Do I Deserve to go to Heaven?
Do I Deserve to go to Heaven?
This question I ask myself almost every day and sometimes multiple times a day. As I’ve gotten older, I find myself asking it more often. The answer is always the same. The answer I know each time before I ask myself yet I continue to find myself asking; “Do I deserve to go to Heaven?”
Why would I even think that I deserve to go to Heaven?
I look back at my past and see how I’ve broken each of the 10 Commandments multiple times. I look at how I used to ignore God. I look at how I put myself in God’s place. I look at how many really bad things I did; lied, stole, drunkenness, taking advantage of people, hatred, plans for murder, selfishness, narcissistic, and worse. I look at myself currently and see myself still not living up to God’s standards of how I should live the life He gave me. I still at times ignore God. I still sometimes put myself in God’s place. I am nowhere near being perfect. I look towards my future here on earth and see myself still not living up to God’s standards of how I should live the live He has given me. I can tell from my past and present that in my future here on earth I will be still at times that I’m focused on me rather than on God and that I’ll continue to put myself in God’s place rather than me putting God in place above me. I realize that I am not perfect.
Yet then again why would I not deserve to go to Heaven?
I do a lot of good things and good deeds. I do a lot of volunteer work each week and give a lot to charities. I have always been a giving person, giving my time and money to help people in need and who don’t have as much as I have. I each month give hundreds of dollars to charities. I each month give hundreds of dollars to the church I attend. I each year give thousands of dollars to charities and to the church I attend. I give working usable items and nice wearable clothing to Goodwill each year. I perform on average five hours of volunteer work a week; Online Missionary, Civil Air Patrol (CAP), and Therapy Dog Raiser/Trainer/Handler. I’ve helped raise over a dozen guide dogs for the people visually impaired. I in the Civil Air Patrol help 12 – 18 year olds learn about aviation and leadership and I fly them in CAP airplanes. I as a Therapy Dog Raiser/Trainer/Handler each week average 25 pet therapy sessions with residents at a rest home/hospice. I help special event scheduling and coordinating at the church I attend. I at work consistently encourage and mentor my coworkers and customers. I to my friends and family routinely assist them with their computer problems. I even pray for those people who have wronged me and who murdered my father. I have put a lot of effort into being righteous enough to deserve to go to Heaven.
Do all the good deeds I’ve done outweigh all the bad things I’ve done?
By the time I die, will I have done enough good things to overshadow all the bad things I’ve done and will do before I die? When will I die? Not everyone lives to be very old. My father for example was murdered when he was only 48 years old – and I’m now 52 years old! Do I need to start doing more good deeds than I currently am doing? How will I ever know if all of the good things and good deeds that I’ve done outweigh all the bad things I’ve done and will do before I die? If I don’t know that all the good things and good deeds that I’ve done outweigh all the bad things I’ve done and do before I die, how do I know that I deserve to go to Heaven? Will I be righteous enough to enter Heaven when I die? Will I have done enough good things and good deeds to be close to being righteous that I deserve to go to Heaven if I die today?
What’s the answer to; “Do I deserve to go to Heaven?”
As the Scriptures say: “There is no one who is righteous, no one who is wise or who worships God. All have turned away from God; [we] have all gone wrong; no one does what is right, not even one. [Our] words are full of deadly deceit; wicked lies roll off [our] tongues, and dangerous threats, like snake’s poison, from [our] lips; [our] speech is filled with bitter curses. [We] are quick to hurt and kill; [We] leave ruin and destruction wherever [we] go. [We] have not known the path of peace, nor have [we] learned reverence for God.” Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by observing the law [Ten Commandments]; rather, through the law [Ten Commandments] we become conscious of sin [our wrong doings]. Romans 3:10-20
So God’s answer to my question; “Do I deserve to go to Heaven?” is, No, I do not deserve to go to Heaven. God put the Ten Commandments in place to clearly show me that I have done wrong and that I do not do what is right nor can I ever fully do what is right per the law. Thus I do not deserve to go to Heaven.
How does someone get into Heaven?
But now God’s way of putting people right with himself has been revealed. It has nothing to do with law, even though the Law of Moses (The Ten Commandments) and the prophets gave their witness to it. God puts people right through their faith in Jesus Christ. God does this to all who believe in Christ, because there is no difference at all: everyone has sinned and is far away from God’s saving presence. But by the free gift of God’s grace all are put right with him through Christ Jesus, who sets them free. God offered him, so that by his blood he should become the means by which people’s sins are forgiven through their faith in him. God did this in order to demonstrate that he is righteous. In the past he was patient and overlooked people’s sins; but in the present time he deals with their sins, in order to demonstrate his righteousness. In this way God shows that he himself is righteous and that he puts right everyone who believes in Jesus. What, then, can we boast about? Nothing! And what is the reason for this? Is it that we obey the Law? No, but that we believe. For we conclude that a person is put right with God only through faith in Jesus Christ, and not by doing what the Law commands. Romans 3:21-28
God’s answer to the question; “How does someone get into Heaven?” is; a person can only get into Heaven by placing their faith into Jesus Christ (not blind faith) yet faith in that by His blood Christ Jesus is the means by which people’s sins are forgiven through their faith in Him. Getting into Heaven isn’t anything someone can do by their own means because it is a free gift of God’s grace to whomever places their faith into Jesus Christ and not by our doing perfectly what the Ten Commandments commands of us.
Do you deserve to go to Heaven?
Ask yourself, “Do I deserve to go to Heaven?” This question everyone should ask themselves. Atheists especially need to ask themselves that question due to the fact that eternity is a long time to be totally wrong about God. Everyone should do an assessment of their life (past, present, future) so to determine the answer to the question, “Do I deserve to go to Heaven?” If you answer this question honestly, you will always answer this question the same way that I do; “No, I don’t deserve to go to Heaven.”
Do you want to go to Heaven?
If you want to go to Heaven it is as simple as this; put your trust into Christ Jesus’ completed work on the cross. “Christ Jesus died for us while we were still sinners. This demonstrates God’s love for us.” Romans 5:8 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16