Am I good enough to go to heaven?

“I'm not a bad person. I'm not a criminal. I've been good to my family and those around me.

Okay I'm not perfect - but I would say the good I've done outweighs the bad.

So, when I die: will I go to heaven?”

Can we be so confident - appearing before the judgement of almighty God and be sure we are worthy of Him?

Meet Tom. Tom walked into the exam room one day, certain he was going to pass with flying colours. He didn't study - he was confident he knew his stuff! But he got an enormous shock when he saw the questions.

Alison knew how to write a good resume. She was also a good public speaker; could also think on her feet and she knew she could impress interviewers. Besides, she had worked in quite a few jobs and was sure she could nail this big one. However the requirements for this position were nothing like her experience. But the worst thing was: had she studied the job criteria and prepared, she actually could have had a chance.

Sometimes we see a distorted view of things. We make up our own standards, and then congratulate ourselves when we reach them. That isn't reality, though.

The Bible has this phrase,

... measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.
(2 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 12)

Let us not be so self-confident. Even the great apostle Paul wasn't -

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you, or by man's judgement. Yes, I do not judge my own self. For I know nothing against myself. Yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord.
(1 Corinthians chapter 4, verses 3-4)

Who can discern his errors? Cleanse me from hidden faults. ... Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, oh LORD, my rock, and my redeemer.
(Psalm chapter 19, verses 12 & 14)

Oh LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.
(Jeremiah chapter 10, verse 23)

We need to realize that God is holy (1 Samuel 2:2). He is the One who will judge us, not we ourselves.

His standards are exacting. For example, a person who calls someone a fool (Matthew 5:22) is in sin before God. Also is he who looks lustfully at a woman (Matthew 5:27-28) or who tells a lie (Revelation 21:8). Have you ever not done a thing you knew you ought to have? Such is sin by omission, and equally as serious (James 4:17).

We can also forget about the idea that ‘my good deeds will outweigh the bad’. Imagine that you have been pulled up by the police for driving through a red traffic light. Your defense: “Sorry, Officer! I promise to drive only through green lights the next ten times!”. The police officer will laugh as they write your ticket.

Doing good is what is expected of us; therefore doing good cannot make up for our violations. Doing good is simply our duty, no more, no less (Luke 17:7-10).

It becomes apparent that we will never come up to His standard of perfection. Indeed -

For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God.
(Romans chapter 3, verse 23)

Thankfully, in His love, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins.

Now I declare to you, brothers [and sisters], the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
(1 Corinthians chapter 15, verses 1-4)

God Himself paid the price through His Son!

By this God’s love was manifested to us: that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the propitiation for our sins.
(1 John chapter 4, verses 9-10)

The word ‘propitiation’ means payment, satisfaction for an offence.

By obeying His Son, we come under this propitiation.

Having been made perfect [that is, complete in his training through His trials on earth: see verses 7-8], He became to all of those who obey him the author of eternal salvation.
(Hebrews chapter 5, verse 9)

Note this, too:

Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
(Matthew chapter 7, verse 21)

Obedience to His Word sanctifies us (that is, it sets us apart for God).

I [Jesus] have given them Your word. ... I pray not that You would take them from the world, but that You would keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in Your truth. Your word is truth.
(John chapter 17, verses 14-17)

For more on this, see our Bible course.

And we can be certain that, as long as we strive to follow Jesus in this way: even though we might slip up here and there - we can know that we will enter heaven!

Finally, let's take a look at Luke chapter 6, verses 46-49,

Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say? Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock. But he who hears, and does not do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.