Good People Go to Hell!? (Part 2) Bad People Get to Go to Heaven?
// June 18th, 2009 // My God, My Thoughts
photo credit: Paleontour
I don’t know how to say this more plainly, If you accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross… you get to go to heaven! The thief on the cross accepted that Jesus was the Christ, and asked Jesus to remember him, and Jesus agreed.. and said ‘before the sun has set you will be with me in paradise’. Luke 23:42-43 With this one solitary act Jesus provides on one hand a nice sound smack in the face for all the “legalistic Pharisaical goody goodies” from that day to this one; and on the other hand a glimmer of hope for those of us who are, for lack of better definition, not quite capable of actually being decent enough humans to muster up an honest dose of self-righeousness. Yep… it seems the playing field is actually in our favor, and I have to say I am pleased as punch about it!
I am what most people would call a “good” man, but most people don’t really know me! while I generally am an amiable and friendly guy, and I generally do not go around trying to start trouble, and while I don’t generally act nasty, or cuss, or kill little animals for pleasure, I still can’t honestly look you in the eye and say… “Yes I am a good person” The main reason is that I am truly NOT a good person… I just barely skate by at being decent most times! If you catch me on the right day I am a real lowlife… I actually started thinking back about some of the really horrible things I have done and thought and I can guarantee you that there is no reasonable shred of a possibility that I can “earn my way “ out of this hole! My only hope is depending on the sacrifice of Jesus.
When it comes down to it there is not one single person that has a right to claim being “Good”. We are all pretty much rotten, Some of us have fooled ourselves into thinking that we have earned the right to enter heaven. The rest of us must choose to serve God out of grateful service and love for the heavy price that was payed to redeem us. Ultimately while our lives will be soiled and spotted with misdeeds and poor choices and even blatant wrong doing, our hearts desire otherwise, and thankfully, because we chose to set aside our pride and accept the gift of Jesus’ sacrifice, Bad People Get to Go to Heaven!





