There Are Many Paths to Heaven

     I'm a good person and my kids are good people. Everyone takes a different road in this life. As long as you're not a bad person, God will let you in. I mean, what kind of God wouldn't?

     Well, a just one.

A fair one.

A perfect one.

     I work in a scurrying business. All professionals know that you're supposed to avoid discussing personal, political and religious topics at work. But in many places of business, even the most professional, those standards are drastically lowered. In some they have been tossed out the window. Everything is legal, even welcome. From a recent People magazine cover story to the latest local gossip, if you have to lower your voice it must be worth lending an ear. Every few months or so the conversation turns toward eternal matters. It usually starts when someone's beloved adult child has done something appalling and mom defends, "He's a good boy. He'll be over this phase in no time. We're good people." And then all of a sudden she must defend his place in heaven; game on.

     In 2009 an ABCnews poll reflected that 83% of American's considered themselves Christians. From what I see in our customers and employess, I would guess that of the 83% of the people who think they are going to heaven 60% think it's because they are good. And that's all God can ask right? In order to be perfect God has to have grace, mercy, compassion and forgiveness. But there must also be justice and consequences for actions. That means that God has to set a completely clear standard of what is expected, and then a set of consequences for both good and bad behavior. Every parent can understand this concept, God happens to be the only one capable of applying it perfectly.

     The standard is perfection. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  No one makes it, and in compassion God gives us a second chance. Ultimate redemption. Jesus dies in our place. It only works because He lived a perfect life. He made the cut, but suffered our consequences for us. This makes Him the only way. He said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the father except through me."  Not only that but the book of Romans says that anyone who does the right thing would only be earning God's duty to forgive them. But the only way grace works is if it is a free gift. So that accomplishes nothing. Those who believe in the justification through Christ are those whose faith is accounted for righteousness.

     It's not a gray area. You don't have to wonder what's going to happen when you reach the pearly gates. No one has to hope they're good enough. We're not. God has laid out the expectations from the beginning. We don't meet them. He laid out the consequences. Jesus took them for us. The only way to spend eternity with Him is to give up our selves as we know it and begin a relationship with our Creator.