“Are all good people going to heaven?” someone inquires. Admittedly, there are many good, moral people in the world with whom we come in contact in our neighborhoods, at work or at school. So, this is a question that numerous thoughtful souls may ponder.
However, before one can accurately answer this question, we must define “good people” in relationship to the heavenly hereafter. Man’s definition of “good” is different from what God through the Bible defines as “good” relative to one’s entrance into heaven. Since man’s determination of what is “good” does not affect one’s entrance into heaven, it behooves us to do two things: (1) learn from the Bible – God’s Word, especially from the New Testament or Gospel (under which mankind today lives), what God considers “good” with respect to going to heaven; (2) apply that biblical information to oneself before it is too late.
By anyone’s personal standard for defining “good,” certainly Cornelius was a “good” person. “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always” (Acts 10:1-2 NKJV; cf. verse 22). Yet, this “good” man was still in need of salvation. Therefore, God caused the apostle Peter to be sent to Cornelius to convey to him the saving message of the Gospel. “And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, ‘Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved’” (Acts 11:13-15).
We learn from this that simply being a “good” person does not enable one to go to heaven. The reason that Jesus Christ came to this earth was because all of mankind have committed sins. “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).
If Jesus Christ had not come and made of Himself a sacrifice for humanity’s sins, even “good people” would be lost. However, despite all Christ did for mankind, even “good people” who do not obey the Gospel of Christ, will remain lost. “And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; cf. 1 Peter 4:17).
Jesus Christ is the Author of salvation to all them that obey Him. “And having been perfected, He [Jesus Christ] became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9). Obedience leads to righteousness (Romans 6:16). Summarized, obeying Christ whereby one’s sins are removed was briefly stated in Mark 16:16, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved…” Following baptism (Acts 2:41), Jesus adds the saved to the church (Acts 2:47). These are those who if they remain faithful until death, even if faithfulness were to cause one’s untimely death, will attain a crown of life or heaven. “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10). The “crown of life” refers to the heavenly reward.
Only “righteousness,” which is being right with God on His terms, can enter heaven (2 Peter 3:13). “But there shall by no means enter it [heaven] anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Revelation 21:27).
It is not enough to be a “good” person by mere human standards in order to go to heaven (Titus 3:5). Our Lord indicated that the majority of souls (Matthew 7:13-14) will be lost eternally, and even some will suppose as they come before the Judgment Seat of Christ that they will enter heaven, and yet they will be sadly and eternally disappointed (Matthew 7:21-23).
Mankind often substitutes humanly devised righteousness for the righteousness of God. “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3).
Just being a morally “good” person will not permit one to enter heaven someday, though those who will be allowed by God into heaven must be morally “good” people (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21). One must attain the forgiveness of sins to become a Christian – by hearing God’s Word to produce biblical faith (Romans 10:17), by believing that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, Christ and Son of God or Deity (John 8:24), by repenting of past sins (Luke 13:3), by being willing to acknowledge before others one’s confidence in Christ (Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:9-10) and by being baptized (immersed, Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12) for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16) to have his or her conscience cleansed and to be saved from past sins (1 Peter 3:21; Romans 3:25). Those who have become Christians already can remove sins that creep into their lives through penitence and prayer (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9). Sins of which Christians are unaware in their lives are expunged by the blood of Jesus Christ as they endeavor to walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7).
