Is it really possible that some nice people go to Hell?
Well, according to the Bible, the somber answer to that question is yes. But, let’s admit it, that can be a tough concept to wrap our heads and hearts around.
Speaker Jay Carty says that’s because we minimize God’s holiness and act as if He “grades on a curve.”
He describes it like this: Picture a scale of holiness numbered from one to 10. The Hitlers of the world would be at the bottom, while people like Mother Teresa might be a nine or 10. From there, we all decide where we land on that scale by comparing ourselves to Hitler, Mother Teresa, and the folks around us.
“I’m no saint,” we might say, “but I’m certainly no mass murderer.” We compare and contrast our “goodness” to that of others’ and believe God does the same. But the absolute holiness of God is the true standard we’re measured against, which is why none of us qualifies for heaven on our own merit.
Some people take another route to minimize their sinfulness: the Ten Commandments. Again, they prop up their own sense of goodness by suggesting they’ve only broken a few of the commandments, and not the really important ones.
But the Ten Commandments are a reflection of God’s perfect character, and Scripture says if you’ve broken one, you’ve broken them all (James 2:10).
Take a pane of glass and draw a circle on it, then divide that circle into 10 equal pieces. Now, take a hammer and try to chip out only one of those segments. You’d shatter the whole thing.
The Commandments were given to us to show it’s impossible to live up to God’s holy standard.
That’s why being a nice person won’t cut it. Never having robbed someone or murdered anybody won’t qualify you, either. We all fall short of the perfection of God and cannot reach heaven on our own merit.
We’re desperate for a Savior!
And it’s our desire here at Focus on the Family to introduce people to Him.
While offering marriage and parenting advice is one of our key objectives, our ultimate hope is to lead people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. That’s what we’ve always been about! In the grand scheme of life, what does it matter if we save marriages if couples and families never come to know the Lord?
Jesus said it this way, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).
In fact, our mission statement reads: “To cooperate with the Holy Spirit in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as possible by nurturing and defending the God-ordained institution of the family and promoting biblical truths worldwide.”
With that in mind, we’re airing a very unique presentation of the Gospel message on today’s Focus on the Family broadcast. It was recorded at a gathering of our staff in 1999.
The speaker is former Los Angeles Laker basketball player Jay Carty, who explains what the Bible really says about Heaven and Hell in a humorous and entertaining way you won’t soon forget. Jay Carty was on John Wooden’s staff for three years at UCLA where he helped coach Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Jay then played for the Los Angeles Lakers.
The question of where you’ll spend eternity is too big a question to leave unanswered. If Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart, answer it. Open the door. Invite Jesus in. You won’t regret it. I encourage you to contact us at Focus on the Family if you’d like someone to talk to. We’re here to listen to your story and offer hope. Call 1-800-AFAMILY (232-6459). We’d love to share with you how you can find peace through God. You may also be interested in a free online booklet we’ve written called, “Coming Home: An Invitation to Join God’s Family.”
As always, you can hear our broadcast, “Do Nice People Go to Heaven?” on your local radio station, online, or on the go via our free, downloadable mobile phone app.
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