How Good Is Good Enough?: Since Nobody's Perfect . . .

by Andy Stanley

Surely there's more than one way to get to heaven? Bestselling author Andy Stanley addresses this popular belief held even among Christians. But believing that all good people go to heaven raises major problems, Stanley reveals. Is goodness not rewarded, then? Is Christianity not fair? Maybe not, he says. Readers will find out why Jesus taught that goodness is not even a requirement to enter heaven - and why Christianity is beyond fair. Andy Stanley leads believers and skeptics alike to a grateful awareness of God's enormous grace and mercy.

Good People Go to Heaven...Don’t They?

Sure they do. It only makes sense.

Actually, it doesn’t really make any sense at all. Smart, educated, accomplished men and women everywhere are banking their eternities on a theory that doesn’t hold water. Chances are, you’ve never really thought it through. But you owe it to yourself to do so.

Find out now what’s wrong with the most popular theory about heaven—and what it really takes to get there.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Christianity, Religion, Evangelism, Faith, Theology

94 pages, Hardcover

First published January 28, 2003

About the author

Andy Stanley is the senior pastor of North Point Community Church, Buckhead Church, and Browns Bridge Community Church. He also founded North Point Ministries, which is a worldwide Christian organization.

Reviews

[Courtney Wyant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in my moms bathroom and saw this on the shelf and picked it up. best thing I ever did.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Prima maar niet heel sterk
2.5/5

[Lana Olson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book starts out with sound logic exploring what it takes to 'get to heaven'. It goes through some of the major flaws with quantifying how 'good' one is and how there is no real reference book or manual for being 'good'. It loses me in the last section where it just jumps to the conclusion (IMHO) that Christianity must be the only way since no one is good enough and through Christ all is forgiven. I think the author, had he wished to perform a thorough analysis of the topic could have lengthened the book and explored more religions and philosophies, thoroughly defined 'heaven' and when it is that one gets there (not all belief systems think it is a place to 'get to' after you die), and then systematically prove out his theory. I think a more accurate title for this book could be 'Why I believe in Christ and you should too if you know what's good for you'

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

When we visited my parents’ church last Sunday they were giving out copies of this book to visitors. It sets out a brief and accessible explanation of the concept of grace, which really is what sets Christianity apart from every other religion. It’s by no means a comprehensive work of apologetics, but it’s short enough — 90 pages that can be read in about an hour— that curious people might actually read it. So yeah, it think it’s a pretty good give-away book.

[Dorine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book with a positive message. Full review coming soon at TheZestQuest.com and reposted here

[Juna · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful book! im so glad kenny encouraged me to read it. stanley basically wants you--for your own peace of mind, really--to stand toe to toe with your undeniable mortality (i love the way my mother always put it..'thats the thing about this world--nobody makes it out of here alive') and your beliefs on whatever 'eternity' awaits you on the other side. and its a task thats supremely uncomfortable and distressing for lots of folks, probably more so for me than most i associate with (mainly, because most of my friends my age arent thinking about dying, in my opinion the hidden curse of youth, that leads many to devalue life and act recklessly). BUT as stanley points out its such a fearful prospect for some because it is the ultimate unknown, uncharted 'territory'. we dont know where it is, what it looks like, or if it even exists. so in reading this youre forced to really focus on what your beliefs are about heaven, because as he points out, most of what youve held onto as the definitive understanding of paradise and who deserves to reside there, are skewed and erroneously steeped in scripture taken out of context. it also requires you to ask of yourself who you believe 'belongs' in heaven, and if there is a guest list, what about you, your character, and your faith qualifies you to be on it. really poignant concept really...i know plenty of christians who are so sure theyre going, theyre already picking out curtain swatches for their spot in heaven but wouldnt cross the street to spit on their fellow man if he were on fire. me, i know i try my best to 'be good' but i still dont think i deserve anything better than damnation--isnt that whats reserved for sinners?--no i havent murdered anyone or coveted anyones husband but im no better, im a sinner all the same

if i had to categorize i would call it a 'christian' book but reading it made me realize that even as a christian i cant be categorized. my faith, as it turns out, much like my musical and artistic tastes are surprisingly eclectic...

which leads me to wonder
is that even ok? to be an 'eclectic' christian?? to believe in the supreme, tandem humanity/divinity of jesus but also have a decidedly buddhist, 'brahmic' understanding of god???? ah well, im going to hell anyway...

[Dana Hashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing book by Andy Stanley. A short, quick read. What determines a good person? Who makes up the rules? Why do the rules seem to change in history, or even in our own value system as we mature? Why are the rules so unclear? Is that fair?

Some believe God wants you to love your neighbors while others believe you should blow up your neighbors.

"Jesus not only didn't believe good people go to heaven but he believes bad people so!"

