I recently attended a Women's Conference where Candice Cameron Bure was one of the Speakers. I've never heard her speak before until then. I must say that I was very impressed with what she had to say! She, like many others in this world, had accepted Christ into her life, as a child, at the age of twelve years old. But there was really no commitment to Him, until she became an adult. But even as a young adult in her early 20's; as a wife and mother, she still struggled with "why" she needed to "live for Christ".
Candice's belief, like many of us, was that she was a "good" person, so why did she "need" Jesus, anyway? As long as she lived a good life, and was a good mom; a good wife; and etc., she didn't need Him in her life. She had already accepted Him when she was a young girl, so what more did she really have to do? Did she really have more to do to get into heaven? Or was accepting Him at the age of twelve, and just being a good person, enough?
Her brother, as some of you may know, is Kirk Cameron. He and Ray Comfort work together on The Way of the Master. Kirk was also on Family Ties, when he was a young kid. Candice was on Full House from the age of eight until she was eighteen.
Kirk was the one who had taken a more serious walk with the Lord. He offered Candice a book to read one day, that explained to her the importance of having a "real" relationship with Jesus, versus just being a good person, and "hoping" to get into heaven. As Candice began to read this book, one thing stuck out to her that she read. The Ten Commandments.
As she explained at this conference, the Ten Commandments are God's "rules" for us to live by. As Christians, we should be taking these commandments seriously. And as she read the Ten Commandments over again, it dawned on her that even if she had only broken one of the commandments, that was as serious as breaking them all, to God. Let's take just one commandment as an example: Thou Shalt Not Lie.
Have you ever told a lie? Even a little one? Or how about a white-lie? You know, the ones that really don't count. Or do they all count? What about the lie you tell when you don't feel like going into work, so you call in sick? Or what about when you've gone shopping and you've spent more money than you were supposed to, and you tell your spouse that you didn't spend that much? Or how about when you make up an excuse as to why your child was not in school today; or why they hadn't completed their homework? Or what about when your wife was away for a few hours, and you decide to go see what you can "find" on the Internet, and when she returns and asks what you've been doing, and you reply, "Nothing"? Or how about that flirtatious co-worker that you tell your wife or husband "there's nothing to it"????
Sometimes when we lie, we can make up so many excuses for our behavior! We justify why we lie. We make excuses why it's okay. When in actuality, it is not okay! It is a commandment that you have broken. It's a sin. Sin is sin, no matter which commandment you have broken. When you've broken one, it's like you've broken them all.
God wants a RELATIONSHIP with us. He wants us to abide by His commandments, also, inside that relationship. He wants us to get serious about our relationship with Him. Not just lukewarm. He says "if you are lukewarm, I will spit you from my mouth". He wants all or nothing.....no in-between!
Ask yourself these questions:
1. Do you ever look at something your neighbor just purchased and then went out and bought the same thing (or very similar) to keep up with them?
2. Have you ever looked at the opposite sex and had an impure thought about him / her?
3. Have you ever dishonored your parents?
4. Have you ever horded money away in fear that you would lose it?
5. Have you ever really given God your whole heart? Or are you just toying with Him?
6. Have you ever really taken the time to just sit and talk to Him about whatever is in your heart? He knows you inside and out; so what are you waiting for?
I believe God gave these commandments to us for a reason. I believe they are instructions for us to live by, just as Candice explained at this Women's Conference. As she explained that just being a good person, wasn't enough, I began to really look into my own heart, and ask if I had really gotten serious with God. I had to ask myself if I had truly given Him my all. Or was I just lukewarm? And if I was lukewarm, what was I waiting for? What was keeping me from giving Him my ALL? Wouldn't these things be considered idols in my life, if I were putting them before Him?
I made a commitment to Him that day, to take Him more seriously, and to give Him my ALL. How about you?
Do YOU think just being a good person is enough to get you into heaven? Or do you feel that there is more to it than that?
Comments (56)
being a good person is a start, but it is what lies underneath all our "good efforts". I'm not saying it's all based on works, but rather what is driving us to do good in the first place.
Kirk Cameron was on Growing Pains; Michael J. Fox was on Family Ties.
