Personal Perfection to Get to Heaven?

by Perry Hall

Ever hear someone say, "I hope I did enough to go to heaven?" Or have you heard preached, "That church isn't 'sound' so anyone baptized there is still lost"? Those are dangerous thoughts.

If we have to be perfect in all areas to get to heaven, then we only need grace until we become perfect. Therefore, we entered heaven because we had made ourselves perfect and no longer needed God's grace. That is a dangerous thought.

When I make it to heaven, it will be because I still need God's grace, not because I used to.

This doesn't mean I shouldn't be concerned that certain imperfections could cause me to fail. They can (I Corinthians 5, 15).

What it does mean is if personal perfection in all things is needed, then no one is saved until they have finished growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (II Peter 3:18). That is a dangerous thought.

God declares us perfect by faith, even though we aren't personally perfect. That is a biblically comforting thought.