Three Really Good Things That Can Keep You From Heaven

It’s hard to believe that good things can keep people from knowing God and out of heaven, but it's true.  Some who claim to follow Jesus say we shouldn’t even worry about heaven.  I’ve recently heard the assertion that many of us who follow Christ only emphasize “heaven” and ignore the every day life of following Jesus.  Well I hope that’s not true, but to minimize the importance of eternal life is to reject much of what our Savior said.  Jesus often said things like this; “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”   It’s amazing how often Jesus spoke of keeping our eyes, our focus, on eternity.  Paul, one of the greatest Christian leaders of the early church, said that “if we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”

So heaven is important and you should want to be there as you close your eyes in death, but there are three really good things that can keep you out if you are not careful.

Growing up in Jesus' church is a good thing that can keep people out of heaven.  Honestly, growing up with godly, Christ-following parents is a blessing one can’t minimize.  Having the nurture of a Biblical, loving local church is priceless.  But just like with so many good things, there can be a down side too.   Have you ever heard the old adage, “You can’t see the forest for the trees?”  Is it possible that we can be so close but miss the big picture?  Too often our children grow up in church hearing all about Jesus yet somehow the gospel never takes root in their hearts.  It’s almost like we inoculate them to their personal need of a Savior and to the wonder of God’s grace.  Over and over again I hear adults who grew up in church confuse the gospel with moralism, where moralism is a belief that moral goodness, or at least moral relativism, i.e. ‘I’m better than other sinners,’ is the basis of God’s choice in salvation.  It is not.

This is why parents and churches should make the gospel clearly distinct from the call we make to moral integrity.  We need to view our children as sinners in need of a Savior and not as little saved people by virtue of their connection to our church family.

The ‘Sinner’s Prayer’ can be a good thing that can keep people out of heaven.  “Wow,” you say, “how can prayer ever keep someone from knowing God?”  Easy!  When we equate “praying a prayer” with salvation, we run the danger of deceiving people that they have come to know God and have been forgiven by Him, when in reality they have not.  Jesus never said, “Pray this prayer to be saved.”  Instead the Bible says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved!”  Or it puts it this way, “But as many as received the Lord Jesus, to them God gave the right to become the children of God.”  Salvation is not a gift that comes by praying a prayer but by faith in the Lord Jesus.  So is it wrong to pray and ask Jesus to save us?  Of course not.  Prayer can be a great way to express faith but if we put too much emphasis on the prayer itself, we can make it a stumbling block to some folks.  I’ve heard people say, “Of course they are saved—they prayed the sinner’s prayer!”  I appreciate the sentiment but salvation is evidenced in faith that leads to a transformed life, not in a prayer someone once prayed.   Here’s how the apostle John put it;  “But if we claim to know him and don’t obey him, we are lying and the truth isn’t in our hearts. …if we say we are his, we must follow the example of Christ.” (1 John 2:4,6)  We should encourage people with assurance that comes, not from praying a prayer, but from faith in Jesus that leads us to love like Jesus, believe like Jesus and walk our lives as Jesus walked.

Baptism can be a good thing that can keep people out of heaven.  Baptism is an important act that Jesus commanded us to observe as a way of testifying to our faith.  It’s a great illustration of Christ’s work on the cross for us as we are united with Him in His death, burial and resurrection through faith.  But baptism often becomes a performance that people believe transfers salvation.  Many religious people call it a sacrament and actually, without qualm, believe it conveys salvation.  But even among those who find themselves in evangelical churches, too often their hope is in this religious performance.

One of the best ways to insure that baptism doesn’t become a stumbling block to heaven is to make sure that people clearly understand God’s gospel.  If people truly grasp the good news, they will never rely upon their baptism, or any other religious performance, to make themselves right with God.

So if relying upon church, a sinner's prayer or baptism can keep us out of heaven, what will open the door to heaven?  In a nutshell, only Jesus can.  In fact, in the Bible Jesus says that He and He alone is the actual door to heaven.   If you haven't found that door, check out the claims of Christ and just as importantly, check out the evidence for that which He asserts.

Don’t let a good thing keep you from the most important thing.  Nothing is more important that knowing God and being ready for heaven.