Why do you think you deserve to go to heaven?

Question

I know not whether there is a heaven, hell, god, etc. I am an agnostic. I see so many people living in their own little world that if they behave well in life they will go to heaven. It seems to me you should have to try and benefit mankind to gain access to heaven. I don't mean stop world hunger. But do your best to help your fellow man. Yet time and time I see people look away from the worlds problems in a cloud of content.

I am agnostic because I do not believe 100% that there is a god and I think it would be disrespectful to say I did when I don't. But I do truly hope there is a god because without god life would be pretty boring after death. However I live my life as if there isn't a god as if there is no afterlife so that I can better society and mankind.

Answer 1

Working to benefit mankind is a noble goal. Those who claim to know God but 'look away from the worlds problems in a cloud of content' are showing that they really don't know God. Just read the Bible and you'll see how it's all about making life (and eternity) better for man. Ignoring God doesn't increase your ability to serve man, it decreases it. There is no more important pursuit than knowing the God who created you. Otherwise, how can you possibly know your purpose in life? I hope that your questions show that you are seeking the truth rather than running away from it.

Answer 2

You are right on! It appears God is living in you. How can you be agnostic? The very nature of God is to serve others. He says the greatest among us are servants - meaning putting others first and ourselves last. Love is God, God is love and to help someone is to walk in Love, hence, walk in God. If this is your heart then God's love is all over you. Not that helping people gives us keys to Heaven but that this shows the heart of God. Sin separates us from God but Christ's death on the cross paid the penalty for all sin - for whomever will repent and receive the forgiveness. Not that you'll be perfect from then on but that you will aim to walk in His ways the best you can. Little by little He'll change you, making you better and better a person. And the better we become, the more He can use us to help others. One time He told me to take this friend from my past $50. I hadn't seen her in years and wasn't sure where she even lived. I checked it out and found her and stopped in and gave her the $50 telling her God told me to. She looked at me and freaked saying that she prayed the night before that He would find a way to give her $50 - she was going to ask her sister's father-in-law to borrow it. But now she didn't have to. God heard her prayer and used me by speaking into my heart and leading me to her. He couldn't have done this had I not given my life to Him.

God bless you. May He find a home in your wonderful heart!

Answer 3

Isaiah 64:6 states that our righteous deeds are like filthy rags before a holy and pure God. No one deserves to go to heaven. That is why Jesus died... so that we can trust in Him and be redeemed. Ephesians 2:8-9 states that to get to heaven is not performed by any works one does to earn merit. It is a gift to any who accept what Jesus offers us. All you have to do is come to Jesus and accept what He has done for you and recieve it. John 3:16.

Answer 4

We all deserve to go to Hell.Because I asked Jesus to be my Savior ,I will not.Now, God looks at me through the "Jesus spectacles".
Paul said "It is by faith that you are saved,by grace and not by good works.It is the gift of God,lest any man boast."We do good works because we are saved,not to get saved.If we were ,everyone would say,"I'm more saved than you ! I did more!"That's why Jesus told the story of the farmer who hired guys a sunup and they agreed to work for a days wages,later around noon he hired some more at the same rate,then at 5:00 pm he hired some more.At 6:00,quitting time ,he paid everyone.The first guys complained,"Hey,we were here all day,and they get the same?" to which the farmer said,Hey,that's what you hired on for ,I did you no wrong".
Get it?No matter how long or short time your saved ....your saved the same,don't boast you did more than the other guy ,saved is saved.It's a gift...you can't earn a gift.

Answer 5

That is Just It.
We didn't Deserve Anything, much less Heaven.
Jesus Loves us and made it Possible for us to make Heaven our Home.
Kinda like a Rich Man Adopting poor kids from a bad Neighborhood.
He just does it. You'd have to ask him why he does it.
The Answer would Probably be, I just love Kids. They need help.
Jesus Told us why HE did it.
HE just Loves us. We need Help.

Answer 6

I agree with you. I think it's completley retarded that people think you have to say some prayer to get into heaven. We should give God more credit than that. What really matters is how you treat people and what you do for your surroundings while you are here. You have the power to either benefit good or evil and what you choose determines where you go when you die.

Answer 7

I don't deserve to go to Heaven. Nothing I do could ever merit that. And I think you know why, in spite of my answer, I believe I will be there in the end.

Thanks, I always appreciate an honest, respectful question on this topic. ; )

Answer 8

MANY PERSONS say:"All good people go to heaven, However,when asked why they go to heaven, they may say: "It is to be with God" or, "It is the reward for being good," What does the Bible teach about this?
The Bible makes it clear that Jesus was raised from the dead and that he went to heaven. Also, it says that other humans would be taken there. On the night before his death, Jesus told his faithful apostles: "In the house of my Father there are many abodes. Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going my way to [prepare a place for you. Also if I go my way and prepare a place for you. I am coming again and will receive you home to myself, that where I am you also may be."(John14:1-3)
Clearly, Jesus was telling his apostles that they would be taken to heaven to be with him.The apostle Paul often told early Christians about that wonderful hope. For example, he wrote: "As for us, our citizenship exists in the heavens, from which place also we are eagerly waiting for a saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ."(Philippians3:20,21;Romans6:5; 2Corinthians5:1,2) Based on such promises millions of persons have set their hearts on heavenly life. Yet will all good persons go to heaven?
Shortly after Jesus was raised from the dead, the apostle Peter told a crowd of Jews: "The family headDavid.....both deceased and was buried, and his tomb is among us this day.
Actually David did not ascend to the heavens."(Acts2:29.34) So the good man David did not go to heaven. What about the righteous man Job?
While suffering, Job prayed to God: "O that in Sheol [the grave] you would conceal me, that you would keep mesecret until your anger turns back, that you would set a time limitfor me and remember me!" Job expected that when he died he would become unconscious in the grave. He knew he would not go to heaven. But he had hope, as he explained:"If an able bodied man diescan he live again?"All the days of my compulsory service[appointed time in the grave] I shall wait, until my relief comes. You will call, and I myself sall answer you."(Job14:13-15).
John whi baptised Jesus, was also a good man. Yet Jesus said:"A person that is a lesser one in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he is."(Mathew11:11) This is so because John the Baptizer will not go to heaven. When Jesus was on earth, which was over 4,000 years after the rebellion of Adam and Eve, He Said:"No man has ascended into heaven but he thatdescended from heaven the Son of man."(John3:13)
Therefore according to Jesus' own words, no man had gone to heaven for all those4,000 years of human history down until his day, David, Job,and John the Baptiser will receive a resurrection to life on earth. In fact, all faithful men and women who died before Jesus died had the hope of living again on earth, not in heaven. They will become some of the earthly subjects of God's kingdom.(Psalm72:7,8)(Acts17:31).

Answer 9

For agnostics: http://www.leaderu.com/isr/articles_resources/whydidjesusdie.html

Answer 10

**** heaven! I'm going to Hell where the real party is!