Make Believe
Common Misconceptions about Heaven
Ask 100 people if they believe in the after-life, most will say they do. Probe further and the majority say they believe in Heaven and Hell. Really, beyond that though, folks have all kinds of different ideas as to ‘who gets in’ to Heaven. According to what the Bible teaches, these common beliefs people have are just made up–they’re make believe!
‘Good people’ go to Heaven.
Have you kept the Ten Commandments? Ever tell a lie? Ever steal something? Ever use God’s name without thinking? Ever look with lust? If you have, you’re a law breaker in God’s sight…and not a ‘good person’. God promises that every murderer, rapist, dictator and child molester will be brought to justice….but he’s not going to stop there. He’ll also punish liars, drunkards, thieves, homosexuals, fornicators and all other sinners.
I confess my sins to God.
Just admitting and confessing your sins isn’t going to get you into Heaven. Try that in a court of law! Will a good judge let a guilty criminal go free just because he confessed to a crime and said he’s sorry? Of course
not! And neither will the Judge of the Universe.
God forgives everyone?
God has limitless, unconditional love for everyone. He’s patient, kind, merciful, and forgiving. But many are unaware that His forgiveness is conditional. The Bible teaches that God requires something of you in order
to receive His forgiveness. Do you know what that is?
I pray and go to church.
Those are VERY good to do…and we should do them and should want to do them. But those things, no
matter how good, will not get us into Heaven.
I’ve done a lot of good in my life.
Some think God’s judgment will be like a big scale with all the bad things you’ve done on one side, all your good things on the other, and as long as your good outweighs your bad, ‘you’re in’. But what’s good enough? 50%? 75%? Can you know? The Bible teaches–there’s no scale!
I believe in God.
Just believing won’t help. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder. James 2:19 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven…’Matt 7:21
What does the Bible teach?
Make believe ways to Heaven may seem right: There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. Pr.14:12. Jesus warned: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matt 7:-13-14
Many think Heaven is the ‘default’ when in reality, the Bible teaches the opposite–Hell is–because we’re all law-breakers. That’s not what God wants for you, though. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 Jesus said, you must be born again-John 3:3. He said, I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.-John 14:6. You must be forgiven to enter Heaven; and forgiveness is only found through Jesus Christ. God requires two things:
Repent of your sins once and for all. Turn away from sin and turn to God. Agree with God that you’ve sinned against Him. Apologize – tell Him you’re sorry. Admit, confess and forsake your sins and ask Him to forgive you.
Trust alone in Jesus to save you (the way you’d trust in a parachute–completely) and not in what you can do to earn your salvation – you can’t, it’s a free gift.
Read your Bible every day and obey what you read.
