Who gets into heaven? Now that is a really good question. For sure, Jesus Himself said that we must enter heaven through the narrow gate, not the wide one. The wide one, of course, consists in attaining worldly goods, success, and pleasure, like so many people, strive endlessly to do. But attaining those things can be counter-productive to getting into heaven if they are our only focus in life. We can have all of those things if we use them for the glory of God and not for our selfish motivations. The narrow gate is exemplified by the life that Jesus and His followers led: self-mortification, almsgiving, constant prayer, forgiveness, etc.
Faith in Jesus
Number one on the list is that Jesus is “THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life” (John 14:6). Coming to the belief that Jesus is God starts us on the road to heaven. But is there more than that?
Baptism
Mark 16:16 says that he who believes AND is baptized will be saved.
Good Works Are Necessary
A lot of Protestant ministers say that good works are useless for getting into heaven. But does the Bible really say that? These preachers ignore what scripture says in James 2:26: “Faith without works is dead.” These are good works (Ephesians 2:10), of course, and not the useless “Jewish works of the law” (circumcision, ritual handwashing, no pork, etc.) that Paul condemns (Galatians 3:10). James 1:27 indicates two very important good works: visiting orphans and widows in their affliction.
God freely gives us grace, which then increases our faith in Jesus, which in turn leads to good works, justification, and salvation. The reason Jesus cursed the fig tree is that it bore no fruit (Mark 11:21). Good works are the fruit of our faith (Colossians 1:10). Having faith in Christ without performing good works as a result of that faith is like having a full tank of gas in the car but never starting it up to go anywhere. It just sits there doing no one any good. St. Paul warns us against boasting of our good works (Ephesians 2:9), and for a very good reason. Jesus says that He is the vine and we are the branches (John 15:5), which means that when we perform any good work, it is not really us alone who is doing that good work, but rather, it is being done by Jesus Christ through us. For sure, without Jesus, we can do nothing (John 15:5).
True faith in Christ means being a doer of the word, and not just a hearer (James 1:22). So if you want to get into heaven, go out into the world and imitate the life of Christ by performing as many good works as you can, out of love of Jesus, of course. It may be your cross to bear (Mark 8:34), but that’s OK. We are commanded to do them by Jesus (John 14:12): “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do because I go to the Father.”
Becoming Like Children
Matthew 18:3: “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”This is a really interesting statement by Jesus. What can it mean? Being child-like is not the same as being childish. Being child-like means being innocent, meek, and humble, and having total trust in God Your Father to take good care of you, no matter what. It also means that, like all children, we must love our Mother as well. Jesus gave us His Mother from the cross (John 19:27), so Marian love and devotion are also part of being like children of God.
Luke 18: 15-17: “Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”
No infant worries about money, clothes, or promotions at work. Then neither should we. An interesting side note is that there are some Protestants who preach that infants can’t be baptized, because they don’t have the ability to profess faith. But here in Luke 18, Jesus is saying that infants have the faith to enter into heaven!
A Biblical List of Mandatory Good Works
Matthew 25 tells us what good works (as a minimum) are necessary to gain entry into heaven. The scripture here couldn’t be clearer. If you don’t do them to the poor, you don’t get in.
Matthew 25:31-46: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before Him, will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Doing Good vs. Doing Evil
The Bible tells us that those who have done good, instead of evil, can enter into the Resurrection of Life.
John 5:28-29: “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment.”
Being Judged According to Our Works
Paul’s letter to the Romans is very clear that our final judgment isn’t just based on faith alone, but rather, that we will be judged according to our works. (It is assumed here that we already have faith in Christ.)
Romans 2:6: “For he will render to every man according to his works.”
A Biblical List of Evil Works
So what are some of the evil works that keep us out of heaven? St. Paul lists these mortal sins here in his letter to the Galatians.
Galatians 5:19-21: “Now the works of the flesh are plain: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Being Judged By What We Have Done (Not “Believed In”)
St. John, in his Book of Revelation, agrees with St. Paul when he tells us all that we will be judged on what we have done. (Again, faith in Christ is assumed here). We are not judged by our “faith alone”. We will be judged according to what we have done with the graces that God gave us in this life. Remember the parable about the Master receiving back interest on his investments? (Matthew 25:14-30). It’s a very scary parable because the first two servants earned 100% on their talents, not 50%, or 10%. And that means that we are expected to do the same with the God-given talents that we have been given.
Revelation 20:12-13: “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also, another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, by what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead in them, and all were judged by what they had done.”
Being Clean and Holy
It is really hard in the society that we live in to remain pure, as we are bombarded with sexual images everywhere. But yet, that is what we are called to be if we want to enter heaven. Jesus instituted the sacrament of Confession in John 20:21-23, and we are foolish if we don’t use it to clean our souls regularly. The confessional box is like the tomb of Jesus because we go in dead with our sins of impurity, and come out alive and holy with absolution.
