If I Want to go to Heaven, Don’t I Just Have to be a Good Person?

This question has been stated over and over again by so many Catholics who think that this is the way to they can get to heaven. I’m writing this because I want you to know that there is way more to it than just “being a good person”. This, in turn, would make you the judge of your own actions. We know there is only one who can judge and that is our Lord.

Let’s take a step back a bit. I want to take a look at the Greatest Commandment for a moment. When Jesus came to earth, His main goal was to save humanity from the corruption it had been facing for years prior. In a passage from Matthew 22:36-40 someone questions Jesus saying, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”. Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

You’re probably thinking, “Well, I am a good person and that’s how I show God I love him.” Bear with me. Keep that verse in the back of your mind for a second.

Have you ever wondered what the cross stands for in Christianity? Well besides the fact that our Lord was crucified, it has a deeper meaning that many are unaware of. It actually symbolizes love. The vertical beam of the cross stands for our relationship and love that we have for God. The horizontal beam stands for our relationships and love for our neighbors. Without the vertical beam, the horizontal one cannot exist. They work together well, only when the vertical is put before the horizontal. The second commandment cannot thrive without the greatest being over everything.

The order that Jesus stated these commandments in has a significant meaning. He was telling us that our love for humanity cannot be whole without us putting our love for God first. He must be our main focus, or else our worldly relationships are surely going to fall apart.

If you are wondering ways you can make sure your priorities are straight, let me ask you a few questions. 1. Is God the center of your life? 2. Are you attending mass every single Sunday? 2. Do you have a serious prayer life and talk to God every day? 3. When you make decisions, are you seeking to do the will of God or simply your own will? Do you think to yourself, what does God want me to do at this specific moment in time with these circumstances at hand? Or what decision can I make to get the most for myself?

It is okay for the answer of these questions to be “no” sometimes. We are all sinners. But are you striving to be in heaven, or just simply “being a good person”? Do you believe in God but claim yourself to “not be too religious”? Do you think that your relationships with others in your life are falling apart and you can’t seem to understand why? This is most likely your answer to why.

Jesus states in the bible multiple times about the Kingdom of God and how to attain eternal life. Check out over 30 bible verses in which he speaks of this: https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/heaven-bible-verses/. Not one of them says, “You shall live eternal life with me if you are a ‘good person’”

You’d be surprised to see how quickly your relationships with others will improve if you started to put God first. We are human beings, and we need God’s help. We are only capable of doing so much on our own.

Comments

  1. PaddyFebruary 7, 2018 at 5:45 AM

    Luke 23:39-43 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

    39 One of the criminals who were hanged there was [a]hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the [b]Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 40 But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving [c]what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come [d]in Your kingdom!” 43 And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

    was this man a good man?

    ReplyDelete

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