How Good is Good Enough?

A man arrives at the pearly gates and sees St. Peter, who is looking over a very long ledger.

“You just barely made the cut,” St. Peter says. “Your good and bad deeds were about 50/50. Can you describe one truly selfless act?”

The man thinks, then says, “One time, a group of big, mean-looking bikers were harassing a poor girl on the street. The man got out of his car, walked up to the biggest biker, and said, ‘Leave her alone, you big bully, or you’ll have to deal with me!'”

St. Peter is impressed. “That was incredibly brave,” he says. “When did this happen?”

The man looks at his watch and replies, “About five minutes ago”.

Haha! Right? We throw these funny jokes around, but in reality, there are some major theological issues with these types of jokes. I know…I know, it’s just a joke. I laughed when I read it as well, but sometimes I wonder if even some of our humor has more negative influence than what we realize.

We all have values in life, don’t we? Some of us glean our values from our parents and how we were raised. Others from our education, or vocation. But in today’s modern world, most of life’s values are driven by media. It’s sad, but true. It is the power of influence.

For example, we all have you heard—either in person, movies, social media, or jokes—that 1) When a person dies there is a meeting at the “pearly gate” with St. Peter. And 2) At this meeting an entrance decision is made based upon a review of the individual’s good and bad deeds in life.

In reality, many people have adapted to this belief. They think, “I’m a pretty good person. I mean, I haven’t robbed a bank or killed anybody. As long as I’m more good than bad, right?”  And so life goes on, fingers crossed that St. Peter’s scale will tip in their favor.  Yet, the Bible is very clear that this type of qualification is completely false. WHAT!?

I’ll debunk that fallacy with Scripture, but first I want to focus on the predominant issue of following the social norm. Following the social norm is not something most would admit to doing, yet it is a major player that can have a huge impact on our lives. In fact, by following these norms, it can seductively rule the way so many otherwise “good people” think. The good verses bad scale scenario is just one example.

What is acceptable from a social perspective seems to be the compass by which many people live. Think about that for a minute. It may be a hard pill for many to swallow, but sadly it’s true. Additionally, many of these social followers do believe in God but sadly do not take the time to read His manual for life—The Bible. Their reasoning—which is also a social perspective—is that the Bible is too controversial and is no longer relevant for today. A percentage of these people may have actually had negative experiences with Christian people or churches. And although I cannot speak to those specific situations, the common result or reaction to these perceptions is that it’s simply easier to go with the flow and follow the norms of society.

What does the Bible say about gaining access to heaven?

When we die the Bible says that there will be a meeting, but not with St. Peter. Every person will come face to face with the one and only Jesus Christ. At this particular meeting, one’s good or bad deeds in life will not be the question. No, a book will be opened which is called The Lambs Book of Life. Jesus (being The Lamb of God), will open this book where He will find only those names recorded of the individuals who had chosen to accept Jesus into their hearts prior to their death. At this holy moment there are no excuses, no second chances. It’s either recorded in the book or not. (see 2 Cor 5:8, Revelation 20:12, 21:7)

Those recorded in the book are saved and given access to God’s eternal kingdom. Those who are not recorded must face eternal consequences forever separated from the joys of heaven and the presence of God Rev 20:5, states that they ultimately will be cast into the Lake of Fire, which translates to eternal punishment.

Two distinct judgment seats are mentioned in the Bible: The Judgement Seat of Christ (Bema Seat), exclusive to the followers of Christ where their lives are evaluated. The results of which are rewards, not condemnation. (see 2 Cor. 5:10). The other Judgment Seat is called The Great White Throne Judgement, where the unsaved are judged according to their works. The results of which are entirely condemnation (see Rev. 20:11-15)

Matthew 16:19 says, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” It’s important to note that binding and loosing is translated to mean, what you allow and what you don’t allow in your life.

Most would agree that there are both good and evil influences on this earth and that we and the friends we choose should all esteem to be good. That’s what we teach our children, right? For example, all little children will one day ask, “Mommy, Daddy, what happens when people die?” By in large, most parents will answer in the same way…”Well, little Johnny, if you are really good, you will go to heaven.”  Instantly, this mind picture pops into little Johnny’s head that is further supported by society for the rest of Johnny’s life. And at Johnny’s funeral people will be internalizing in the very same way.

Please understand, I’m not saying that we should not strive to be good people; we absolutely should. But, if we expect to be accepted into heaven based upon our goodness, we have bought into a lie. Who’s lie? Satan, the great deceiver—the god of this world. He will do whatever deceptive technique possible (See 2 Corinthians 11:14). I know people don’t like to talk about him…satan (I refuse to even capitalize his name), but reality is reality, and we must face the fact that we all have the same arch enemy. Pride is the devil’s best tool (it’s what got him kicked out of heaven), and we are all subjected to his influences.

