GETTING
TO HEAVEN

Topics: Accepting Christ; Assurance; Born Again; Death; Eternal Life; Heaven; Salvation

References: 2 Samuel 14:14; Romans 5:12–14; 6:23; Hebrews 9:27; 11:5

A Sunday school teacher wanted to explain to the six-year-olds in his class what someone had to do to go to heaven. To find out what kids believed about the subject, he asked a few questions. “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale, and gave all my money to the church, would that get me to heaven?” he asked.

“No!” the children answered. The teacher was encouraged.

“If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me to heaven?”

Again the answer was, “No!”

“If I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children and loved my wife, would that get me into heaven?”

Again they all shouted, “No!”

“Well then, how can I get to heaven?”

A boy in the back row stood up and shouted, “You gotta be dead!”

—Andy Stanley, How Good Is Good Enough? (Multnomah, 2003)