Revelation 21:22-27: “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light shall the nations walk, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it, and its gates shall never be shut by day – and there shall be no night there; they shall bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean shall enter it, nor anyone who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
The Great Caveat
Of course, nonbelievers can be saved at the last moment of their life, like the good thief was. BUT, who wants to gamble with their eternal soul and assume that, right before dying, you will be given the gift of faith in Jesus Christ, perfect contrition for all of your mortal sins, and even the time to repent? (The good thief had all of these at the very last moment of his life.) I certainly wouldn’t. And besides all of that, if you only have imperfect contrition and manage to get saved by the Divine Mercy of Jesus, in all probability, you would be looking at a long and painful purgatory.
How to Lead a Holy Life
Go to daily Mass. Pray often and say your Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet daily for the conversion of poor sinners and for the release of the poor souls in purgatory. Go to Adoration and confession often. Forgive EVERYONE from your heart NOW, as Jesus did from the cross for his torturers. Give alms to the poor. Help the down and out, even if it’s just by listening to them. Consecrate yourself to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Meditate on the Passion of Jesus Christ often, especially at 3 PM, the hour of Divine Mercy. Thank God for everything, even your crosses.
Be humble. Put God first in your life, others second, and yourself last. Have TOTAL TRUST in Jesus to take care of you.
24 thoughts on “Who Gets Into Heaven?”
https://rosarycenter.org/blog/reparation-for-sin
Hello Brothers and Sisters,
I hope you are well. I am writing to request fervent prayers and sacrifices/sufferings offered on my behalf for my salvation and asking Jesus to grant me perfect and universal contrition for my sins.
A little about me, my name is Casey McKee and I have lived as a Catholic in Name Only my entire life. I have lived completely selfishly and sinfully and presumptuously and now I am afraid of going to hell. For 5 years I did not even leave my house except to do minor errands but played video games, watched porn and slept all day.
Please take a look at the article I linked and please consider doing this for me and asking other staff members to do likewise if they would so choose.
I have led a life of complete selfishness and Jesus told Bl. Anne Catherine Emerich that even the most selfish sinner could be saved if there were enough people praying and offering sacrifices for him/her.
I have committed thousands of mortal sins and can count on one hand the good I’ve done. Please offer prayers unceasingly and offer your sufferings and crosses and penances for me at least for the next year to help me make reparation for my sins, I would be eternally grateful!
Please if you would also pass this message along to anyone you know who would be willing to pray for me and do likewise in regards to the offerings of their crosses, I need all the prayers I can get imploring Jesus for His Mercy and for true and universal contrition for my sins.
Thank you so much brothers and sisters!
Casey Thomas McKee (your brother in Christ)
Casey:
You can pray directly to Jesus as your intercessor before God. He has said, “Repent and turn away from your sin”. It’s in the Bible.
When you say “mandatory good works,” you must be careful to avoid the idea that our Lord established a new law code to replace the old Mosaic code. Rather, it is the spirit in which the works are done, rather than the works themselves, that counts.
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https://www.truegospel.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/basics.tour/ID/4/Where-Will-Kingdom-Be-Established.htm?fbclid=IwAR3nBrZbIoPbO_v_K-DFWQidVqt7zxUwRR7ZUgPNwjY0PKWwirNBsE-5h8s
An interesting article.
“According to the Bible (Matthew 6 and Luke 11), Jesus taught his apostles to pray for “daily” bread before the Last Supper (which was actually a Passover Seder).”
The Jews present would have understood daily supernatural bread to be akin to manna. Since manna was no more, the new supernatural bread from heaven is Jesus Himself, per John 6:48-58, and only the Catholic Church, since 33 AD, has met daily for the breaking of the bread in daily Mass, per Acts 2:46.
Does John 6:48-58 say that we should attend daily mass? I think not.
With respect to Acts 2:46, you don’t seem to recognize communal life. They lived together, ate meals together, they shared their wealth, etc. It is not daily mass.
They were Jews who recognized that Jesus was the promised Messiah, not the Catholic Church.
For 2000 years +, the term “breaking of the bread” has meant holy Communion, not just eating together….It’s following Jesus’ command at the First Eucharist (aka the Last Supper) to “Do THIS in remembrance (anamnesis) of me.” Anamnesis means to make present a past event, not just “to remember a past event.”
“I don’t recall Him saying that we should go to daily mass”
If you would have ever said the Our Father prayer, you would pray to receive your daily supernatural bread (epi ousias bread)…
THAT is going to daily mass…
According to the Bible (Matthew 6 and Luke 11), Jesus taught his apostles to pray for “daily” bread before the Last Supper (which was actually a Passover Seder).
How you can equate saying the Lord’s Prayer is an instruction to attend daily mass for Eucharist reminds me of Paul’s warning to Timothy:
2 Timothy 4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 4
Solemn Charge. 1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: 2 proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching. 3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine but, following their own desires and insatiable curiosity, will accumulate teachers 4 and will stop listening to the truth and will be diverted to myths.
Guy:
What we know about Jesus is found in the Bible.
