The young rich man also believed that by his holy and righteous living he should be allowed to enter into Heaven. The apostle Paul explained why so many of the Jews during those days of Christ’s earthly ministry had a difficult time accepting His message: But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed (Romans 9:31-33). Paul also explained that without faith, we cannot be justified in the sight of God: Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified (Galatians 2:16) and Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost (Titus 3:5). In other words, the only way to Heaven is what Jesus said it was all those years ago: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6).
Too many misunderstand the judgment as John describes in the book of Revelation: And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). They somehow believe that this passage supports the idea of God weighing our good and bad deeds and our eternal destination is determined by the greatest weight. In reality, outside of Christ, even our best attempts to go good deeds falls short of being acceptable in the sight of God: But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away (Isaiah 64:6).
God makes no distinction when he executes judgment; he does not see a rich man, a poor man, black or white. The apostle Peter also understood and taught that God’s judgment is absolute and just: Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). Even during the life of the apostles, there were those in Jerusalem that believed that simply being who they were – that being a child of Abraham – was sufficient enough to gain them an eternal home in Heaven. Although meant as a warning to gentiles who believed they had a special relationship with God that would replace the covenant with Israel, Paul’s message has a stark warning for anyone who believes they are good enough by their own works to gain Heaven: For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee (Romans 11:16-21).
God’s judgment rests on what’s recorded in the Book of Life; the first mention of this book is by the apostle Paul when he wrote And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life (Philippians 4:3). The Book of Life has the names of all who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ – and it is that faith in Jesus that saves from eternal judgment and punishment in Hell. John, as he was called into Heaven and told to write down what he saw in what would become the Book of Revelation, recorded: He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels (Revelation 3:5) – a further sign that those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ are the ones recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
God’s judgment is absolute and righteous. His judgment on our lives rests in three verses found in the book of John: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 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 (John 3:16-18).
