Earning ones way to Heaven by Works
I find this an interesting topic. Many religions
of today have this belief that you can earn your way to heaven. Even beyond that, most people if asked, will
say that they will go to heaven due to the fact they have earned their way to
heaven based on they have done more good than bad in their lives.
This becomes an interesting paradox to me. Studying the
religious books of various religions that practice this belief. Not once have I
come across a book of any religion that exactly explain how their religion does
this. It leaves me baffled and confused for this reason. Since the believer obviously does believe in
a Heaven and Hell for eternity. He trusts a system that
doesn't even explain itself from its own Holy Word. That would make me
extremely nervous myself if my eternity depended on that. Isn't ETERNITY TOO LONG TO BE WRONG!
Let me explain further my questions:
1)
What is the percentage of good versus bad done
in your lifetime? Is it 80/20 75/25
60/40 51/49 50.1/49.9 I never find it in any of the writings.
2)
When is it calculated? From birth to death? What
age to death? Age you became a follower to death? How is sin or bad dealth with
prior to whatever time you start calculating? Is it counted or not? Discounted
in some way but must be counterbalanced still in some way? Is there a timetable for which you have to
counterbalance something bad or sin in your life? If you go too long does the
price for counterbalance go up? If you
repeat the same thing? Does the fact you do that make the price multiply the
same no. of times you repeat the same bad or sin? My problem is if I am banking
on this method for my eternity. I would want to know the answers to these
questions. Wouldn't you?
3)
What is the measuring stick or price for each
bad/sin committed that I must counterbalance to get to even. That is before I
can even start to get on the positive side. I have not been able to find any
religions table for which to get a guide to go by. So it helps guide me on my
path to righteousness to Heaven. That is disappointing. For if the leader of
this religion didn't love me enough to tell me all these important things then
how can I trust him or her to know what they say is truth? Seems too important
to trust to chance and feelings. Feelings are to fickle and my life illustrates
that daily.
4)
What about murder and other type sins/bad? Is
there any unforgivable ones? Jesus as one leader said, "If you lust in your
heart you have committed adultery already!"
Is that one or two sins? How do I make these up? Especially if I am to
earn my way to Heaven?
5)
Child Abuse etc. We can go on and on to real
debauchery type sins/bad.
6)
There is no chart telling me what deeds take the
place of and cancel out the wrongs to make me break even and back to zero. Much
less start taking me to the positive side so I can earn my way to Heaven. Seems
my chart would look like the stock market and I would hope and pray I go when
the stock market is on the upswing! And
at the right percentage, whatever that is?
7)
For me that to me is an awfully shaky way to
live my existence for believing in Heaven and Hell for eternity. To have no
further instructions than the religions
in the world give me.
8)
Yet if asked people are so confident they always
say they are sure they have earned their way to Heaven without even analyzing
it and what it really means behind what they said.
9)
There are so many different religions with so
many of them claiming to be the "right" way. Each one has so many restrictions
and rules to follow. How do you know if you selected the correct one for sure!
What if none or a mixture of them is correct and you missed it anyway?
10)
Anyone can claim to be anything. I can claim to
be a "prophet" as has "James Jones" and so many others. How can you know if you
have the discernment to tell the "truth" yourself.
11)
Islam is no exception to this either. In the end Allah decides and only HE
decides. There is no security in their
salvation as it were. It is as with all other religions, works based. Things
you can do to benefit yourself. But ironically the "prophet" of Allah nor Allah
Himself loved the people enough to clearly tell what exactly it took to be
assured of Heaven not Hell. It is still at Allah's discretion. As for the 72
virgins I have always wondered what happens after that due to the fact you can
only be a virgin once. I personally have never read or know of anywhere in
their Holy scripture where it explains this after the fact. I find this awfully
uninspiring myself to dedicate my life to a lifestyle that has no guarantees
from a God or prophet that didn't love me enough to give me the directions that guarantee my way to heaven!
If I am wrong it is a really bad OOPS!
12)
Ironically, only one person claimed to be the
Son of God. He not only did that, He carried it a step further and claimed to
die for the sins of the World. Which leads to what is called the "Trilema" of
Jesus.
13)
If I am really wanting to check them out. I
think I would start here first. Due to the fact if what He said was true about
Himself. Then obviously what He said has to be true. Since being the Son of God
He can't lie.
14)
If He isn't then I am back to where I started on
this search. Which leads me to where I am not sure!
15)
ETERNITY IS TOO LONG TO BE WRONG!
