Who goes to Heaven?

Question received:

Why would you go to hell for being gay if others who are liars, thieves, adulterers, etc, are going to heaven?

My Reply:

It’s a fair enough question based on a misunderstanding of Christian theology either on the part of the question’s author or someone who has wrongly said this to him.

So let’s get the message straight. People don’t go to hell simply for being a homosexual, people will end up in hell because they are sinners – regardless of the sins that they have committed. To sin, is to miss the mark, to fall short of a standard – perhaps colloquially we could describe it as missing the bus. The thing that I understand about missing a bus is that if one person misses it by a few seconds and another misses it by several minutes, they are both in an identical predicament – they missed it. The degree to which they missed it is really quite irrelevant, whether by seconds or minutes doesn’t change the reality that they are both stranded at the same bus stop, they face the same consequence. God set a standard for entry into heaven and that standard is perfection – sadly, we all fall short of the standard, we all sin. Whether we have committed something people that may call a “big sin” or we are just small time sinners, is hardly important because the result is the same – we will be refused admission to heaven and, given that hell is the only alternative, that becomes the destination shared by all.

So, how can someone gain entry to heaven when perfection is the admission requirement? That’s the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. God loved everyone SO much, that He sent His Son to pay the penalty of sin and give to all who are willing to receive it, His gift of righteousness. When we have HIS righteousness (or perfection), we are seen to be perfect – i.e. we meet the standard for admission to Heaven.

Homosexual acts are defined in the Bible as sin, therefore those who commit such acts are defined as sinners. Lying, stealing, adultery etc (as per the question) are also defined in the Bible as sin. Anyone involved in any of these activities is then, a sinner and will not gain admission to heaven and, given that hell is the only other eternal destination, that is where they are heading. BUT, God offers to ALL of these people the same gift of forgiveness and righteousness.

So, will there be people in Heaven who have engaged in homosexual acts? Absolutely, provided they have come to God, turned away from their sin and accepted God’s free gift of salvation. Will there be people in Heaven who have lied, stolen or committed adultery? Absolutely, provided they have come to God, turned away from their sin and accepted God’s free gift of salvation. You see, the same rule applies equally to all people and the same gift is offered by God to all people. God doesn’t “grade” our sin so that when we stand before Him, He can say “Sorry, you only missed out on heaven by a whisker, but this person misses out by a country mile!” It’s not the nature of the sin that we commit, it’s the fact that we have sinned that brings separation from God for eternity.

So I address this of the person who wrote the question and to all who are reading this reply, what is your eternal destination? I can assure you, even without knowing you, that you have sinned, because the Bible declares that ALL have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard. So, regardless of the “type” of sin that you have committed, you need to turn from your sin and receive God’s gift of salvation that brings to you forgiveness and His righteousness. Your “good deeds” can never make up for the sins that you have committed – sin is sin regardless of what type of sin it may be. Remember, we don’t make the rules, we determine what is sin and what isn’t, God does that and He tells us in His word that when He calls it sin, it will separate us from God eternally. It’s something that we all have in common, we sin and we need God’s gift of salvation. You can’t earn it, it’s a gift. You don’t deserve it, it comes only by God’s grace. BUT you DO need it! Jesus said “I am THE way, THE truth and THE life, NO-ONE comes to The Father other than through me.” God’s gift is the only way to change your eternal destination from hell to Heaven. Where will YOU spend eternity?