If I can't get into heaven because I wasn't convinced by the Bible, yet still lived a overall good life, it's not the kind of god I'd want to cozy up to anyways.
This is a recipe for dead spirituality. The reason why Christianity is so weak is because of attitudes like Kirk, his sister and this blog. When you base an argument on what you do wrong instead of the depths of God's love it's still about us and not him. That's problematic for any number of reasons first and foremost it turns us into an idol where we have to seek to find God instead of us accepting that he is already there. It becomes about what we do wrong instead of his love and transforming power. This post is a reminder of everything that is wrong w/ evangelical Christianity nowadays.
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I saw her and her husband speak also and was impressed with their testimony. If we could get into heaven by just being good, then we wouldn't have needed Jesus to die for our sins. And besides that, other than Jesus, no one is absolutely good. We all have sin in our lives.
@GodlessLiberal@xanga - If I can't get into heaven because I wasn't
convinced by the Bible, yet still lived a overall good life, it's not
the kind of god I'd want to cozy up to anyways.
You're basing that on your own definition of goodness, not God's. See my comment above.
Hey, it's DJ Tanner!
Anyway, I never understood how some people believe that morality is purely subjective. If that's true, then I would have no right to call the police if someone attacked me, because maybe attacking unsuspecting women is considered "good" in the eyes of my attacker. Adolf Hitler probably thought he was a good person too. If we don't have some kind of standard to measure morality by, how do we know who or what is really right or wrong? And I think we all know that just because something may be legal doesn't necessarily make it right...
I understand why millions of starving people around the world believe so strongly in God. They need something to believe in to survive the days without any food. However, it still surprises me how many people in the US still rely on God to get through their day.
i don't see how admission to Heaven based on belief is any more logical or objective.
I don't know, my personal beliefs as a Christian have always been a bit different from traditional beliefs. I believe that if there truly is a God and everything, that even those who haven't accepted Christ could get into Heaven so long as they have been good people. One can be a moral and righteous person without being a believer just like some believers I've met are some of the most immoral and hateful people I've ever seen.
One of my favorite quotes by Archbishop Desmond Tutu actually reflects my thoughts a little bit: "We may be surprised at the people we find in heaven. God has a soft spot for sinners. His standards are quite low."
Probably a lot more good people are going to hell than bad people, because those who think they're good haven't seen themselves in the light yet.
I believe that no one is good. Not really. We may lead upright, moral lives in general..but ALL sin is the same in God's eyes; no one can correctly claim to be perfect their entire lives. Biblically-speaking, even if you lust after someone, it's equivalent to committing adultery..a lie is a lie, big or small..etc.
I used to adhere to the belief that so long as I believed Jesus died
for my sins and I lived a "good" life, that I'd be okay. Now I realize
how incredibly silly that is. Especially when I read James 2:18-20
about faith and works:
"But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?"
A person is justified by their works. That bit about the demons really
gets me. Good, you believe in Jesus and know he is the Christ? Because
even the demons in hell know that. Just because you
declare this to be true doesn't make you Heaven-bound.
I've surrendered myself to God and the sacrifice Jesus made for me. I
don't believe in being in the middle. I really think it's an insult to
God if you claim you're saved by the grace of God, but have half of
your life still set on worldly pleasures.
To all those talking about "good" people...that's the thing. Human "morals" are subjective. One person might think that cheating on their taxes isn't a big deal, because the government doesn't deserve your hard-earned money anyway. Some young people in love might not think that their pre-marital sex is a big deal, because they're so convinced that someday they'll get married and it won't be that big of a deal then. God's definitions of sin are clear to us, displayed in the Bible. And often the things that we don't find to be a big deal are clearly defined as sin in the Bible. This isn't based on YOUR standards of good. When judgment arrives, and people try to plead that they were a good person, I'm sure many will be surprised to find all the sinful thoughts and actions they never thought twice about revealed to them.
@salvatruca_stalking_havok13@xanga - I believe that if there truly is a God and
everything, that even those who haven't accepted Christ could get into
Heaven so long as they have been good people.
Can you show any biblical support for that?
