Five Lies That Keep People Out of Heaven

There are five lies that keep people from going to heaven.  

Lie #1: There is no heaven.  Jesus talked often about heaven or eternal life.  For example, He said, "For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16)."  Don't be fooled into thinking that this life is all there is.  There is an afterlife.  Heaven and hell are real.  

Lie #2: Everybody goes to heaven.  Jesus made it very clear that not everyone goes to heaven (Mt 7:21).  Not only will everyone not go to heaven, but Jesus said that there will be fewer people in heaven than in hell (Mt 7:13-14).

Lie #3: Good people go to heaven.  First, the Bible says that there are no good people (Rm 3:101-8, 23).  So, if good people to heaven, then heaven is empty.  Second, the Bible is very clear that salvation is not by works, but by faith (Eph 2:8-9).  This is what makes the gospel "good news."  If salvation was by works (i.e., being good), then nobody can be saved.  But God provided a way for sinners to be saved.  He sent His Son, Jesus, to be sacrificed for our sins.  Whoever puts their faith in Jesus will be forgiven and receive eternal life (Jn 3:16).

Lie #4: There are many ways to heaven.  The Bible couldn't be clearer on this point.  There is only one God, one Savior, and one way to go to heaven (Jn 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Tim 2:5-6).  That one way is through faith in Christ. 

Lie #5: People who believe in Jesus go to heaven.  This one is tricky, because I just said that the only way to heaven is through faith (or belief) in Christ.  The problem is our misunderstanding of the word "believe."  There is a kind of faith that saves, and a kind of belief that does not.  Merely believing that Jesus is the Savior and that the Bible is true is not saving faith.  Even the devil believes those things (Jas 2:19).  Saving faith involves trusting in Christ alone for salvation (not in good works), along with repentance (handing over the steering wheel of your life to Christ) (Gal 2:16; Mt 7:21).