Page 155 - Advanced Apologetics and World Views Revised

The Bible, however, tells us differently. God’s Words says that everyone, everywhere has sinned against
God and that even the righteous acts of everyone is but “filthy rags” in the sight of God. Isaiah put it this
way in Isaiah 64:6 (DARBY):

And we are all become as an unclean [thing], and all our righteousnesses are as
filthy rags; and we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have carried

us away;

God gave mankind the Ten Commandments to help us understand what righteousness is. No man has
ever lived up to God’s righteous standards and kept them. Every man has sinned and FALLEN SHORT of
God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). So God in His loving compassion, demonstrated His love in that while we were
bound by our sin, Jesus Christ died for us. He took our place in judgment. On the cross He received the
eternal judgment of our sin on his own body. It’s called the GREAT EXCHANGE. He died, so that we
might live. II Corinthians 5:21 explains it:

He made Him (Jesus Christ) who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we
might become the righteousness of God in Him.

So, you must understand that no amount of your good works can make you acceptable in God’s eyes.
Yes, there are books in heaven. There is one book that is the most important called the Book of Life.
When you die, God will determine your eternal fate by looking in that book to see if your name is
written in it. It is not a record of all the good or bad things you have done. It is simply a book of names.
Your name is written there or not. Revelation 20:15:

And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown
into the lake of fire.

Heaven would not be heaven if you could get there by your own good works. It would be nothing more
than a glorified earth. There would be levels or casts in heaven. Perhaps level one, close to God’s
throne, would be for all the really good people, and as the levels descend, the not as good people.
Everyone would be telling others what good persons they were and look down on those who lived on a
lower level. That’s how it is here on earth! No, there will be no boasting in heaven because everyone
there will have gotten there simply by receiving God’s gift without earning it. Titus 3:5-6 says,

5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to
His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured
6
out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior…

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