Romans 10 - Must you believe in Christ to go to Heaven?
My previous entry on Romans 10 answers a direct question that many have for Christianity… can someone who is not a Christian go to Heaven? My thought has always been that God holds us accountable for what we know.  Well, I believe I have been taking the wrong approach. Â
I have often prayed to God that those who are not Christians would somehow be able to go Heaven, not despite their evil, but because it’s clear from their actions that goodness means a lot to them, and because I see the wonderment in their lives of what God has made and blessed them with… whether they acknowledge it as such or not. I have prayed this, knowing how foolish a prayer it really is, but God has put a love in my heart for those people, and though I talk to them as occasions arise, they continue to live basically good lives, for goodness’s sake, but never repent of their sins and give their lives to Christ.
Many Christians are troubled by not knowing, wondering if they’ve picked the right faith. I understand, even though I do not fall into that camp myself. My spirit is firmly entrenched with the Holy Spirit to a degree that prevents me from following those fleshly impulses that turn others away from the God and the church. So, I both understand them, but am not one of them. I am God’s. Well, I now believe that Paul was like this as well, and I like how he resolved it, because he appears to start Romans 10 with a thought very similar to my own…
1Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.
I agree. That is my prayer, too, though I include those gentiles would appear to be godly, but for their lack of faith. Lack of faith? Paul goes on…
2For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Notice that Paul is not excluding the righteouss that comes from zealousness for God as being salvific, but he is saying that righteousness that comes from belief is definitely salvific. In fact, looking back in verse 1, he appears to think that the righteousness rooted in zelousness may in fact be. But is it? Well, instead of answer that, he provides this profound insight…
 5Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: “The man who does these things will live by them.” 6But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7“or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
Wow. In other words, if you are righteous by faith, you should stop asking the question! And why? Because asking who will go to Heaven is like asking who rise to Christ’s level… which can only serve to bring Christ down; and asking who will go to Hell overlooks the fact that Christ went down there, too! And He overcame it! In fact, a common thought when philosophizing about Hell is to wonder if people might not actually be there forever, and might actually be able to suffer enough that they might then go to Heaven after all… but that ironically places one in the position of Christ as well, because He did go to Hell and He did suffer enough for all of mankind. So, what will God do? We don’t have to know, and all we accomplish by pondering it is to place ourselves before Christ!
In the end, be comforted that God provided the means to be righteous through zealousness for Him, that He sent Christ to Hell, where He may well have preached to those who would hear, and that God loves you enough to relieve you of that responsibility of saving the world. Just be responsible with the knowledge He has given you; obey when He tells you to witness. Follow Him in faith, for that is the bottom line.
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:51 am
As I continue to Romans 11, Paul clarifies, that faith has replaced works, that there was salvation by works, but no longer, because Christ came as the fulfillment of the law to which they were working… and receiving that fulfillment of the law is converted to an act of Grace by God, for the faith of those accepting the gift of Christ… but God has a remnant in mind for salvation from Israel. So, it is not so much that zelousness is or is not salvific, but that for those who would be saved, Christ will be revealed.
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:01 am
Romans 14 says, “17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.”