No, there is no where in the Bible that says "Thou shalt be a good person and then you shalt have safe passageway into Heaven".
Always confuses me when someone says they are a good person, and that Jesus was a good teacher, and therefore they are going to Heaven. Because If Jesus was a "good teacher", you'd think people would believe what He's written in the Bible (which again, does not say good people go to heaven).
The only time people were good was at the dawn of creation, when God made them and deemed them good. Then we screwed up, and are not. And it's in our nature to be bad, not so much good. I'm impressed if there's ever someone who hasn't contaminated their "good" with at least SOMETHING bad.
Do YOU think just being a good person is enough to get you into heaven? Or do you feel that there is more to it than that?
There is a story is Matthew 19:16-30
And when He was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to Him, and asked Him,Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?
This young man who asked this question was a ruler. He had great possessions, and occupied a positon of responsibility. He saw the love that Christ manifested toward the children brought to Him, he saw how tenderly He received them, and took them up in His arms, and his heart kindled with love for the Sviour.
He felt a desire to be His disciple. He was so deeply moved that as Christ was going on His way, he ran agter Him, and kneeling at His feet, asked with sincerity and earnestness the question so important to his soul and to the soul of every human being.
"Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? "Why callest thou Me good?" There is none good but One, that is God. Jesus desired to test the ruler's sincerity, and to draw from him the way in which he regarded Him as good.
Did he realize that the One to whom he was speaking was th e Son of God? What was the true sentiment of his heart?
In reply to this question Jesus told him that obedience to the commandments of God was neccessarty if he would obtain eternal life; and He quoted several of the commandments which show man's duty to his fellow man. So the ruler answer was positive:"all these things have I dept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
"One thing thou lackest, go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."
If the ruler had then given himself to Christ, he would have grown in the atmosphere of His presence. If he had made this choice, how different would have been his future.
Only one thing the ruler lacked, but that was a vital principle. He needed to love of god in the soul. this lack, unless supplied, would prove fatal to him, his whole nature would become corrupted. by indulgence, sefishness wouls strengthen. that he moght receive the love of God, his supreme love of self must be surrendered.
We all have test. We are called upon to choose between the heavenly treasuee and worldly greatness. The heavenly treasure was assured him of he would follow Christ. But self must jield, his will must be given into Christ's control.
the ruler was quick to discern all that Christ's words involved, and he became sad. The ruler claim that he was GOOD PERSON and he had kept the law of God was a deception. He showed that riches were his idol.
@musterion99@xanga - I don't tend to adhere to what the Bible says so I can't support it. It's just the way I believe. Like I said, I'm not a traditional Christian.
Sounds like too much work for me.
I'm going to Hell.
@salvatruca_stalking_havok13@xanga - Ok. I thought maybe you were inferring that the bible taught that.
I wish I could figure out how to get there :(
I don't believe being a good person is "good enough."
The only way to the Father is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6), and you can find in (Eph. 2:8-9) that by grace we are saved, through faith, not our own doing. You can't "earn your way" to heaven.
I believe that once someone accepts Jesus Christ into their life, that in time, God will change us, and help shape us into a better person, to be more like Jesus. Think of it like God's Chisel (Which was an awesome youtube video I saw recently...based on Ephesians 2:10) With the Spirit in you, I believe we are changed, and transformed into a "good" person.
@GodlessLiberal@xanga - Even though I'm apparently going the Christian route, this is pretty much how I view it (however, I don't even know if I believe in an afterlife, heavenly or otherwise). If God wasn't going to let in all the good people, then well, I wouldn't want to have anything to do with that god. I'm a bad Christian I guess. Or I have a terribly liberal theology that I'm not certain even constitutes me as Christian sometimes, but what can ya do?
I believe that what gets a person into heaven is different for each and every one of us and God knows those things. As we live our lives, we either come to see our faults and try to change them or we don't and lavish ourselves with them. Those who do the work of changing into the positive, whatever that would mean for each individual, might find their way into heaven, based on my theology, and no, it ain't in yo Beeblay.
You can't be good enough, you need jesus.
i don't believe in heaven or hell.