Do Good People Need Jesus to Go to Heaven?

Many think that good people go to Heaven, and most people believe that they are good, so they’re conclusion it that they are going to Heaven with or without help. It is from this point that the world and some claiming Christ believe that they are going to Heaven simply because they are good. Well, this belief makes Jesus’ death on the cross without purpose and mostly meaningless for them.

Honestly, the good things, which these people do, are good, but these are mostly for their boasting in their goodness. Isn’t it true that many people believe that they are going to Heaven by some level of doing good? Some are actually stating that they and others have or can earn their own salvation by doing good deeds. There is a verse that addresses this idea. Ephesians 2:8-9 says,

“for by grace have you been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; (9) not of works, that no man should glory.”

Those good works don’t save anyone apart from God’s gift.

At the same time, there are some claiming Christ, who know that they cannot earn salvation by their works. They believe that because salvation is by grace that therefore all works are excluded from the condition of salvation. It is this belief that most works of God are rejected. Yes, the works of God are rejected. The works invented by man cannot access salvation, but the works of God are essential for salvation for those who have fallen short of the glory of God by sinning, which is every accountable person. Isn’t it true that salvation by grace is a work of God that God does Himself? All believers of Christ know that faith is essential for salvation (Romans 5:1-2), but they do not know that faith is a work of God done by man. Jesus said, in John 6:29,

“This is the work of God, that you believe on Him whom He has sent.”

Is it clear that to believe is to do the work of God? We have to believe, which is a work. There are other works of God that are essential for believers to do. In fact, God’s will must be done. Matthew 7:21,

“Not every one that says unto me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but one that does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Words and work-less faith only go so far.

Let’s go a little deeper. Generally speaking, should those who break the Law be held accountable and punished? Sure that’s true. Here’s the question for everybody who wonders, “What is the point of Jesus Christ and His death?” Have you ever lied, slandered, hated, envied, stole and, or lusted outside of marriage? Yes everyone has committed at least one of these sins, and in this, we have all broken God’s law. Are you guilty or innocent? We all are guilty. Here’s another important question. Do you have a conscience that feels guilty about these things? Unless your conscience is defiled, then yes, you do feel guilty. Of all the things that are clearly an accident being unforeseen and unplanned, do you think that your conscience exists by accident rather than being created by God? The conscience being an accident is just not reasonable.

This all leads to the point that our guilt can be erased, and God has made a way for this. Will you allow God to take away your guilt and punishment? This is why Jesus is so important, because though most people do good, they are also guilty and a truly just God must enact justice, which Jesus satisfies if you accept Him in obedience to commands (1 John 2:2), which are no burden to obey (1 John 5:3). Remember that Jesus “became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him” (Hebrews 5:9).

If the Lord came right now, do you know without a doubt that you are saved and that you would go to a Paradise with God? If you say “No”, “Maybe”, “I don’t know”, “I don’t care”, or the like, then keep reading. This will help. If you say “Yes”, then that is great. Do you remember how it happened? Do you remember what happened or what you did at the exact moment that you went from lost to saved? Write it down for further reference. This will be worth it. Let’s look at the Scriptures since John wrote, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” You may know that you have eternal life.

Did you know that Jesus said that His words would never pass away (Matthew 24:35)? Jesus also said that His words would judge the World (John 12:47-48), and that He gave these words to those who wrote the Bible (John 17:8). Did you know that the Bible was written to make one complete and to equip one to do every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17)? With this said, the writers of the Bible stated that they were guided by God’s Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21).

The writers of the Scriptures present the need for salvation since everyone has sinned and has earned death (Romans 1:28-32, 5:12, 6:23). Even though many people do good, most people are children of wrath by the bad things that they have done. God reveals in Ephesians 2:1-3 in the Bible that, “whom we also had our way of life in times past, in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” Revelation 21:8 refers to a second death that the guilty will suffer, which is a lake of fire (20:6, 14). Jesus can save you from your due punishment (Romans 5:9, 1 Timothy 1:15). In fact, there is no other way to be saved besides Jesus Christ (John 14:6, Acts 4:12). This is why everyone needs Jesus Christ apart from being good. We are all guilty. To access salvation from this death, then see what Jesus provides.

It is a spiritual life-and-death situation in believing that Jesus is who He says He is (John 8:24). There are things that everyone must know about Jesus. He claimed to be “I Am” as God did (John 8:58, Exodus 3:14). The fullness of God dwells in Jesus (Colossians 2:9), and Jesus is God in the flesh, a man (John 1:1, 14; Hebrews 1:8). Jesus is the Christ and the mediator for man to God (Matthew 16:13-17, 1 Timothy 2:5). Believing this is essential in accepting the salvation that is in Christ. John 3:18, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

Remember that you have to do some things to go to Heaven. Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” This begins with believing and confessing your belief with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and has risen from the dead to be saved (Romans 10:9-10). Did you know that Jesus’ vengeance will come upon those who do not obey the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)? People are saved by the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-2, Romans 1:16). The Gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection (raising from dead) of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Each part of this Gospel must be obeyed for salvation. One must die, be buried, and be resurrected to life for salvation.

How does one obey the death of the Gospel? One must die to their sins (Galatians 5:24, Romans 6:3-6). How does one obey the burial of the Gospel? This is by being baptized (Romans 6:3-6, Colossians 2:12-13). How does one obey the resurrection of the Gospel? This is by living a good life in Christ Jesus continuing to obey His commands, which are not burdensome (Romans 6:3-6, Colossians 2:12-13). In understanding the Gospel and obedience, do you think that it is possible that infants choose to obey the Gospel? Obeying the Gospel is for those who are accountable before God for their sins. Matthew 19:14, “but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’” Unless, you are a child or have the mind of a child, then you are guilty before God and justice is due.

Obeying the burial of the Gospel is the point that most people do not obey. The Bible teaches that this burial is baptism and that there is only one baptism, which is in water (Ephesians 4:5, 5:26). The Scriptures show that those who are the children of God and believe have all been baptized (Galatians 3:26-27). This baptism in water is complete immersion in the name of the Lord (Acts 10:47-48, 8:38). Most importantly, the Scriptures teach baptism is for one to have the forgiveness of sins needed for salvation (Acts 2:38).

Just like today, people pervert the Gospel in Bible times (Galatians 1:6-12), so that others did not obey it. Have you been given a perverted Gospel excluding baptism for salvation? Did you know that everyone in the New Testament of the Bible got baptized immediately when they believed? So, ask yourself: was baptism the exact moment of salvation that you remember? Is it what you wrote down before when you went from saved to lost? Will you answer God with a good conscience the way that 1 Peter 3:21 teaches it is by baptism? “Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16).