What Would You Say?

Evangelism Explosion "is a ministry that trains people how to share their faith in Christ." The system begins with two diagnostic questions:

1. Have you reached the point in your spiritual life where you know for certain that if you were to die tonight you would go to heaven?
2. If you were to die tonight and God were to ask you, "Why should I let you into heaven," how would you answer?

Good questions. Piercing questions. Gets you right to the point. And always a problem for me.

I know the right answers. I know the point of the questions. I know that "you may know that you have eternal life" by believing in the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:13). I know that "He who believes in Him is not judged" (John 3:18). I know that. I know the Gospel. I know the good news.

But the question asked is from God: "Why should I let you into heaven?" And when I take that question seriously (as we ought), I have no answer. "Why should You let me into heaven?" I'd want to answer. "I've got nothing here, God. I have no reason that you ought to let me into heaven. I have no right, no claim, no power, no entitlement. All I have is this certificate of debt canceled out with Your Son's name on it¹. That's it."

We have this notion that believing in Christ is a glorified "Get out of jail free" card. We often have this idea that, having prayed the sinner's prayer, we have in some sense obligated God to us. We feel as if we could rightly answer Him, "You must let me in because I've believed in Your Son." But I know me. I know my sin. I know my righteousness is as filthy rags. And I know that if justice alone prevailed, I'd be under the same eternal judgment as Hitler. Why should God let me into heaven? I can think of no reason. That's why, when I think about it, I am so delighted and grateful that He has promised to do just that on the basis of His Son's death and resurrection.
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¹ Col. 2:13-14.