Robert-Some of what we know about Jesus is not in the Bible. Guy
“Since the Bible is the primary source of our faith, maybe we should stick to what it actually says.”
NO, it is not…That’s a damnable lie. The Church, created by Jesus Christ, which created the Bible with all 73 books in the 4th Century, is the pillar and bulwark of Truth, at least according to St. Paul..
Nice try though…
A damnable lie?
Isn’t the Old Testament part of our faith? If it isn’t, why do we hear readings from it at mass?
Guy:
So what is the primary source of your faith?
Jesus – and His love showered on me by all those in my life who have shared His love with me.
John 1
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
I. Prologue[a]
Chapter 1
1 In the beginning[b] was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 [c]All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.
What came to be 4 through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;
5 [d]the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
Footnotes
a 1:1–18 The prologue states the main themes of the gospel: life, light, truth, the world, testimony, and the preexistence of Jesus Christ, the incarnate Logos, who reveals God the Father. In origin, it was probably an early Christian hymn. Its closest parallel is in other christological hymns, Col 1:15–20 and Phil 2:6–11. Its core (Jn 1:1–5, 10–11, 14) is poetic in structure, with short phrases linked by “staircase parallelism,” in which the last word of one phrase becomes the first word of the next. Prose inserts (at least Jn 1:6–8, 15) deal with John the Baptist.
b 1:1 In the beginning: also the first words of the Old Testament (Gn 1:1). Was: this verb is used three times with different meanings in this verse: existence, relationship, and predication. The Word (Greek logos): this term combines God’s dynamic, creative word (Genesis), personified preexistent Wisdom as the instrument of God’s creative activity (Proverbs), and the ultimate intelligibility of reality (Hellenistic philosophy). With God: the Greek preposition here connotes communication with another. Was God: lack of a definite article with “God” in Greek signifies predication rather than identification.
c 1:3 What came to be: while the oldest manuscripts have no punctuation here, the corrector of Bodmer Papyrus P75, some manuscripts, and the Ante-Nicene Fathers take this phrase with what follows, as staircase parallelism. Connection with Jn 1:3 reflects fourth-century anti-Arianism.
d 1:5 The ethical dualism of light and darkness is paralleled in intertestamental literature and in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Overcome: “comprehend” is another possible translation, but cf. Jn 12:35; Wis 7:29–30.
Robert-That is beautiful. John 1 is my favorite chapter in the whole Bible-in Latin it is a work of art; in the original Greek it is as close to divine as human words can be. Still, I do not see any statement that the Bible is the “primary source.” Nor do I see anywhere in the Bible that says that John 1 presents what you call the “main themes” of the Gospel. For that matter, I cannot find in the Bible – and I have read some of it, i.e., the inspired word of God in Greek – where it says anyone is authorized to translate it, nor do I find in the original the translation you have provided above. Guy, Texas
Wow! I think that you may have gone farther than the RCC on what Catholics must do in order to enter the kingdom of God.
Maybe you should check out what Jesus said. I don’t recall Him saying that we should go to daily mass, recite the Rosary or the Divine Mercy Chaplet, consecrate ourselves through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, etc.
Since the Bible is the primary source of our faith, maybe we should stick to what it actually says.
After reading your article, I am very dismayed at what is published on Catholic Stand. As Paul warned almost 2,000 years ago, we should be aware of gospels preached that differ from the gospel of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1).
Maybe you should have titled your article, “The Gospel of Ray Sullivan”.
Robert-Seeing as how you “stick to what it actually says,” how did you fit in time to do this comment? [see Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18]. And Luke 18:1 is indeed what Jesus said. I disagree that the Bible is the “primary” source of our faith. I cannot find in the Bible where it says that. If you have some other source for that “source,” a very interesting discussion will ensue. Guy, Texas
When you say, “A lot of Protestant ministers say that good works are useless as far as getting into Heaven”, I can’t help but believe that this is a caricature of their theology. Someone (I can’t find it now) said that the problem is, the two sides are working from different definitions of “faith”, “works” and “justification”.
All this mischief was caused by St. Paul, who to tell the truth was all over the map on this question, as he was with converted Jews keeping the Law, the place of women, whether the Kingdom of God is here or in the future, and on other questions too.
Paul is an interesting guy. A lot was up for debate in the early church, and Paul was a chief negotiator even though he wasn’t an apostle. And it seems like he had no problem making compromises and developing his beliefs. The developments in belief that took place in the first 100 years of Christianity – the time that Paul’s letters and then the Gospels were written – are astounding.
Capt, Considering how many protestant denominations, pastors, thinkers, theologians, and scholars there are (whether there are about 200 different denominations, at least 22,000, 30,000 or over 47,000 depending on which authoritative protestant source you consult) one certainly can find a sufficient number to back Ray up on this one, and this is not a mere “caricature.” I hope and pray that when I am judged re: whether or not I get into heaven, that the Judge says, “Due to the mischief you did like that of St Paul, come on in.” Guy, Texas.
Carousing, now there’s an original.