Spiritual Myth

One of the most difficult things I had to learn while attending Bible College was I had to rethink many of the things that I was taught as a new believer. Much of what I learned had little or not Biblical foundation. They were ideas and traditions handed down for one generation to the next.

I grew up believing that all good people go to heaven. I admired people in our congregation that outwardly exhibited all the characteristics of a godly person. I found it shocking that people can actually live "good" lives and not even know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. If you were to ask the average Jew on the street "who do you know that is a godly person?" They would probably answer "the scribes and Pharisees." These religious leaders were known for their outward piety. But Jesus told the crowds “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!" Jesus was saying our 'righteousness' (living right before God) had to exceed outward acts and be a matter of the heart.

Even the disciples had misconceptions of who would enter heaven. When Jesus told his disciples how difficult (not impossible) for the rich to enter heaven, they were shocked. Mark 10:25-27 They were amazed because everyone thought ALL rich people go to heaven.

We teach our children that they must be "good" if they want to go to heaven. But "good people" do not go to heaven. Only the godly (those who have accepted Jesus) good to heaven.