What Do You Mean I Can’t Get To Heaven My Way?
Yes, a few people out there still think they are OK just as they are. We will humor you and tell you why the other "methods" of getting to heaven will not work.
Whoever goes to church will go to heaven.
This opinion is wrong for at least three reasons.
The Bible never states that attending church will get you into heaven.
Since churches disagree with one another, how do you know you are in the correct one to get you into heaven?
If going to a restaurant does not turn you into a hamburger, why do you think going to a church will turn you into a saint? (Yes, that was supposed to be humorous, but the concept is completely valid.)
Clarifying Note: We have seen people who go to church each week and promptly fall asleep. If they are openly bored with God, will He still invite them into heaven anyway? We do not think so. What if the church they are attending is actually a cult or a false religion? If that is the case, they are in trouble.
Don’t get us wrong—an important part of this site is dedicated to helping people find a good church. Still, going to church will not get you into heaven.
Whoever does more good things than bad things will go to heaven.
This is also called "balance scale" judgment, and is one of the most common wrong beliefs. This opinion is wrong for at least three reasons:
The Bible never states that doing more good things than bad things will get you into heaven.
God is so holy (perfect and sinless) that "all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags" to Him (see Isaiah chapter 64, verse 6). Do you think giving God a pile of filthy rags will cause Him to bring you into heaven? We don’t.
Going to heaven (or "being saved") is a free gift of God. He made it that way so nobody could boast that they made it to heaven by their own good deeds. (See Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 and 9.)
Whoever has not killed anyone or done anything "really bad" will go to heaven.
This opinion is wrong for at least three reasons:
Although murdering someone is one of the best ways to help you go to hell, the Bible never states that not murdering anyone will get you into heaven. The same is true of not doing "lesser" crimes.
In the Bible, there are at least two murderers that went to heaven: Moses and David.
There are some people who never killed anyone (or did anything else "really bad") who still went to hell (hades). Read an example in Luke chapter 16, verses 19 to 31.
Everyone in a Christian household will go to heaven.
This opinion is wrong for at least three reasons:
The Bible never states that being part of a specific family will allow you to go to heaven.
You are not physically born a Christian like you are born a citizen of a country. To become a Christian and go to heaven (enter the kingdom of God) you have to be "born of water and the Spirit." This is different. See John chapter 3, verses 1-8.
The Bible states that some members of a family will go to heaven while others sleeping or working next to them will not (Matthew chapter 24, verses 40,41 and Luke chapter 17, verses 34,35).
Being the member of a family is not the way to get into heaven!!
