (John14:16-17; Romans 8:9) to give you the power to be nice to others as you learn to trust and obey Him (John 15:5; Galatians 5:22-23). 

Reasons why Christians are not to Lose Heart

The apostle Paul gives Christians several reasons in 2 Corinthians 3-5 why they are not to lose heart in the ministry:

1. Because God has made them sufficient to be “ministers of the new covenant” ministry through His Spirit which “gives life” in contrast to “the letter” of the Law which “kills” (3:5-6). 

2. Because God has given them a ministry in which God’s Spirit transforms peoples’ lives from the inside out through His written word (3:15-18) and removes Satanic barriers that keep people from believing the gospel (4:1-6). 

3. Because God has placed “this treasure” of the gospel “in earthen vessels” (frail bodies of believers) in order to show the “power” of His “grace” working in and through their sufferings and service (4:7-12). 

4. Because God has given them the hope of sharing in Jesus’ resurrection (“He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus”) in the future (4:13-15).

5. Because even though their physical bodies are deteriorating through the aging process and sufferings (“our outward man is perishing”), their inward spiritual lives are still developing (“the inward man is being renewed day by day”) by God’s grace (4:16). 

6. Because their sufferings (“our light affliction, which is but for a moment”) for Christ’s sake, result in “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (eternal rewards) in the future (4:17).

7. Because their sufferings teach them to focus on what is “eternal” and “not seen,” rather than on what is “temporary” and “seen” (4:18).

8. Because all Christians who die will receive an immortal body (“we have a building from God…eternal in the heavens”) from the Lord (5:1).

9. Because all Christians possess “the Spirit as a guarantee” of their future immortal body in heaven (4:2-5).

10. Because death (“absent from the body”) begins a new existence for Christians in the presence of the Lord Jesus in heaven (“present with the Lord”) that is far superior to their present existence on earth (5:6-8).

11.  Because ministry is about being “well pleasing” to the Lord who is realistic in His expectations of His children, not people who tend to be unrealistic in their expectations of others (5:9).

12. Because “all” Christians will “appear before the judgment seat of Christ” to receive rewards from Christ on the basis of their works (“according to what he has done”) for Him in the ministry (5:10). 

Conditions for Discipleship

“When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’ ” Mark 8:34

After Christ taught His disciples about His upcoming sufferings, death, and resurrection (8:31-33), He then explains to them that suffering would also be part of their destiny as well as His (8:34-38). These are conditions for discipleship, not salvation from hell. Salvation from hell is free and cannot be lost and is based solely on faith alone in Christ alone (Acts 16:31 Ephes. 2:8-9). Discipleship is costly and can be lost (Luke 14:25-33; John 8:31-32; 13:34-35; 15:1-8). 

What does discipleship include? Jesus says, “Let him…”

  • “deny himself” (8:34b). A disciple must replace his or her own preferences and plans with Christ’s. This also includes denying the lies we believe that keep us from doing this. 
  • “take up his cross” (8:34c). A disciple must be willing to publicly identify with Christ even if it means shame, suffering, and physical death. Taking up one’s cross also means submission. We are to submit to Christ’s control in our lives. 
  • “follow Me” (8:34d).  A disciple faithfully follows Christ’s leading and obeys His instructions. Jesus wants to teach us how to live a life that glorifies Him and then live that life for Him.

Why are believers to live like this? Jesus gives us motivation in Mark 8:35-38: Because believers will gain eternal rewards that are much more valuable than what “the world” has to offer (8:35-37; cf. I Cor. 3:11-15). To “save his life” in this context (8:35a), is to live selfishly by denying Christ for fear of suffering and shame (cf. 8:31-33). When we live selfishly in our Christian lives, we will “lose” our lives in a deeper more enduring way in eternity. Like a rich man who “gains the whole world” living selfishly, but “loses his own soul” from gaining eternal rewards before God (8:36-37). 

Instead of finding our lives and losing the eternal value of life, we are to “lose” life now for Christ and His gospel to “save” or preserve a richer life in the life to come (8:35b). To “lose his life” refers to self-sacrificing service for Christ. Every moment that believers lose some aspect of their physical lives for the sake of Christ – when they suffer pain and shame because of their commitment to Christ – they are going to find a richer life for themselves in eternity. The more of this life that they lose, the more of that life they will gain.

Instead of being “ashamed” of Christ at His coming, believers will have confidence before the Judgment Seat of Christ as they give an account to Him of what they did for Him (8:38; cf. Rom. 14:10-12; I John 2:28). 

Imagine standing before Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ and He asks you what you did for Him during your Christian life on earth (Rom. 14:12; 2 Cor. 5:10). If as a Christian, all you did was live for yourself and this world, think of the shame you will have as you stand there before the Lord with nothing to say (I John 2:28). Also, when you see other Christians receiving rewards from Christ and you receive nothing, imagine the regret you will have in terms of what could have been yours (Matt. 25:19-30; Luke 19:20-26; I Cor 3:15). 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is not too late for you if you are reading this. Today you can begin this discipleship journey with Jesus Christ. Make this decision today to follow Jesus no matter what the cost. You will not regret it especially when you stand before Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Jesus will make your commitment to Him eternally worthwhile!