Most people, who do not know, believe that when we die God will weigh our good and bad and if the good outweighs the bad He will let us into heaven. But everyone believes their good outweighs their bad. Yes, they got angry at the guy that cut them off in traffic this morning and complained to his or her spouse about the coffee. They got to the office late but made up a valid excuse. (That wasn’t really lying was it?) But they are not really a bad person, not like Hitler or Stalin.
But in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said after telling them they must do more than the letter of the law, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt 5:28) He didn’t really mean “perfect” did he? How can anyone claim he or she is perfect. It is not fair, I have been a good person. Just because I can’t be perfect are you going to make me go the hell along with Hitler? That doesn’t seem fair and I believe you are just God.
But it is clear from all the testimonies of heaven that it is a beautiful place and everything is perfect, including all our relationships. There is no evil whatsoever, or being angry at someone, or complaining about the coffee, or making up white lies, etc. How could God let someone into heaven who is not perfect? That would spoil everything. No, heaven must remain pure and perfect to be heaven.
But the Scripture, and especially the testimonies of eyewitnesses to heaven, testify as to God’s love for us. If He loves us so much, why make an impossible line for us to cross? Even though His love is beyond imagination, He is also equally and thoroughly just. That means He can’t violate His own requirements but must remain just.
The solution is illustrated by the following story. A young man was caught speeding and driving recklessly and when he was stopped, the police found an open bottle of liquor in his car. The judge read all the charges against him and found him guilty as charged. He was assessed a fine of $10,000 and required to stay in jail until the amount of the fine was fully paid and thereafter serve three years of community service and alcohol treatment. As he was being handcuffed to be taken off to jail because he had no way to pay the $10,000 fine, the judge stepped down off the bench and paid the bailiff the $10,000 fine his son owed, letting his son go free to serve the community service and alcohol treatment.
That is what God has done for us. He let His Son come down to us and take upon himself the death we all deserve for our sins that have kept us from being perfect. He endured everything we deserved. His enemies misjudged him, accused him, ridiculed him, spat upon him, arrested him for their own pleasure, tortured him almost to the point of death (that is what lashings were like), and executed him in the worst method of execution man has devised, a slow painful agonizing death nailed to a cross. On top of that all his friends left him. In His death he paid the price for our sins just as the judge paid the price of his son’s crime. We can go free just by accepting that free gift, just as the judge’s son could go free by accepting his father’s payment of his fine.
When we die there is only one question, “What have you done with my son Jesus? Have you accepted His gift to you?” Some people have a fast simultaneous complete pictorial life review when they die. George Ritchie’s story illustrates this as well as any. Jesus showed him scenes from his whole life and asked him what he wanted to show Jesus. He thought of his Eagle Scout award, but Jesus gave him the thought that that glorified him. Then he thought of becoming a doctor and all the people he would help, but at the same time he saw the mansion, second house, yacht, and fancy cars he would get from all the income. He finally realized the real question was, “What have you done unselfishly for others?” He said it was like coming to the final exam and only then learning what the course was all about. But George and all the others that report this experience said there was no judgment coming from Jesus; the judgment he felt was his own judgment of himself. Jesus was accepting and loving him with more acceptance and love than he had ever known.
Many witnesses have not reported a life review, but comparing the ones that have, it looks to me like the life review is a reminder to those who have accepted Jesus that they have not been serving him wholeheartedly. Obviously these are all people who did not stay in heaven or we would not have their testimonies. The result is that these people came back to life with a renewed sense of what life is really all about and determine to live for the benefit of others, not self.
So two questions to ask of you and you can ask of others: Have you accepted Jesus incredible sacrifice for you so you will not be judged because of your sins? And are you living your life unselfishly for the benefit of others?