-OBJECTION: If good, non-Christian people go to hell, then I don’t want anything to do with Christianity’s heaven.
-RESPONSE: Interesting. I assure you that no truly “good” person will be in hell. Nevertheless, you remind me of someone about whom I once read. That person believed he was “good” but had a faulty definition of it. His “good” was not objective and was relative to his own standards. Of course, I’m referring to the rich young ruler of the Gospels whom Jesus corrected by telling him that God is the only One who truly meets the definition of good.
In Luke’s account of that passage (Lk. 18:18-23), Jesus rightly declares there is none good but God. See, the issue is that we like to define goodness on our terms and adjust it to make ourselves seem better than we are in reality. Consider this. If a man is going before a judge in a trial that will determine his freedom versus life in prison, whose definitions (or interpretations of law) matter most, the accused or the judge? Of course it’s the judge! He is the one who’ll make the ruling. Likewise, if we’re considering God as the Judge who will determine the eternal destination of all souls, then we certainly need to consider His meaning, His standard of judgment.
Note, Dictionary.com defines good as “morally excellent; virtuous; righteous; pious.” Even modern definitions still highlight the clear moral qualities needed to fit “good” in the context of Scripture. When I said no “good” person will be in hell, I meant it…albeit with some conditional understanding of “good.” The problem is that no human being who has ever lived—apart from Jesus Christ, the God-man—has ever met the biblical definition of “good.” We know this from Scripture (Rom. 3:9b-11) and experience.
I understand this may be unpalatable to you, yet, you must know in your heart of hearts, according to God’s standards, no one is truly good. The best of us sin and do the wrong things even when we attempt to do otherwise. While the biblical standard seems impossible, that’s also part of the reason why the gospel is our only hope. Jesus Christ, God with human form, lived the perfect, sin-free life that you and I could not live. He died a horrible death on the cross, a death that sinful beings deserved. He then rose from the dead just as He said He would and did so according to the Scriptures. Now, all who place their faith—their trust and confidence—in Him, receive eternal life not based on their goodness but based on their faith-based exchange. The Christian has traded their badness for His goodness!
I implore you to reconsider while there’s still breath in your body. Check this out for more information: NeedGod.com
#MMApologist #SoliDeoGloria