I’ve been having interesting philosophical conversations with a lot of backpackers who believe that as long as they’re a good person, they’ll end up in Heaven. Truthfully, despite my theological beliefs which are contrary to that notion, I hope that’s true. However, when I look at every spiritual system there is, under no circumstances does that ever appear to be an option. In Hinduism, for instance, the path of merely being a good person is considered the path of the “golden chain.” Hinduism and Buddhism believe in reincarnation, so in those systems, one would be rewarded with blessings in the next life but would remain chained to “the wheel of birth and rebirth,” undergoing various degrees of suffering in countless lives until one fully commits to following God or attaining nirvana. In Islam or Judaism, simply being a good person while disregarding the law and rituals would also lead away from Heaven, or the Resurrection according to Judaism. Christianity at its core seems to be the closest spiritual system to align with the good person philosophy. Jesus never said we have to go to church; but in addition to merely being a good person, Christ advises us to abstain from drunkenness (we can still drink alcohol if we maintain self-control) and sexual promiscuity. Additionally, Jesus requests that we be open about our belief in Him since He is essentially our ticket to Paradise: a gift and truth to be shared with others. As Christ states, “Whoever confesses Me before people, him I will also confess before My Father who is in Heaven. But whoever denies me before people, him I will also deny before My Father who is in Heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33) This might sound like a challenging statement but, as described more thoroughly in my blog “Meeting Everyone Where They’re At,” every other system apart from following Jesus requires a myriad of hoops to jump through in addition to being a good person; Christ sets the bar extremely low in comparison to other spiritual systems which nearly demand perfection.
If you happen to be someone who subscribes to the good person philosophy without feeling a need to acknowledge Jesus, I want to challenge you with a few self-examining questions: How good are you? Do you ever lie or deceive people? Do you ever gossip or slander others? Do you give a decent amount of your income to help the poor? Do you serve those in need regularly? After reading this and examining oneself, you might actually discover that you are indeed a good person. Congratulations! I’m really hoping you get to Heaven. On the other hand, if upon self-reflection, you discover you’re not that good of a person, then I’d probably say…you definitely need Jesus! When addressed by someone as “Good Teacher,” Jesus replied, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is, God.” (Mark 10:18) If Jesus doesn’t even consider Himself good, how can we? I’ve discovered that one of the biggest hindrances to the Christian path is pride, our unwillingness to be humble and admit that we need a Savior and that we believe in Jesus which could result in ridicule from others, the same ridicule that Jesus Himself received. I share this with all of you because I love you. I want to rejoice eternally in Heaven with each and every one of you. I hope all good people get to Heaven but until further notice…let’s hold on firmly and gratefully to our Redeemer, Jesus.
