Do Good People Go To Heaven:

Let us consider the nature of heaven. To Christians, heaven is a place where its citizens love and worship God, a place free from sin and death. Each religion and individual has their own perceptions of heaven and this may differ from the Christian perception. However, one almost universal element of heaven is its freedom from, what we would call, crime. Almost no one would believe common crimes such as, rape, theft, and murder, would be concerns for the citizens of heaven. What we call crimes, God calls sins.

A sin is an action forbidden in heaven. We must conclude heaven is a society free from sin. While this is only one element of heaven, this element is most concerning to those who wish to go to heaven. For a society such as heaven to exist, sin must be completely absent from every citizen. Sin is a violation of God’s law, much like a crime is a violation of Man’s law. In heaven, however, its citizens will have no concept of sin. The idea of committing an act in violation of God’s Law will be no easier than you imagining a color you have never seen before. As soon as the concept of sin is added, it cannot be taken away any easier than you can forget the color red.

For heaven to continue, its residence must have their ability to commit sin removed. However, citizens must also maintain their freewill, we do not become robots in heaven. According to Christianity, Christians repent of their sins, that is, they declare to God they wish for their ability to commit sin be removed. Christians also place the responsibility for the sins they have committed (and will commit) on Christ, and allow Christ to be found guilty of our sins. This is what we call “Accepting Christ”. When a Christian dies, Christ is judged in their place, and their desire to be incapable of committing sin is fulfilled. When a Christian enters heaven, they will be incapable of committing sin (or understanding what sin is) and found by God to be innocent from sins they have committed while alive. This is the only way heaven can exist absolutely sin free and with freewill still intact.

Even the best of “good people” commit sin regularly. If one calls themselves a “good person”, yet continues to violate the Laws of God, then by whose standards, but their own, are they good? God is not concerned with how well you measure to your own standards or others’. God only wants you to accept forgiveness for the sins you commit and repent of sin. God does not expect you to be “good”.

All of us have become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Isaiah 64:6

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:23