Certainly, anyone with a minimal degree of intelligence would prefer to go to heaven. The whole idea of an eternity surrounded by angels, golden streets, and good things forever is appealing. The issue before us is to discover what goodness it takes to be there. There is an abundance of thought on this matter. Consider with me the convictions that so many people have. Such as:
All that is necessary to go to heaven is to have a quality of life in which we do no harm to another person and encourage them along their path.
Some people adhere to a certain religion at the exclusion of all the others saying that religion is correct.
Rituals and routines seem to play a vital part in some people’s lives. For instance, I usually wash my hands before reading the Scriptures; but that is out of respect and not a requirement that would make me a good person.
There are certain religious leaders that teach they know the way to heaven so that to ignore their instructions would cause a person to lose out on Heaven.
Perhaps the answer to go to heaven because of good deeds be so simple as rescuing a drowning dog from a frozen river or helping a cat to escape the sewer. People are plotted for that!
To say going to heaven by good works has complications because of the following:
Not all people have equal access to a means of expressing their own goodness. Not All people have equal access to a universal system and goodness.
If goodness is a criteria to be able to go to heaven, what degree of goodness must a person have? Is any kind of goodness, any amount of goodness and qualification sufficient?
Not all cultures define goodness in the same way. Therefore, to be good in one culture could be not so good in another culture.
Who determines a certain person has sufficient goodness to go to heaven? If each individual determines it, then we all become our own Savior.
Is it permissible to display goodness at a certain point or does a person have to display it every minute of their lives? Surely even the most evil person can have goodness to some extent.
The problem we face is a universal failure of being in the possession of goodness. The best of us sometimes displays the worst of us.
Every single human being on the face of the earth and that his ever lived or ever will live cannot answer the question of goodness on their own. Goodness cannot be generated by a person who does not possess goodness within himself.
What do we do? How can we solve this problem?
If we are honest, we must admit whatever we do, think, say has no evidence within itself of goodness. Surely no one wants to serve a God that has to be appeased. The Bible describes us as failures in our own right. We’re like sheep who have wandered from the flock.
We need a shepherd to bring us back into his flock. We need a shepherd who can anoint us with his own goodness because we cannot be good on our own. No amount of good deeds, religious effort, positive thought, or intention can make us have goodness from who we are.
It’s not that Christianity is the only religion! Religion will not save us, either. It is the Christ of Christianity who offers his goodness to us that makes the difference. As our Savior, Jesus saves us from ourselves and our inadequacies because he is the only one who lived a perfect good life.
Christian Writer 