Pride-It comes in many forms, but ultimately from only one source.

Believing that one’s own goodness is sufficient for access to heaven is nothing more than a form of pride that prevents people from recognizing their need for a Savior. Jesus taught that good people don’t go to heaven because their pride keeps them from admitting their need for a Savior. The hard truth is that only those who do go to heaven are those who see their sinfulness before a holy God and cry out to Him for mercy. When we stand before Him, holding onto the hope that our goodness will save us is futile.

So, I know at this very moment there are some who are welling up with defensive thoughts towards me. I can understand that. But for whatever reason, you logged onto my website. You are free to disagree. Just hear me out—my motivation is not merely to voice my opinion or to gain xxx followers. I truly want to help and encourage people. I’m not pointing a finger; in fact, we all deal with various forms of pride.

That said, I do diligently study Gods Word and have spent a lifetime gleaning from respected teachers and authors. I have also had countless conversations over decades of time in the workplace, rubbing shoulders with some very smart and degreed people (Dr’s, Chemists, Engineers and qualified Technicians). It is my experience, that many say that the Bible is controversial and is not relevant for today. Have they read or studied the Bible? No, their opinions have merely been dictated by society. These are good people. They are dedicated citizens and strive to be good parents. But again, how good is good enough? Will the scale tip in their favor? Will they be rewarded somehow based upon a measure of goodness?

So, if the proverbial scale and St. Peter at the pearly gate is a fallacy, what does the Bible actually say about how to obtain the joys of heaven? I’m glad you asked. 😊

The Bible clearly states that salvation (eternal life in heaven) is a gift from God. But as with any gift, it must be received. That’s basically it. The Apostle Paul explains it perfectly in the book of Ephesians.

“You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.” – Ephesians 2:8-9 CEV (Emphasis mine)

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life!” Jesus also said, “Without me, no one can go to the Father.” – John 14:6. Sounds exclusive, doesn’t it. Well, it is. It’s not through Muhamad, Allah, Buddha, or by goodness/self. It’s only through Jesus.

The fact is that we all fall short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23)

There is a standard of goodness and that alone is Jesus Christ. He is our standard.

The Bible teaches that a person’s inherent goodness is insufficient for salvation (see Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:20, Luke 18:18-19, Galatians 2:16, and Titus 3:5), meaning you can’t earn it. Simply being religious won’t get you there either (see Isaiah 29:13 and Galatians 3:10-14). Probably the most compelling story is found in John 3:1-21, where Jesus was speaking with a man named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin (Jewish authority who insisted on strict adherence to the books of Moses and its traditions).

Nicodemus was so drawn to Jesus and his teachings that he arranged a secret meeting with Jesus. Here Jesus told him that his earthly obedience and goodness was worthless, unless he was born of the Spirit and accepted the gift of God’s Son into his heart. This was a hard concept for Nico to grasp, since his very livelihood was so ingrained in performance and obedience, but his heart was tender, and he knew in his heart that Jesus was from God. Nicodemus continued to follow Jesus’ teachings and eventually was the one who purchased the burial spices and assisted in the burial of Jesus after the crucifixion.

This is also why scripture teaches us that we must acknowledge our sinfulness before a holy and righteous God (1 John 1:8-10) and continually depend on Christ as our flesh continually wars or battles against our spiritual nature.

Friends, God loves you. Regardless of who you are or what you have done—He still loves you. The god (little g) of this earth is spewing out all forms of lies, deception and instilling self-pride in people in order to keep their hearts from God. Who will you follow?

A simple prayer to God is all you need to do to assure your salvation and begin an exciting life of following Jesus. Just pray and believe (even in your own words) this prayer from your heart…

Dear Jesus. I am sorry for trying to live my life without you. Thank you for loving me enough to be crucified while paying the price as a sacrifice for my sins. I accept your love and forgiveness today as you freely give it to me. I give you my heart today and want to follow you for the rest of my life.  Amen!

If you prayed that friend, you are on your way to heaven. That’s so awesome! But hold on, it doesn’t stop there…you are now in for the ride of your life…Jesus take the wheel 😊

Blessed by the Best,

Mark

If you have questions, pray and ask God to reveal truth to you as you read the Bible and study Gods Word. Attend a solid Bible based, spirit filled church. Find friends that love Jesus. The Christian life is so absolutely amazing! I hope to see you in the river.

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