HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News Record, 2014-03-26, Page 19Wednesday, March 26, 2014 • News Record 19
Good Behaviour: Not a Pass to Heaven
Rev. Charles Gingerich
Heartland Community Church
This winter I read a report that said
seven out of ten people in North
America believe good behaviour will
merit entry into heaven when they die.
Over the years I've gathered that a lot
of people believe this myth, but I was
shocked to know it so prevails. In a
land where the Christian faith has
been widely proclaimed, and where
the Bible is readily available, how
could this idea gain such currency, I
wonder?
The report is not good news how-
ever you look at it. I think the stuff I'm
made out of is much like everyone
else, and if good behaviour merits
admittance into God's paradise, I fear
admission will not be granted when I
arrive on the other side. My track
record is far from stellar, especially
taking into account "Thou shalt have
no other god's...you shall not misuse
the name of...you shall keep the Sab-
bath day holy—you shall not bear
false witness against your neighbour,"
etc.
And if I take into account the Lord's
injunction, "Love your enemies and
pray for those who persecute you," my
doubts are magnified. I've met several
people who boasted good perform-
ance, but after a few questions like
"Have you ever...?" they all changed
their mind.
The plain, obvious truth is our
behaviour is not good. If good inten-
tions were a pass to heaven, there
might be some cause for optimism.
But the persistence and scope of
domestic strife, corruption in leader-
ship, coarse talk, work place turmoil,
religious fissiparousness, war, and self-
seeking politicking indicate that good
behaviour is spotty at best. Let's not
kid ourselves; citing numerous exam-
ples of exemplary actions among
humankind does not make the scale
even balance, let alone tip on the good
side. Even apparently good behaviour
can be sullied by ulterior motives.
But the good behaviour doctrine is
grim on the most important count; it
is downright erroneous according to
the Bible and what Jesus said. "All have
sinned and fall short of the glory (per-
fection) of God," Psalm 14, Romans
3:23. So much for good karma. Would
we expect a different verdict? Would
we expect to be flattered by a book,
which claims to be a divine revelation
about who we are? As always, the truth
is for our own good, even when it
hurts our pride. In this case, the truth
prepares us to realise a desperate need
for outside help. Jesus described his
outside help this way: "For God did
not send his Son into the world to con-
demn the world, but in order that the
world might be saved through him:'
I certainly want to avoid giving the
impression that good behaviour is
unimportant or inconsequential. It is
laudable anywhere it is found. It
should be encouraged at every turn.
God expects nothing less of us than
good behaviour, i.e. obedience to his
commandments at all times. Jesus
assured us that even the finer points of
good behaviour will actually receive a
divine reward, Mark 9:41.
Elevating noble deeds, even sacri-
ficial ones, to a pass into heaven,
however, is dangerous. Worse, it's an
outright rejection of what God has
said. God said, "If you confess with
your mouth, `Jesus is Lord,' and
believe in your heart that God raised
him from the dead, you will be
saved." That is far more humbling,
far more realistic, and worlds more
hopeful than banking on good
behaviour.
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