It is a common understanding among Americans that good people go to heaven. Hell, if it exists, is set apart for murderers, pedophiles, and other extremely bad people. That is agreeable for sure. But is it true?
Are good people going to heaven? That’s the question I am setting out to answer because it’s of eternal importance.
Where do we get the idea that good people are going to heaven?
For many people this understanding is just common sense. That is, it makes sense in their mind and they don’t question it. While this is the case for many people, there is another group of people who arrive at this same understanding: Bible readers. Both Protestants and Catholics have a tendency to arrive at this understanding because of a specific verse in the New Testament:
17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself…24 You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
James comes right out and says it, “a man is justified (saved, forgiven) by works.” He even supports his argument by giving the example of Rahab who demonstrated tremendous courage in Joshua 2.
According to James, good people (those who do good works) go to heaven because they are justified by those works. So, may we conclude that we may actually achieve heaven? No, absolutely not!
What James is Really Saying
Let’s look at this in context and avoid one of the common mistakes that are made when reading the Bible.
James 2:14-17
14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
James’ argument begins with a hypothetical person saying they have faith but they have no works. He even asks the question, “can that faith save him?” James is defining what faith is. He is showing that real faith, saving faith, actually leads to works. In fact, if you say you have faith, but you don’t have works, you don’t actually have faith. You see, James is seeking to answer the question, what is faith, really?
You Are Saved By Grace Through Faith Apart From Works
The apostle Paul and James, Jesus’ brother, seem to be at odds with their soteriology (big word that you can impress your friends with which simply means – theology of salvation). Let’s see what Paul says about the matter:
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Paul claims that you are saved by God, that is by His grace. This is apart from anything you have done. Your salvation, Paul says, is “not as a result of works.” You have nothing to boast about. Nothing good you have done has earned you your salvation. It is by grace through faith that you have been given the gift of salvation, of justification.
God’s Thoughts on Your Good Works
I find it laughable that we think that we can somehow earn some kind of merit based on the good things we do (works). There is some really strong language used to illustrate the way in which God views our good works:
For all of us have become like one who is unclean,
And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;
And all of us wither like a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
All our righteous deeds, all our good works are like a filthy garment to God. That’s not too strong in the English translation, but if you look at the Hebrew meaning of the word translated filthy you can see how strong this language is. According to the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew-English Lexicon the Hebrew word translated filthy actually means menstrual garment. In plain English, all of our good works are like a dirty tampon to God. See what I mean?[Tweet “In plain English, all of our good works are like a dirty tampon to God. (Isa. 64:6)”]
Your good works are not going to get you into heaven. I’m not a female, but I do know that dirty tampons are thrown into the trash. They are not exactly desirable, or so I have heard.
If good people don’t go to heaven, who does?
Good people don’t go to heaven (as if there were any), forgiven people do. How are you forgiven? Not by works, but by God’s awesome crazy amazing grace. The only reason we can have this conversation of forgiveness is because of the cross of Christ. Jesus Christ paid for your sins on the cross. He paid them in full. You are debt free when you go to Him in faith. There is no need for extra credit. When you are a forgiven person who has approached the throne of God at judgment day he will say, “No penalty for you!” [Tweet “Good people don’t go to heaven (as if there were any), forgiven people do.”]
In Christ, you can be sure of your salvation. It is not up to your goodness that you will be given the gift of eternal life with God, but by the blood of Jesus. His grace is truly amazing!
To read more about God’s grace, see these articles:
- 12 Things Grace Says
- The Double Remedy of Grace
- The Surprising Thing I Found in a Kid’s Book
- What I Learned From My Conversation With a Muslim About Faith
If this article helped you, please share it with your friends/followers so more people can find out the truth about good people and heaven.
All Scripture above is quoted from the NASB.