I find this an interesting topic. Many religions
of today have this belief that you can earn your way to heaven. Even beyond that, most people if asked, will
say that they will go to heaven due to the fact they have earned their way to
heaven based on they have done more good than bad in their lives.
This becomes an interesting paradox to me. Studying the
religious books of various religions that practice this belief. Not once have I
come across a book of any religion that exactly explain how their religion does
this. It leaves me baffled and confused for this reason. Since the believer obviously does believe in
a Heaven and Hell for eternity. He trusts a system that
doesn't even explain itself from its own Holy Word. That would make me
extremely nervous myself if my eternity depended on that. Isn't ETERNITY TOO LONG TO BE WRONG!
Let me explain further my questions:
1)
What is the percentage of good versus bad done
in your lifetime? Is it 80/20 75/25
60/40 51/49 50.1/49.9 I never find it in any of the writings.
2)
When is it calculated? From birth to death? What
age to death? Age you became a follower to death? How is sin or bad dealth with
prior to whatever time you start calculating? Is it counted or not? Discounted
in some way but must be counterbalanced still in some way? Is there a timetable for which you have to
counterbalance something bad or sin in your life? If you go too long does the
price for counterbalance go up? If you
repeat the same thing? Does the fact you do that make the price multiply the
same no. of times you repeat the same bad or sin? My problem is if I am banking
on this method for my eternity. I would want to know the answers to these
questions. Wouldn't you?
3)
What is the measuring stick or price for each
bad/sin committed that I must counterbalance to get to even. That is before I
can even start to get on the positive side. I have not been able to find any
religions table for which to get a guide to go by. So it helps guide me on my
path to righteousness to Heaven. That is disappointing. For if the leader of
this religion didn't love me enough to tell me all these important things then
how can I trust him or her to know what they say is truth? Seems too important
to trust to chance and feelings. Feelings are to fickle and my life illustrates
that daily.
4)
What about murder and other type sins/bad? Is
there any unforgivable ones? Jesus as one leader said, "If you lust in your
heart you have committed adultery already!"
Is that one or two sins? How do I make these up? Especially if I am to
earn my way to Heaven?
5)
Child Abuse etc. We can go on and on to real
debauchery type sins/bad.
6)
There is no chart telling me what deeds take the
place of and cancel out the wrongs to make me break even and back to zero. Much
less start taking me to the positive side so I can earn my way to Heaven. Seems
my chart would look like the stock market and I would hope and pray I go when
the stock market is on the upswing! And
at the right percentage, whatever that is?
7)
For me that to me is an awfully shaky way to
live my existence for believing in Heaven and Hell for eternity. To have no
further instructions than the religions
in the world give me.
8)
Yet if asked people are so confident they always
say they are sure they have earned their way to Heaven without even analyzing
it and what it really means behind what they said.
9)
There are so many different religions with so
many of them claiming to be the "right" way. Each one has so many restrictions
and rules to follow. How do you know if you selected the correct one for sure!
What if none or a mixture of them is correct and you missed it anyway?
10)
Anyone can claim to be anything. I can claim to
be a "prophet" as has "James Jones" and so many others. How can you know if you
have the discernment to tell the "truth" yourself.
11)
Islam is no exception to this either. In the end Allah decides and only HE
decides. There is no security in their
salvation as it were. It is as with all other religions, works based. Things
you can do to benefit yourself. But ironically the "prophet" of Allah nor Allah
Himself loved the people enough to clearly tell what exactly it took to be
assured of Heaven not Hell. It is still at Allah's discretion. As for the 72
virgins I have always wondered what happens after that due to the fact you can
only be a virgin once. I personally have never read or know of anywhere in
their Holy scripture where it explains this after the fact. I find this awfully
uninspiring myself to dedicate my life to a lifestyle that has no guarantees
from a God or prophet that didn't love me enough to give me the directions that guarantee my way to heaven!
If I am wrong it is a really bad OOPS!
12)
Ironically, only one person claimed to be the
Son of God. He not only did that, He carried it a step further and claimed to
die for the sins of the World. Which leads to what is called the "Trilema" of
Jesus.
13)
If I am really wanting to check them out. I
think I would start here first. Due to the fact if what He said was true about
Himself. Then obviously what He said has to be true. Since being the Son of God
He can't lie.
14)
If He isn't then I am back to where I started on
this search. Which leads me to where I am not sure!
15)
ETERNITY IS TOO LONG TO BE WRONG!
