Are You a Good Person?

Pro tip: most people get the answer to this question wrong.

Think of a friend. If you were to ask them whether they are a good person or not, what would they say to you?

There is a better-than-average probability that your friend would reply with something close to, “Well… Sure. I guess so. I mean I’m not a criminal. I’ve never killed anybody. I’m not Hitler.”

Photo by Ayo Ogunseinde on Unsplash

How About Heaven?

What if you were to press it and ask, “Okay, so do you think you’re good enough to go to heaven?”

Again, your friend would probably reply with something like, “Yea, of course. I mean, I think I’ve done more good things than bad things in my life. I try to pay it forward and be nice to people. I like people and they like me. And again, I’m better than Hitler.”

Always with Hitler. As if that’s the yardstick God will use to judge people.

After your friend’s death, can you imagine God peering down from his throne, radiating blinding, pure white light, the Ancient of Days. “Yes, yes, I see. More good than bad,” he says. “That’s great. And you haven’t committed genocide on the scale of six million people, you say? Well, that’s wonderful! You really are a great person, well-deserving of paradise. Clearly, we’ll be eternally lucky to have you. Into heaven you go.”

Yea, I can’t imagine things playing out that way either. And yet, that’s how most people think the last judgement will go for many of them, if they think about it at all.

Of course, you can also imagine how Hitler’s judgement might go. Again, God peers down from his throne, “I see,” he says. “‘A bit more bad than good.’ Right, well that’s one way to look at it. But you say you had ‘good reasons.’ Hm. Okay. And you’re claiming that at least you’re better than Stalin because he killed three times as many people you did. Well, that is a good point, and surely when it comes to mass murder, you weren’t the worst. I have some reservations, but that point about Stalin tips me over the hump. Congratulations! Welcome to heaven!”

There is always somebody worse, you see. And those things you did, you can always try to rationalize them away.

There is an old saying among fiction writers that the best villains aways see themselves as heroes of their own stories. In other words, nobody gets out of bed, commits mass murder, and says to themselves, “I’m doing this because I’m evil.” Everybody rationalizes their misbehavior. Every top-notch, and therefore believable, villain in fiction has some sort of noble motive that propels and justifies their misdeeds in their own mind. And so it is in the real world, too.

God’s Standard

The Bible is pretty clear that isn’t how God runs things, however. God is completely holy and completely just. He cannot tolerate or overlook sin or rebellion in any form, at any scale, large or small. That applies both to mass murder as well as telling a lie or stealing a candy bar from the corner convenience store. Yes, he may be willing to delay punishment, and thankfully so, but in the end, God’s Law has been broken and penalties must be exacted. The Bible is very clear on this point. Romans 6:23 (NIV) says that “…the wages of sin is death…” In other words, sin must be paid back with the death penalty.

Note that it doesn’t say “…the wages of mass murder equalling that of Hitler or Stalin is death…” Nor does it say “…the wages of stealing millions of dollars is death…” It says, “… the wages of sin is death…”

Any sin. Big. Small. Or in between.

The Bible also says in Romans 3:23 (NIV) that “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” That means you, me, and everybody else. We have all sinned and we’re all guilty. And the penalty for sin is death.

As we saw in Who Created Who?, the death we are all faced with is eternal damnation in the lake of fire (Rev 21:8).

Are You Guilty?

You might be thinking, “Well, I haven’t sinned. I’m really a good person.”

Let’s go through the Ten Commandments and see if that’s true (see Exodus 20, NLT).

• Have you ever worshipped another God? Perhaps the Gods of money or power? Have you worshipped yourself by putting yourself above God, disagreeing with him, or disregarding what he tells you?

• How about using God’s name as a curse word?

• Did you always keep the sabbath?

• Have you ever dishonored your father and mother? Did you obey them perfectly, always, in every situation? If they are alive, do you still?

• How about murder? You might not have killed anyone outright, but in Matthew 5:21-22 (NLT) Jesus says that if you have gotten angry with someone or called them an idiot or cursed them, you are guilty and subject to judgement.

• How about adultery? Sure, you might not have had an affair, but in Matthew 5:27-28 (NLT) Jesus says that looking at another person with lust is the same as committing adultery.

Still think you’re OK?

• Have you ever stolen anything, large or small?

• Have you ever told a lie, particularly about somebody else?

• Have you ever coveted your neighbor’s stuff (house, car, spouse, big-screen TV, etc.)?

I think it’s safe to say that Romans 3:23 is correct: we have all sinned. You. Me. Everybody. And therefore, we all deserve death.

Your friends who think they are good people are living in denial. Surely, they are not alone. But if they actually believe in God and an afterlife, they are fooling themselves by thinking that they are good enough to go to heaven. None of us are good enough.

The Good News

Fortunately, Jesus is also very clear with us in John 5:24 (NLT): ““I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.” Whoa! From death to life. We should all like the sound of that.

So, what does it mean to “believe in God who sent me?” It means that you believe that Jesus was the sacrifice for your sins, that he was the one who paid the penalty.

Personally, I imagine my conversation with God after my death going something like this (note that this is not strictly correct, as Christians will be judged separately, but allow me a bit of leeway here to make the larger point).

Again, God leans down from his throne. “David, you’re a sinner. There isn’t one commandment that you haven’t broken at one point or another. A clean sweep as it were. A thoroughly imperfect record. And I know that you know that the wages of sin are death. All your earthly deeds are worthless here. Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“Well, Father,” I say. “That’s all true. I’m guilty. I have nothing to say for myself… except that I claim Jesus as my savior. He told me that if I put my faith in him, that he would take care of all the rest of it.”

“I see,” he says, leaning back. “At least you didn’t try to tell me that you’re better than Hitler. That never works. Jesus, how about it? Do you know this one?”

“Yes, he’s one of mine,” Jesus says, smiling, rubbing the hole in his hand with the opposite thumb. “It’s great to see you, David. I’ve been waiting for you and I have your room ready.”

“Alright then, David, my Son says you’re one of his. Therefore, I pronounce you guilty of breaking the entirety of my Law. The penalty is eternal death. But, smartly, you made the one choice that can save you: you put your faith in Jesus. My Son claims you as one of his own and has already paid your punishment. The Law and Justice have, therefore, been satisfied. I love you and I can’t wait to spend an eternity with you. Welcome to heaven.”

And so it will go for all those who are members of God’s family. One by one, passing through the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14, NLT).

Get Right with God

There is only one way to get to heaven: Jesus. He holds the only answer. You cannot work for it. You cannot do it on your own. You cannot try hard enough. All your earthly accomplishments are like filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6, NLT). You cannot pay it forward. You cannot do a good deed for others. And you sure can't argue that Hitler is worse.

Fortunately, while you are living with a death sentence hanging over your head, God has given you some time to save yourself. The only way to heaven is to ensure that Jesus claims you as one of his, one for whom he has already paid the penalty. And the only way to do that is to bend your knee and acknowledge him as your savior and claim the free gift of life that he offers you.

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