You can't buy your way into Heaven
DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: My uncle (who’s been very successful in business) makes a generous donation to his church every month, but other than that he almost never attends (he says he’s too busy). We think he’s just trying to buy his way into heaven. Are we right? — G.C.
DEAR G.C.: I don’t know, of course, what your uncle’s real motive is in giving so generously to his church; it may not be what you suggest. He simply might want to support his church’s social work, or he may have some other reason for what he does.
But I’m afraid some people do hope God will reward them for their generosity (or for some other good deed they’ve done), either by blessing them right now or by granting them eternal life. Lurking in the back of their minds is the idea that at the last judgment, God will weigh their good deeds against their bad deeds, and if they have more good deeds than bad deeds then God will let them into heaven.
This, however, is a serious misunderstanding of what the Bible actually teaches. The Bible says that God is absolutely holy and pure, and even one sin — just one — would be enough to keep us out of heaven. In other words, we all stand condemned before God, and no matter how good we are, we can never be good enough to win our way into heaven. The Bible says, “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).
This is why we need Christ, because he did something we could never do: On the cross he took upon himself the judgment that we deserve. Now by faith and trust in him we can be saved. May your uncle come to realize this and commit his life to Christ — and may you, as well.
Wow! That's actually a surprise... Billy didn't just assume the worst of GC's uncle as he often does with those who write in. But is it really any surprise that some think that they can buy themselves into Heaven or purchase blessings? Just turn on some of the most well know televangelist shows, and what are they saying? Send in your donation of $XX and receive a blessing straight from God. Send in a donation of $XXX and you will receive a guaranteed blessing tomorrow! You have these scam artist preachers, using their supposed special connection with God, and the gullibility of the audience to profit. So no, it's not hard to understand GC's uncles motivation, if it is as GC assumes.Then Graham reiterates that God is not interested in tallying good deeds against bad. And that any one sin alone is enough to keep one from Heaven. How ridiculous is that? So the crimes of a serial killer are the same as someone who wears a poly-cotton blend shirt (Leviticus) in God's eyes! How can someone not see that as absurd? Oh, but if that serial killer is a believing Christian, he will be forgiven, where-as the non-believing tee-shirt wearer would be forever damned. That is the last thing that one could ever call justice. If God were just, he'd judge people based on who they are, not what they believe. But that's not the case. So it's rather fortunate that this tyrant does not exist at all.
-Brain Hulk
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