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A lot of people will tell you that all religious systems are alike in requiring, as our tickets into heaven, that we be good people.
But that’s not true. There's one theology that says quite the opposite, and that's biblical Christianity. It says that we must be perfect to enter heaven. That none of us can possibly be good enough to meet God's standard of perfection. That we have all sinned – i.e., rebelled against Him – by repeatedly breaking His clearly stated law. That we've all lied, coveted someone else's goods, placed people or things above God. And there are seven more commandments that most of us have broken, at least in our hearts. Even murder (see Matthew 5:22). And here's the real bummer: Not even all the good works and rituals in the world can pay the penalty for a single sin. This is something we should be able to grasp easily, in light of our justice system: A host of good deeds would do nothing to mitigate the guilt of a convicted murderer or thief. Good deeds do not erase the crime; the penalty must be paid. So how can we possibly gain entry to heaven? Biblical Christianity stands alone in saying that the only way is to have all our sins paid for by a perfect sacrifice. It stands alone in saying that this is only possible through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, God incarnate, who paid the penalty for the sin of the world when He died on the cross. Biblical Christianity says furthermore, that to avail ourselves of that payment, we must do two things:
That's the Gospel in a nutshell - no need for anything else, not baptisms or confirmations, not rituals or church memberships, not family history or liturgies. These things have nothing to do with paving our way into heaven. |
What if it’s true?
If this is not true, then Christianity is simply a peculiar theology, strangely different from every “I’m a good person” religious system that man has ever dreamed up. But if it is true - and through my own intensive investigation of all major worldviews, I became 100% convinced that it is indeed – it’s eternally dangerous to shrug it off, to treat it as less significant than one's next vacation or business trip. Eternity is surely nothing to mess around with. What if it’s not? At the very least, it seems wise to do a "just in case" investigation of Christianity's claim to be the ultimate, absolute truth. Perhaps you can prove it to be a grand lie, in which case you can relax, confident that surely you’re good enough to get into any paradise that might exist. But could one really relax, without knowing the details -- like whose standard of goodness will apply? Or how good is good enough? Or what if I’m one good deed short of admission? Or what if I make it but my loved ones do not? If where we spend eternity is solely a function of our behavior in this life, I’d sure want to know where the bar’s been set, and by whom, and how I'm doing so far. I'd also want some solid evidence that it was true. But maybe that's just me. Only the Bible has the answers Only biblical Christianity answers every question we could have on this subject, via the Bible – a book that is demonstrably other-worldly, containing as it does so much information that its writers could not possibly have known without the help of someone outside of time. Which is to say, God Himself. It's my prayer that, if you haven't already done so, you'll begin consulting it today. Want proof? There's plenty! Take a look at this page, for starters. |