If you were to die tonight, would you go to heaven? Are you sure? Why would God let you into his heaven? These are famous questions often used by people doing evangelism. They quickly get to the point and make people think about God, about salvation and the need to believe in Jesus Christ.

Ask this question to a Christian, and they would say they will go to heaven because they believe in the promise of Christ: John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life," Mark 16:16, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

Ask this question to an ordinary Japanese non-Christian, and they also would say they will go to heaven because everyone who dies goes to heaven. For them, faith in God is neither important nor required. I think they took the idea of going to heaven from Christianity, they liked the concept, and then applied it to themselves however they liked, because it is such a nice, comforting hope. Concerning hell, even the Buddhist hell, it is reserved only for the really, really bad people.

Ask this question to a Lutheran, and they would hesitate and think about it for a while before answering. They would think about what they had learned in Sunday school, confirmation, and sermons. They would think about their sin and unfaithfulness. They would know they had not done enough to earn salvation. They would think about their unworthiness. They would realize that they deserved hell. And then they would remember the Gospel as St. Paul wrote in the Letter to the Romans 3:28, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law." And Galatians 2:16, "We know that a man is not justified by works of the law but though faith in Jesus Christ." And then with a big smile and sense of relief, they would say, "Of course I am going to heaven! I believe in Jesus and he will keep his promises."

Ask this question to an ordinary Christian 500 years ago, and they might answer like this. "I say my prayers and attend church. I will go to heaven, but I do not know when I will arrive in heaven, because I do not know how long I will have to spend in Purgatory." The idea of Purgatory is that it is a place between earth and Heaven. Only saints that are 100% pure can enter holy Heaven, and so in Purgatory, sins will be purged and the soul will be made clean enough to enter Heaven. For the average person, this might take thousands of years. The idea of punishment in Purgatory was so bad, that people would say special prayers or go on pilgrimages to lessen their time there. It was even thought possible to transfer your credit to a dead relative who was already there, and you could show your love for them by lessening their time there.

And then the Monk Tetzel came to Germany selling certificates of indulgence. If you bought that certificate, he said, you could escape the punishment of Purgatory and go straight to Heaven. You could even buy an indulgence for your dead relative so that they could leave Purgatory immediately and go to heaven. What a wonderful way to "honor your mother and father!" What a wonderful way to remove worry from your own life now by not having to worry about the afterlife!

There are three problems. First, Martin Luther thought that even if it were true, that it was a horrible idea. He said a man could by an indulgence, and then drink beer and get drunk, go home and beat his wife and children and not worry, because he had paid money to have his sins forgiven, he had paid money to enter heaven, and he had the certificate to prove it.

Second, it was not taught in the Bible. Neither indulgences nor Purgatory are taught in the Bible.

And third, and worst, the idea of buying forgiveness and salvation is against the Gospel. Jesus died on the cross to forgive our sin. He paid for the forgiveness, not with silver or gold, but with his precious and holy blood and suffering. If a person can buy forgiveness, then Jesus did not have to die on the cross. If Christ�fs death was not necessary, then it was in vain, and the suffering and death was a waste and a horrible tragedy of life. We cannot buy something that is given to us as a gift. Romans 3:24 tells us that we are "justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Salvation is a free gift, by God�fs grace.

Maybe we have heard these words so many times that we have gotten bored hearing them. Maybe we have become so sure of our salvation that we do not care how we live or how we act. We might think that since we are saved, that God will forgive all our sins anyway, so we can sin freely and not worry. It would be like one big indulgence from God. Or as one old Lutheran said, "I know I am saved because I have never done a single good work." But St. Paul reminded us this way, 3:31, "Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law." And why do we uphold the law? Do we do it to earn our salvation? No, we do not. Rather, we are free to walk in the newness of life (Romans 6:4) because by faith we are no longer slaves to the law. In today�fs Gospel reading, Jesus said, John 8:31, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

Living by faith is living free. Sure there are the daily troubles and trials and tribulations. But we are free from worrying about our eternal salvation. That freedom gives us peace in our daily lives.

This is the core of the Lutheran Reformation: forgiveness, freedom, assurance, hope, peace, and joy. That is why we celebrate the Reformation every year. We also have annual celebrations of Christmas, Good Friday, Easter and Pentecost. And Reformation tells us to put that work of Christ into our church and into our lives. Reformation is very close to the idea of repentance. Both must be a change to the better. Repentance is daily, and reformation is daily, too. Today we pray that the Holy Spirit will give us the freedom to repent and reform. Today we celebrate our freedom and salvation in the Holy Communion meal where Christ again makes his promise that we are forgiven and saved.

If you were to die tonight, would you go to heaven? Are you sure? Why would God let you into his heaven?

Let us pray. Almighty God, gracious Lord, pour out your Holy Spirit on your faithful people. Keep them steadfast in your grace and truth, protect and comfort them in all temptations, defend them against all enemies of your Word, and bestow on the Church your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church

Michael Nearhood, Pastor
Okinawa Lutheran Church

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