Why Be Holy (if I am going to heaven anyway)?

Why Be Holy (if I am going to heaven anyway)?

by Pete Berardi

All this talk about the gift of grace has made me think to myself that since I am forgiven of all my sins and God has chosen me as his child, I can do whatever I want. I mean what the heck, I am going to heaven anyhow right? The fact of the matter is that there is no sin that can send me to hell. Just as there is nothing that a man can do in order to be saved, there is only one thing that keeps a man out of heaven. Mark 3:28-29 quotes Jesus: Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. God is a forgiving God. Joel 2:12 states And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. He will forgive any sin that his child commits. The only sin that a man can commit that will keep him out of heaven is to blaspheme the Holy Spirit.

So now the question appears. Why should I not sin? If God is going to forgive everything that I do, I can just do whatever I want and I will still go to heaven.

This is a dangerous thought. In fact Paul asks this question to his audience in the book of Romans Chapter 6 verse 1. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? In fact the whole sixth chapter of Romans is dedicated to this very question. Paul’s answer comes in the last sentence. Romans 6:23 states: For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. God loves us that not only did he give us a way out of the hell to come but also the hell here on earth. By following God’s laws we can have a happier and better life. God’s laws are given to us to protect us, to teach how to live.

The laws that I am referring to are the Ten Commandments. These laws are our school master and a guide for to live our life by. These laws protect us from evil. God knows what is best for us and what will truly make us happy. By following God’s laws we can be assured that the life that is truly best for us will occur.

When Jesus came down to earth, he fulfilled and established the whole law with two simple sentences:

Mark 12:30 states And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Mark 12:31 states And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.