How good is truly "good enough" to get to heaven? You may say "John Smith" is good enough, but someone else may disagree. Who is the judge of what's "good enough" to make it to heaven?

The morality of what's right and wrong is defined by a higher Being than us, who is God. God is the one who will be our Judge one day. And what is His standard? Well, God doesn't grade on the curve. Even if we have broken only one of God's commandments, we're a sinner. For example, let's suppose someone gets ticketed by a cop for driving through the red light. I cannot imagine him replying the cop: "I don't deserve this ticket! What about all the other red lights I did stop at? I've been a good driver most of the time."

If you were dangling over a fire. . .
A pastor once asked: "If a man was dangling over a fire by a chain of ten links, and nine of those links were made of forged steel and one was made of crepe paper, what would happen?" I'd say he'll fall into the fire. Likewise, even one sin is enough to separate us from a holy God. And yet how many of us have claimed that we're good most of the time? Haven't we assumed that somehow nine of our ten "links" are good enough to get us to heaven?

The Bible tells us, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." (James 2:10) Have you ever stolen? Have you ever lied? Have you ever cheated? Have you ever looked at someone and committed adultery in your heart? We may think we have obeyed most of God's moral laws, but if we have lied even once, then that makes us a liar and a sinner, and sin separates us from God.

So then how can anyone get to heaven?
You may say, "But I thought Christians are people doing good things so they can be good enough to get to heaven. They go to church, read the Bible, pray, and try to be good enough to get to heaven." Actually, Christianity is not about trying to be good enough to earn heaven. Yes, Christians do good works, but they don't do it to merit heaven; they do so out of a changed heart and love for God. In fact, Christianity is about acknowledging that we cannot be good enough to earn heaven on our own. Like missing the bull's eye, we've missed the target or the standard of perfection. If you can live a life that is absolutely perfect in thought, word and deed, then you can make it to heaven on your own. But no one ever has or ever will. Whether we've committed "big" or "small" sins, we're all sinners nonetheless. But the good news of Christianity is that Jesus Christ took the sins and punishment of those who would believe in Him upon Himself when He died on the cross.

One day when I stand before God, I can never boast about how I'm good enough to get to heaven, because I have missed the mark. I can only go to heaven because God has given me the grace to believe and place my faith (trust) in Jesus Christ. I can go to heaven because of what Christ did in my place, not because of I've done as "good works." Christ is my Substitute. Christ lived the perfect sinless life that I can never live myself. He died in my place; and His righteousness becomes my righteousness. However, I hope you do not misunderstand me. Yes, we ought to do good works. Yes, we are to obey and follow God. And yes, we should strive to live a life that's pleasing and honoring to God. I'm not saying one can receive Christ but live like the devil. If we do, then it only means we don't have a true, genuine, saving faith, because receiving Christ involves a change of heart and mind. It means we're turning to God from self to surrender our lives to Him and follow Him. It means allowing Him to mold us and make us what He wants us to be. Faith alone saves, but a saving faith is never alone -- for it always produces good works! No one is saved by good works, but those who are saved bring forth good works. When someone becomes a Christian, he will not be sinless but will sin less, because by God's grace, God gives that person a changed heart and the desire to live a pleasing life before Him.

We cannot depend on our own "goodness" to merit heaven since we have all missed the standard of perfection (the bull's eye, so to speak). Even the best of our works is tainted and stained with selfishness and pride. They are like filthy rags before God's perfection and holiness. One day I can stand before God, not because of my own supposed "righteousness" (or my filthy rags), but because by faith God "clothed" me in the perfect, spotless, blameless righteousness of my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. None of us merits heaven. As the famous theologian, Jonathan Edwards, once said, "The only thing that man brings to his salvation is the sin that makes it necessary."

The Bible tells us in Titus 3:5, "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy."

Philippians 3:8-9 tells us: "Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."

None of us will live on earth forever. If you were to die tonight, where would you go? Do you know for sure you will go to heaven? One day when you stand before God and He asks you, "Why should I allow you into My heaven?" what will you answer Him? Will you plead your own "goodness" . . . OR . . . the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ?