If you declare yourself righteous and better than the average person, then according to the word of the Lord Jesus, a good man may go to hell.
But if you humble yourself and acknowledge yourself as sinful, you need not despair of not being worthy to be saved. For according to Jesus a bad man may go to heaven.
Jesus spoke this parable to those who think they are righteous.
Luke 18: 10-14
10. Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortionists, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I posses.
13. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14. I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
The Lord says that two men go into the temple to pray. One is a Pharisee, the best of men. The other a publican, the worst of men. Surprisingly, though, the result of their prayers is that the worst, the publican is justified, whereas the best, the Pharisee is condemned. The Lord Jesus announces that a good man goes to hell, but a bad man goes to heaven.
We also reason that a good man goes to heaven and a bad man goes to hell. But the Lord declares just the opposite. Everyone in heaven apart from the Lord Jesus must be a sinner. In heaven you will not find or see a good man. All in heaven are sinners and lots of good men go to hell.
If you declare yourself righteous and better than the average person, then according to the word of the Lord Jesus, a good man may go to hell. But if you humble yourself and acknowledge yourself as sinful, you need not despair of not being worthy to be saved. For according to Jesus a bad man may go to heaven.
Many deem themselves to be good, and incorrectly conclude that they will be saved. Many are still trying to be good in order to be saved. They do not heed what the Lord Jesus has said, that good men go to hell. The self righteous Pharisee has already gone to hell. He serves as the prime example for all who would desire to be saved by doing good.
If anyone desires to be saved, he must acknowledge himself a helpless sinner. He cannot save himself, nor rely on himself in any way. Without humility who will do this? Nothing under heaven requires more humility than believing in the Lord Jesus as savior. Self exalted ones will never seek salvation by accepting the despised cross, and will not be saved.
This Pharisee has already perished, and we should regard this as a divine warning. This man erred in his theory of salvation on two counts. First he thought he needed to do good in order to be saved, and second, he deemed himself already good enough to be saved.
Ephesians 2: 8,9
8. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God.
9. Not of works, lest any man should boast.
We are not saved by good works, but are saved by believing in the grace of the Lord Jesus. Whether a person is saved or perishes is determined by his believing or not believing. By accepting or rejecting the salvation which the Lord Jesus has accomplished on the cross. It is not determined by personal good or bad qualities. Our good deeds will never save us, because we can never buy God's salvation with good deeds. The divine order is to be saved first, and then do good.
In the days of Jesus the Jews were under the rule of the Roman government. In the eyes of the Jews at this time the most degraded, dirty and sinful of all professions was to be a publican tax collector. The Romans adopted the system of bidding for Jewish customs revenue. The Roman government would decide how much tax must be collected in a certain place and then open it for bids. The publicans were those people who won the bids. They would deliver the amount of tax money they had bid to the government, but would charge the people above this for as much profit as possible.
These publicans aided and abetted the foreign government in the oppression of their countrymen. They extorted money from their own people to profit themselves. So they were despised by society, as not only outcasts, but the basest of men. Yet the Lord Jesus says to us that the publican is the one who is justified, that the bad one is the one who goes to heaven.
The publican by his own admission is a sinner. Now I want to speak directly to you who are reading this.
You may consider yourself unworthy to be saved and beyond redemption. But, Praise the Lord, You can confess this to the Lord and be saved. Let me tell you, don't despair, and don't give up hope. Yes, you are a sinner for sure. But Jesus declares that sinners can go to heaven. This is the gospel being presented to you. That though you are a sinner, yet you may have eternal life. In spite of your inability to save yourself, you may be saved. For there is salvation in the Lord Jesus. Come! Right now! As you are reading this. Accept his salvation, NOW!
This can be your prayer:
Lord Jesus;
I am a sinner and cannot save myself. I here and now accept you into my heart, not only as savior, but as Lord to be a part of your Kingdom. I give you my life just as it is, for whatever purpose you may have for it. Thank you Lord Jesus for dying on the cross for me. Thank you for forgiving all my sins and giving me eternal life.
