Bulletin Articles
Will Good People of All Churches Be Saved? Pt 1
There are a lot of people who believe that since we all serve the same God, that everyone will be saved. Even though we worship Him in different ways, many believe that just because they go to church, or claim to be religious, that they are a “good” person. They think their life is pleasing to God just because they are “good”, and that “good” morals and “good” deeds and “good” people will go to heaven. We need to understand that our personal beliefs do not matter when it comes to biblical issues. And whatever our family traditions, or creeds teach us, will not substitute for the truth from God’s word.
First, understand that we must do God’s will. Jesus said in Matt. 7:21 that, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” He later speaks in verse 24-27 about those who hear His words and obey them are those who build their house on a rock, and those who don’t are building their house on sand. James speaks of the importance of being hearers and doers of God’s word in James 1:21-27. If this is the case, then mankind cannot simply be saved because they deem themselves good.
If people can be saved only because they are good, then the death of Christ is in vain. Christ coming to earth would be pointless if that were the case. All the prophecies of Jesus would be worthless. The scourging and torment that our Lord and Savior suffered for everyone would be pointless. It wouldn’t be possible for God to saved the world if Jesus didn’t die for us (Ecc. 7:20, John 3:16, Rom. 3:10,23). If we are all good, then we would be sinless.
In Acts 10:17-48, we read about a man named Cornelious who feared God, and had a good reputation. He was instructed by an angel to send for Peter. Peter came to them to instruct them on how to be saved. If Cornelious was a good person, then why did he need Peter to come and teach him and his family what they must do to be saved? Because being good alone wasn’t enough! They needed something else. They needed Jesus. That’s why Peter commanded them to be baptized in Jesus. This shows you that no one is saved if they don’t submit to God’s will and haven’t been baptized. No one can come to Jesus unless they are lost. None one can be saved by their own goodness.
Some may claim that if they do the best they can, that will save them. They feel within their gut that they are right in their eyes, and that alone will save them. God does not overlook ignorance like He did in the past. Acts 17:29-31 says, “Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. 30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
Everyone must come to know and obey the truth to be free from sin (John 8:32 - And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”) The gospel must be preached to everyone (Mark 16:15-16 - 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.) There’s no promise that a person can be saved by just doing the best they can. You must know and do God’s will. So, what then is God’s will?
