A Father's Worst Nightmare Reveals Our Greatest Deception
Picture this: A father in New York City receives a frantic call. A young woman screaming. An angry male voice: "We have your daughter. Do exactly what we tell you or we'll kill her."
This father had already lost one daughter just six months earlier. Now, trembling with fear, he's racing to the bank to pay a ransom for his only remaining child, Ashley.
But here's the twist – Ashley was safe at work the entire time. The whole thing was an elaborate scam.
This true story perfectly illustrates the most dangerous deception facing humanity today: believing that being a good person will get you to heaven.
The Deadly Deception Most People Believe
Just like Ashley's father was deceived by fear and emotion, millions are deceived about their eternal destiny. Ask anyone on the street, "Are you going to heaven?" and they'll likely say:
"I'm a good person"
"I've gone to church my whole life"
"I've done more good than bad"
"I help people whenever I can"
But Romans 2:5-6 delivers a sobering truth:
"But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds"
Here's what most people miss: You're not saved by works – you're LOST by them.
Why Being Good Isn't Good Enough
Think about how we measure "goodness." We compare ourselves to others constantly:
"I'm better than my neighbor"
"I've never murdered anyone"
"I volunteer at the homeless shelter"
"I'm honest in my business dealings"
But James 2:10 destroys this false comfort:
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all"
One violation. One sin. One moment of failure. That's all it takes to be guilty before a holy God.
It's like saying, "I've only broken one link in this chain" – but the entire chain is still broken.
The Two-Sided Coin of Justification
Here's where it gets interesting. The Bible teaches TWO types of justification:
Justification by Faith – This is before God. It saves your soul.
Justification by Works – This is before men. It validates your testimony.
Consider Rahab the harlot. By faith, she was justified before God and saved. By her actions (hiding the spies), she was justified before men who could see her faith was real. But make no mistake – only her faith saved her soul, not her good deed.
God Sees What Others Don't
Unlike human judges who can be fooled, God sees everything. Ecclesiastes 12:14 warns:
"For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil"
Consider this sobering reality:
Every secret thought you've hidden
Every private sin no one knows about
Every selfish motive behind your "good" deeds
Every moment you chose yourself over God
All will be brought to light. And if you're depending on being a good person to save you, these very deeds will become the evidence that condemns you.
Your Heart: The Ultimate Deceiver
Jeremiah 17:9-10 exposes our deepest problem:
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings"
Just as Ashley's father was deceived by his emotions and fear, we're deceived by our own hearts into thinking we're "good enough" for God.
We say things like:
"I feel like I'm a good person"
"My heart tells me God will understand"
"I just know everything will be okay"
But your heart is lying to you.
The Final Judgment: Where "Good People" Discover the Truth
Revelation 20:12-15 paints the terrifying final picture:
"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 whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire"
Notice carefully: They're judged "according to their works." And where do those works lead? The lake of fire.
This is the Great White Throne Judgment – where every "good person" who rejected Christ will stand. The books will be opened. Every deed examined. Every work weighed.
And not one person will be good enough.
So Can Being a Good Person Get You to Heaven?
The biblical answer is devastatingly clear: No.
Romans 3:10 states: "There is none righteous, no, not one"
Being a good person won't get you to heaven because:
God's standard is perfection, not "pretty good"
Your best deeds are tainted by selfish motives
One sin disqualifies you forever
You can't erase bad deeds with good ones
God judges the heart, not just actions
The Only Way: God's Out-of-Court Settlement
Here's the good news: God offers you an "out-of-court settlement." Instead of facing judgment based on your works, you can accept His offer of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Matthew 16:26 asks the ultimate question:
"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
God's goodness leads us to repentance. He doesn't want you treasuring up wrath for judgment day. He wants you to settle out of court through Christ.
Breaking Free from the "Good Person" Deception
Don't be like Ashley's father, deceived into believing a lie. The phone call wasn't real. The danger wasn't real. But his fear and reaction were very real.
Similarly, the belief that being good can save you isn't real. But the danger you're in is absolutely real.
Consider this:
Mother Teresa couldn't get to heaven by being good
The Pope can't get to heaven by being good
Your pastor can't get to heaven by being good
You can't get to heaven by being good
The Two Paths Before You
You have only two options:
Continue trusting in your goodness – Face judgment where every deed, every secret, every thought will condemn you
Trust in Christ alone – Receive forgiveness and eternal life as a free gift, not based on your performance
The Bottom Line
You can fake out other people with your goodness. You can even fake yourself out. But you cannot fake out God.
He knows:
Why you really helped that person
What you were thinking in church
What you do when no one's watching
The jealousy behind your smile
The pride behind your humility
Being a good person won't get you to heaven because you're not as good as you think you are. And even if you were, you're not as good as God demands.
The deception is powerful. The stakes are eternal. But the truth can set you free today.
Don't die believing the lie that being good is good enough. It's not. It never was. It never will be.
🎧 Hungry for the complete biblical answer to this life-and-death question? Listen to the full expository preaching of this powerful sermon on Romans 2. Experience verse-by-verse Bible teaching that will shatter the "good person" myth forever. Don't let deception rob you of eternal life – listen to the full message here and discover why God's way is the only way. 📖✝️