Amen.
None but sinners are chosen for heaven. Any saved person in this world must admit he is a sinner. If we could ask all who are in heaven about their past credentials, all would say that they were sinners before. Heaven is inhabited with sinners saved by grace. It is a place prepared for sinners.
This is the generation entering into the Kingdom of God. But being saved, is not enough for the kingdom, but you become qualified to enter the race to the kingdom.
Communications for further understanding 9-5-05
DEAR MR. GARY,
WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY HEAVEN THE PLACE PREPARED FOR
SINNERS AS STATED BELOW???.
SINCERELY
Dr. John,
We as believers, (labeled Christians) believe that we are all sinners. We do not believe that anyone can get to heaven and receive eternal life by doing good works. You cannot earn your way to heaven. According to the Bilble There has to be a sacrifice of blood for the forgiveness of sin. This is the reason the Jewish people sacrificed sheep on the alter in the Old testament of the Bible.
I cannot tell you why this is, but this is what the Bible says and I believe it.
When God saw that man was unable to be perfect, to save himself, he made himself to come from a spiritual God (Sometimes called Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament) He came to earth and entered humanity through the womb of a virgin. The Bible says the Male genes are the carrier of the sin nature. This person, born of the virgin, that prior to coming to earth was Jesus some times called the Son of God.
So we see God as a triune God.
1. God in heaven the one God (I believe Allah is the same God we just call him a different name)
2. Jesus the Son is the same God of heaven only now in human form.
3. The purpose of Jesus coming to earth was to be that perfect Lamb to sacrifice his blood for all humanity. Then he returned to heaven to be with God the Father. Then he sent back to earth his Holy Spirit. This is invisable but may be called human concious, that inner voice that lets you know whether you are doing right or wrong. Some call this intuition.
By this sacrifice the penalty for all sin upon the earth has been paid for. The only problem is that you cannot force anyone to accept this free gift, free to everyone. It has to be accepted.
The way it is accepted is simply by admitting that no one can save themselves by being perfect. One accepts this free gift by accepting it and this is by simply praying to receive it and then thanking him that God himself loved us so much he came to earth as the son Jesus and died to shed his blood fo you and for me. This in permanent and one only has to pray this prayer once in there entire life. When this happens in faith your inner conciounce becomes much stronger and an inner communications takes place when you listen to your heart rather than your mind. When you follow this by being very sensitive to what your heart is saying is called being led by the Holy Spirit.
When this happens it does not mean you will not continue to sin. It means your sins have been forgiven as far as salvation. When one has received forgiveness and still operate in a sinful way they don't lose there salvation but may still suffer the consequence of sin while still in the fleshly body. If ones heart is truly for God he lets God have his perfect will in ones life and that person gradually changes from the inside or inner being and it flows to how he conducts his life and is a witness to the world. When people see the good works of the new spiritual person being led by God's Holy Spirit the actually are seeing Jesus manifested in your life of doing good. Everyone becomes God's man on earth to reveal his life to others.
I am not saying that this is not happening in other faiths. I believe it is even though some do not know how to express what is happening in ther life.
So everyone goes to heaven not because of what they did by themselves, but they go to heaven because of what Jesus (God in the flesh) did for all humanity on earth for them because of His life and resurrection. All in heaven are sinners saved by Grace. Grace is the free gift of God given to humanity by God coming to earth as the son of God in Jesus Christ and after his resurrection sending his Holy Spirit So every one can experience this by simply asking Jesus into their heart.
I hate labels that divide us, I am just a believer. No one is saved by Christianity, Hinduism or Mohamadism. It is listening to that inner voice in ones heart and saying Yes, Come into my life God (Allah) Make me whatever you want me to be. Thank you for loving me and sending your son Jesus to sacrifice his blood for me. Then Just accept it as a fact without questioning and Let God do his work in and through you.
I hope with this explanation as you re read heaven the place prepared for sinners will make more sence to you.
God Bless You and your family,
Gary Larrabee
http://www.vinesbranch.com/view/?pageID=2127