I cannot understand why... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
Revelation 22:17

“I cannot understand why a person who has tried to live a morally perfect life should have no more right to heaven than a very bad person.” Such is one lady’s opinion.

The response isn’t difficult. Imagine for a moment that we wanted to visit an exhibition together. The entrance fee is ten pounds, but you have only seven and I have only two in my pocket. Which of us would have a better chance of being admitted? Neither of us, of course!

It is no different with the right to heaven. Of course, people have not all transgressed God’s commandments to the same extent. But not a single person fulfils God’s requirements; no one can earn heaven. Many find it difficult to accept this. However, the evidence in the first three chapters of the letter to the Romans can be of help here. There the Apostle Paul concludes, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Directly following this, Paul emphasises that because of this, the grace of God and justification from sins are offered to all people, completely freely. Here we again encounter the word “freely” from our opening verse. This means that God offers us His salvation completely free of charge: our own efforts do not count at all.

God doesn’t want us to rely on our own efforts but on the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. When it comes to a “right to heaven”, it isn’t our works that count but only faith in Christ.

Today’s reading: Esther 5:1-14 · Proverbs 20:1-10