If you’re familiar with the movie Ghost (starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg),
you’ll remember the end when the bad guy of the movie was dragged to Hell by scary
shadow demons, and Swayze’s character was called into the light of Heaven. The
bad guy met his fate because of all the terrible things he did throughout the
movie. In contrast, Swayze’s character did all the “good” things. He used his
ghostly powers to protect Moore’s character from the bad guys, he helped a
psychic to fully appreciate her gift, and he even helped make a clay pot. He of course was the hero of the movie, so
naturally, he was Star Trek-beamed into Heaven (but only after he accomplished
the aforementioned good deeds).
Sadly, much of the world (religious and non-religious alike)
takes this Hollywood view of salvation. As long as you’re a good person and do
good things like pay your taxes, hold the door open for strangers, and give to
charity, you’ll go to Heaven. If you go
to church every now and then, and especially if you go every Sunday, that’s
just icing on the cake.
What does the Bible say about salvation?
1)
We are not saved by good deeds. We’re saved by grace
through faith. (Eph. 2:8-9)
2)
God’s grace instructs us to demonstrate our faith by
obeying his commands. (Titus 2:11-12; James 2:21-24; Heb 11)
3)
Only those who obey the gospel and keep his commands
will be saved, no matter the number of good deeds they did on Earth. (II Thes.
1:8-9; John 14:15; Mt. 7:21-23)
