During the Christmas season many people choose to do good things and that is wonderful. But can you get to heaven by doing good alone? I have heard preachers say at a funeral that they know the person who died is in heaven because they were a good person. Many people believe this, but is it true?

Matthew chapter 7:21-23. “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ 

These people all did good things for Jesus and thought they would get into heaven. But Jesus emphatically says here that just doing good things will NOT get you into heaven.

People like to think that just by being good will get you into heaven because they think that God must let them in because they have done so much good. Two big problems with that are first. How do you know when your good has outdone your bad? Second and more importantly what does God say? Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Salvation is simply a gift from the Lord. Romans 10:9 is the salvation formula, that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Aren’t Christians supposed to do good things. Yes, they are, but not to be saved but to show God that we love Him. Jesus wants to have a relationship with us. When you are in a relationship people do things for one another to show that the words I love you actually mean something. With Jesus this is the same concept.

If you are in a relationship with someone, and they say they love you, then they never do anything for you. Would you think they appreciate your love? Would you then wonder if they really loved you? Of course, you would. A real relationship is always 2-sided and that is no different with Jesus.

Ever heard the phrase talk is cheap. It sure is, and Jesus thinks that too. Yes, Jesus wants to hear you say you love Him, but He also wants to see that you love Him. First John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. Look at the 10 commandments (they are not the 10 suggestions). Put God first, and then guess what God will put your first, don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, don’t make fun of it, if you did that to some human you said you loved things would not go well, don’t make an idol which means have another lover, basically says don’t cheat on God, you all know when someone cheats on earth it does not go well, give Jesus one day a week, that is not asking much, don’t kill, lie, steal, covet, commit adultery all of these make sense and bad things happen when we do those things.  Honor your parents, this is great because one day you will be a parent and then your children will honor you and this one then goes on and on and on for generations.

All of these will help you have the best life you can have. Jesus wants to show you love, and He does every day. The fact that you are alive. The fact that you still sin, but He still forgives and wants to spend eternity with you. All good stuff.

We chose to be good to say to God, Thank You, in the best way you can. If you are doing good to try to get into heaven, you are fooling yourself. Realize you cannot pay for what you have done, but Jesus loves you and wants to have a relationship with you no matter what! Jesus wants to give you a chance to enter into a relationship with Him and start over. Say this prayer. Jesus, thank you for choosing to come to earth and die for me, when I did not deserve it, and then for coming back to life, not to punish me, but because you wanted to save me and have a relationship with me. Jesus, I want to have a real relationship with you, and I give you my life today, Amen!

If you do your life will change and become so much better because being in a relationship with Jesus is absolutely amazing. Then follow Jesus and do good not to earn your salvation, but to show Jesus in a meaningful way you love Him for real. Also don’t forget to say I love you Jesus often.

When you are in a relationship things happen and they will for you. Jesus will do things for you and the good news is He can do so much more for you than you can for Him and that is great news! Also get yourself into a church that believes in a relationship with Jesus not a religion and you then find people who will help your relationship with Jesus and others go to the next level!

When you hear that someone say, I am going to heaven because I am a good person, show them love by asking them if they have a personal relationship with Jesus, because if not they are fooling themselves and love is showing them the way to heaven. They need to know. That is love.

Remember Jesus loves you; I love you, and you are awesome.

What should a church teach on?  Are there areas a church should avoid?  Are there areas a church should leave up to the individual or the parents?   Where this rises up the most is among our children, youth, and young adults. 

I would like to answer this with a question, does the rest of the world have anything that is off limits?

Let’s look at the big four influencers on minds today:  TV, movies, music, and social media.  They can do and say whatever they want whenever they want.  These four things are shaping the minds of people, especially those between 4 and 30, our most impressionable people.   

Then look at our schools and universities.  Every thought is fair game, every agenda is fair game, except for one, God’s teachings.  They hide behind the separation of church and state, which should be more properly stated the separation of state and the one true God because almost every other belief system is allowed. 

Most parents in the US agree that sending kids to church is a good thing.  Many will drop them off, send them in a van, or send them with grandparents.  When the church tries to teach a child, a teen, or a young adult what God says on a certain subject, the church is criticized, and we are told to stay in our lane or leave it up to the parents. 

These same parents then allow their children and youth to watch, listen and be on social media where anything can be said about anything at any time.  Then these people become young adults with no semblance of what is true.  Today the most popular thing to say among young adults is you have your truth and I have my truth.

There cannot be your truth, and my truth.  If that was the case, then nothing is ever true.  If truth can change or be subjective then it is not true. 

But some of those issues could offend someone.  What if they don’t believe that way.  The thing is the truth is the truth no matter what you believe.  1+1 is always 2.  God says in His Word this is what He will use to determine what is right and wrong. 

When the church avoids any issues, we lose the ability to apply the truth in all matters of life.  With that being said, we must not speak what we think, but what God says and show people what God says.  We also do have to keep in mind who we are speaking to.  If it is kids, youth, or adults and teach appropriately. 

Now should a church talk about these subjects in a condemning way, no, because we all sin, we all mess up, just use what God says.  We need to come from a grace point of view.  We don’t need to add anything to it. We also must answer questions in love, but at the same time never compromising the truth. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Some won’t like what the church has to say, that is OK, they can have their own opinion, but it doesn’t invalidate the church’s right to preach the definitive truth found in God’s Word. 

Matthew 5:13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

When the church sets limit on what it will and not say we lead people to the broad road that leads to their eternal destruction.  It is our job to speak the truth, in love, but the truth and all the truth so people can find the narrow way that leads to life!

