Would God accept believers of other faiths into heaven, if they lived a good life?

Question

I ask because I would have thought that if you lived a very good, honest, decent life - like many people of all religious and non-religious backgrounds do - that if there turned out to be a different God to the one you were expecting, you would still be accepted into heaven because you led a moral life?

However if that were the case, why is it neccesary to believe in one religion over another?
[I mean, entire wars have happened due to religious differences right?]

Or why is it neccesary to believe in a God at all, as long as you lead a good life?
[I say this because I know some religions believe it to be their place to try and introduce/convert you to their religion - Jehovah's Witnesses at your front door for example].

Answer 1

No, salvation requires that you believe in G-d and that Yeshua (Jesus) was the messiah, G-d the Son and the savior.

Answer 2

Practicing homosexuals have no place in God's arrangement in any form, whether it's among the small group of humans to be granted life in the heavens, or the much larger group of humans that will live forever here on this earth in paradise. God's Word the Bible is very, very clear and specific on the matter: homosexuality is a gross sin in God's eyes. It is part of the larger picture of "fornication", which is the engaging in sexual acts or practices outside of the only arrangement God has in place for sexual activity - within the marital bonds between a man and a woman. That's it. But those who FORMERLY were homosexuals and have repented and turned around from that sinful course are definitely received happily into the congregation; provided that lifestyle and actions involved in it are put in the person's past. One willfully practicing sin (whether it's homosexuality or anything else) has no place at all with God.

Answer 3

The best way to live is to do it realistically and according to the truth. We can more easily see this in the physical world. If you do not get the physics correct in flying an airplane or putting up a rocket, they will fall to the ground DESPITE your best intentions. Good intentions do not count in those matters. Do it right or fail. It is pretty much the same in the spiritual world. However, God does regard good intentions and a sincere, honest and informed conscience in dealing with matters of salvation. But it is supposed to be much easier to follow your conscience when you use the correct laws of spirituality. Doing it the right way can give one more assurance of salvation. Because it may be much more difficult to sincerely follow your conscience without using the proper spiritual tools. Go directly to the well of knowledge and truth makes it more of a sure thing than doing it on your own despite your best intentions. Just like in the physical world, sometimes substitute measures can temporarily solve a problem, but it is best to do it correct the first time.

Answer 4

There are several possible answers to this, at least in Christian thinking. We know from the Scriptures that no one comes to God except through Christ- He said that quite bluntly. However, we don't necessarily know that only those who have heard of Him and been able to believe in Him are saved. There are other places in which He said to seek and you would find, to knock and the door would be opened. I'm rather of the opinion that it's at least possible that all those who earnestly and deeply seek after God will find Him, that no one who seriously and selflessly desires Heaven will ever miss it. Living a good life has nothing to do with it, because if you think that, then you smuggle in the idea that you can somehow earn a place in Heaven. That would make Christ's sacrifice of no account, if that were true. I'm speaking of people who are in sincere ignorance or sincere error, of course. People who want to avoid the whole issue, who avert their eyes because they don't want to be taken out of their comfortable little worlds. . . that's a much more dangerous position to be in, because unbelievers like that are not seriously and deeply longing after God. They're doing everything in their power to bury their heads in the sand and avoid Him. That's the kind of dishonest error that will certainly corrupt your heart and damn your soul.

Answer 5

Ahh, the theory of relativity.
Whose standards of goodness would we use to allow admission into Heaven? The zealot who fervently believes blowing himself to smithereens in a market is the ultimate sacrifice of 'goodness, ? Or the 'good' person who believes getting rid of a particular race of people will make the world a better place for the rest of us? Or the tax dodger? Or the tax collector ? You? Me?
A universally understood standard is necessary for society to co-exist peacefully, but mankind is not capable of determining the standards of right and wrong that will work for all kindred, tongues and nations.
Just like Yahoo R&S, we all have our own beliefs which dictate the allowances of our behavior, according to our individual standard. Some of our behaviours infringe on the beliefs of others, even the well intentioned behaviours are misunderstood.
So God made it simple for those who get parts of it wrong (all of us), He set the entrance standard to Heaven in such a way that EVERYONE can confess (admit we've done wrong things) repent (sorry for what we've screwed up) and accept.
(the entrance price is already paid)

Answer 6

John gave the best answer.

Here is a simpler Christian explanation.

1) Good works do not *earn* anyone salvation. We are *all* deserving of death (as opposed to eternal life).

2) Jesus (1Pe 3:18-22) "went to preach to the spirits in prison" - these spirits being those who died in the Noadic flood! Thus, it is difficult for any Christian to claim with certainty that only those who have faith while alive may gain eternal life. Jesus presented the opportunity to these dead. How do we know he will not offer it to others?

3) The important point - Christianity requires faith in Jesus (minimally) to gain eternal life. Note point 2 above, though.

Conclusion: (Christian perspective) "good life" does not get anyone into heaven. We cannot earn our way into heaven, period. Eternal life is a free gift from God, not one earned, but one obtainable from God through faith in Jesus, followed by obedience and good works.

Jim, http://www.jimpettis. com/wheel/

Answer 7

Of course God would. Of course as a Hindu I believe that all religions worship the exact same God....just by different names and from different perspectives.

"There is only one God, though humanity calls It by many names." Rig Veda 1:164.46

As Hindus say: If God is omniscient (all knowing), then God knows the sincerity of your heart. If God is omnipotent (all powerful), then God can use any religion to draw you closer to God. If God is omnipresent (everywhere), then God is in all religions.

Great question!

In peace.

Answer 8

I believe so. I see it this way...we are human and god knows we are human. He made us this way. We can not POSSIBLY be faulted for choosing the wrong church. Afterall, there are so many to choose from and how can we be absolutely sure?? I think that if you follow the "golden rule", live a good life to the best of your ability and most importantly...LOVE the earth he made and everything on it, he will forgive you if you were a Catholic and supposed to be Baptist, Pagan, Hindi, etc. How we live is definitely more important than how we worship.

Answer 9

Good won't get you there
only the Blood of the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world
no way except through Jesus
any other way is a thief and a robber
only one door
only one Lord

Answer 10

You base this upon a false premise. The premise denies that men are already condemned to the Wrath of God because of their inherited sinful state.

Remember these three key Biblical teachings:

1. Man is already condemned by the Wrath of God.


John 3:18
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
(KJV)

2. There is no other way to God besides Jesus.

John 14:6
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
(KJV)

3. Religious people do not love God.


Matt 15:8-9
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
(KJV)

This does not take into account the eloquent writings of Paul in Romans & Galatians on this very subject, where Paul concludes:


Gal 2:21
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law (Morality, Good Deeds), then Christ is dead in vain.
(KJV)

Answer 11

John 14:6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms BECAUSE WE ARE UNITED WITH CHRIST. 4 Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us IN CHRIST to be holy and without fault in his eyes. 5 God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. 6 So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who BELONG TO HIS DEAR SON... about half of a very long sentence in the original Greek of the New Testament, this passage focuses on the blessings we have IN CHRIST.

Colossians 2:14, 16, &21 (excerpts) He wiped out the written Law with its rules. The Law was against us. It opposed us. He took it away and nailed it to the cross… No one can be made right with God by obeying the law.... What if a person could become right with God by obeying the law? Then Christ died for nothing!

Only "IN CHRIST" do we have the blessings of God. Those OUTSIDE him do not have those blessings. Heaven is one of those blessings.