Are there any issues that a church should avoid?  NO absolutely not, all things should be on the table.  The world is already pounding these things into us without asking our permission or debating what is the appropriate way to do it.

Never be afraid to speak about any subject any time with what Jesus has to say on it.  No one is guaranteed another day on this earth.  It may be their last time to hear the truth that can free them and save them.  Don’t be afraid, someone’s eternal destination may very well depend on us showing them the truth at that moment in time.

Remember Jesus loves you; I love you, and you are awesome!

One of the biggest complaints about churches is that they are judgmental.  I hear many say that Christians aren’t supposed to judge.  Matthew 7:1 Jesus says we aren’t supposed to judge, but then there is Matthew 7:2 where it says that you will be judged in the way that you judge.

The thing is everyone judges.  It is a part of life.  No one is exempt.  If we don’t how are we to tell if something is wrong or right?   Everything can’t be right.  Jesus says there is only way to get into heaven.  Jesus says in Matthew 7:13-14 that people will think there are many ways to get into heaven but there is only one way.  In Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus specifically says that some who think they are Christians will be surprised to find out that they are not.  Jesus says there is a right way, and many wrong ways.

Judging is actually necessary, and Jesus says how do you approach it, is what makes the difference.

The world judges people to put them down, to make fun of them, to make themselves feel better because someone is worse off than them.  The thing is we all have faults.  None of us is perfect.  Unfortunately, some churches and people who are Christians do judge like this.  It is wrong, but God sees all, and Matthew 7:2 applies to them.  I would not want to be in their shoes before God at the end.

How should we judge? (1) We need to use God’s word when saying what is wrong and is not.  It should never just be our opinion.  In the end only God has a vote.  We better have Scripture to explain it.  We should say this is what God says, not what I say.  (2) We should then remind them that God loves them and is absolutely ready and willing to forgive them and forget their sin.  Psalm 103:12. There is hope that must be the message.

Two more steps and this where many fail.

(3) Look at them as Jesus looks at them.  See them as people who need an answer.  Don’t put them down, show them love with how you look at them.  Remember you represent Jesus, and you may be the only Jesus they ever see, so what do they see.  (4) Lastly offer to walk with them.  Be there for them.  Yes, it may be messy.  You may go I don’t want to do that.  When you think that, remember you were messy once, and Jesus came and walked through the mess with you.  It is the least you can do.

These last two make all the difference.  People want to go to heaven, and the good news is, that Jesus wants them to get there.  But there is only one way, and we need to share that with people.  People need to know what that is in a way that they can actually realize and understand and come to grips with.

People think there are many acceptable ways to get to heaven.  The thing is Jesus does not agree with that.  He is also very clear about it in the Bible.  There is only one way.   People need to know what that is so they can get to where they are going.  And when they make a wrong turn, we need to be able to tell them the right way to go in a way where they will listen. 

Love is caring for the other person no matter what.  Since only one way leads to Jesus and heaven, when we see someone headed in any other way, and we know that the end of that road is destruction (using God’s Word not our opinion), we should do all that we can to help them get back on the right road because that is what Jesus would do.

Remember Jesus loves you; I love you, and you are awesome! 

Read this verse and what is your first thought?  Luke 6:38, Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”  

For most people they will think it is about money.  Is it?  Almost every week I get a comment from someone who says Christianity is just about the money.   It is because we badly misinterpret this verse.

God says He will give you more than you can imagine if you give to Jesus.  The principle is right, but what we apply it to, usually money, is wrong.   Think about it, God made the world.  Everything in it is already His. 

The only thing you can truly give God is love.  He gave you free will, with the power of choice.  He will not force you to love Him.  You are free to choose to hate Him if you wish (I don’t suggest that).  Jesus wants to know if you genuinely love Him.   There are so many ways you can show love to someone and that is what God wants.  But this verse is a challenge.

It says go ahead and try to out love God.  As you try, God says you are destined to fail, and this is something you want to fail at.   Because the only way you can fail to out love God, is for God to out love you!   This is great for you. 

There are so many ways you can try to out love God.  You can say it, you can do something for Him, You can sing His praises, You can do what He asks just because He asks, you can trust Him when it doesn’t make sense, you can also give your time (Ha Ha, you thought I was going to say give money), and yes you could give money too, but it is just one of many ways to try and out love God.   

In whatever way you show love to God, it must be genuine.  You can’t give love in order to get.  You can’t buy love.  That is true.  Same with God.  Trust me God knows when you act in love and when you don’t.  You can’t pull a fast one on God. 

The end of the verse says, for with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”   Many think that means if I give this much, this will happen.  Yes and no.  Let’s look at this from the perspective that all you can give is love.

For with the same measure that you use (Trying to out love God), it will be measured back to you. (God trying to out love you)

Both you and God are doing the same thing trying to out love one another.  So, it is the same measure, the thing is God will always out love you in the end and that is so awesome for us.    

Remember just as there are many ways for you to show love to God, God has an infinite number of ways to show that He out loves you. 

Could we show God love by giving money?  Sure, it can be, but it must come from genuine love if you do.  God will take care of you; He just wants to know do you really love Him because God really wants to out love you.  He wants to do something that is priceless for you!    

Go ahead and try to out love God.  I dare you.  Then look to see how God will out love you in a way that is truly meaningful to you. 

Remember Jesus loves and cares for you, I love and care for you, and you are awesome!

PS - For those that say there is no God, why not try it.  Try and simply love God.  See what happens. What do you have to lose?  Who wouldn’t want more love?  Who wouldn’t want love from the one person who can do anything for them?  And for those who are skeptical don’t use money, use some other way to express your love for God and see what happens.  Be genuine, remember you can’t fool God.  I dare you.