Also, see page 61- The Recap

[Tara Tetzlaff · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stanley starts off well in exploring the insufficiencies of the " good people go to heaven" argument, but his argument falls apart in the second half. a few points of contest: 1.) Stanley seems to make the assumption that getting to heaven is the goal, which is not necessarily the belief or focus of Christianity. 2.) It is unnecessary to link grace and forgiveness with the concept of sacrificing atonement. what does it say about God if God "requires payment"? So God is vindictive and carries out vengeance against God himself? Stanley's argument is highly individualistic and self serving, ignoring Jesus' emphasis on caring for the marginalized (Matt. 25), but preserves the status quo. A disappointing read and one that does little to proclaim the gospel message of hope for the hopeless.

[Evan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have two issues with this book. The first is that Stanley poses many deep theological conundrums throughout this book, but he never seeks to answer them. He does this to prove his point that apart from God there is no answer. However, I find this to be more harmful than helpful. This leads into the second problem that I have with this book. Stanley makes it a point in the first half of this book to say that good people don’t make it to heaven, but is seems like bad people do. He also notes that the normal everyday person is not a good person, but also not like murderers. This leaves the reader wondering if it is even possible to make it to heaven. Where he does eventually answer this question (in the last two chapters), he leaves people wondering and frustrated. I believe there will be many who begin reading this book looking for answers, but will ultimately put it down before anything is answered, all because he desires to wait until the last possible minute to answer this one question.

[Tiffany Markovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a super quick (1 hour read), but it was packed with so much truth! If you are one who believes “all good people go to heaven”, I would highly recommend reading this to understand it is actually not all good people, but all forgiven people that go to heaven.
Jesus tells us that HE is the only way to the Father, not by doing “x” amount of good deeds or saying the right things enough times. Being “good” is arbitrary and there are no sets of laws that tell us how to get into heaven.
Christianity is (despite many opinions) the most inclusive religion because scripture tells us that WHOEVER believes in Him will have eternal life.

I am truly thankful that God is not fair, because if he was, I would not have any hope. I am grateful for his grace and mercy each day.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is hard to know if you've done enough good things to earn your way into Heaven, and this book addresses that issue. As a Christian, I sometimes struggle with the balance between "faith" and "works." Which is more important, and how do they work together? This book was a helpful resource as I continue to think through the relationship between "belief in Jesus" and "doing good deeds."

[Melanie Mead · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent, clear explanation of the commonly believed, "all good people go to heaven" theory and the Christian alternative to that view. As I read the book, I had many moments of: "I've never thought of it that way before." This little book is well worth a read (it's short - took me maybe 1.5 hrs to get through). I plan to share it with others as I think it does a great job of answering objections to the Christian faith and presenting the "unfair" but wonderful good news that going to heaven is not based on being good enough.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this read. It was short but still very thought-provoking. If you think the idea that “all good people should go to heaven” makes sense, this book is definitely worth checking out. It might not change your mind, but it will certainly help you think through some of the challenges with that idea.

[Tim Baumgartner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is told of a Sunday school teacher whose assignment was to explain the 6-year-olds in his class what someone had to do in order to go to heaven.
So…he asked a few questions to discover what they already believed about it.
“If I sold my house and car, had a big garage sale, and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into heaven?”
“NO!” They all answered.
“If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into heaven?”
“No!” They answered.
“Well then. If I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children and loved my wife, would that get me into heaven?”
Again, they all shouted, “No!”
“Well then, how can I get into heaven?”
A boy in the back row stood up and shouted, “YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!” (7-8)

Stanley then comments on best-selling authors who claim they went to heaven and returned to tell us about it–but they never say HOW they were able to get there!

He also said his assumption is that everybody is busy and nobody has time to think about heaven. So they don’t. (9)

The internationally held assumption is that “Good people go to heaven.”

The logic:
There is a good God who lives in a good place reserved for good people.
This God goes by many names, He is behind all major world religions.
Therefore, all major, and possibly minor religions provide a legitimate path to God and, therefore heaven.

Make sense? Actually, it doesn’t really make sense at all.

If you are like most people, you believe that everybody lives forever somewhere, that once you die, your soul goes somewhere.

...the religions of the world share one common denominator:
How you live your life on this side of the grave determines what happens next. (11)

If God appeared to you and asked, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” how would you answer? If you’re like most people, you’d answer:

“I’ve always tried to…”
“I never…”
“I do my best…”

When Stanley talks to people from various religious backgrounds, it reiterates how most believe good people go to heaven.

But then something happens that forces you to seriously reconsider the question of what’s next.
As good as you are, you aren’t really sure if you have been good enough.

Stanley then talks about his wife who visited her mom as she was getting close to dying (she is the holiest person she knows). When asked if she knows where she is going to go to heaven after death, she said, “I hope so.” If she’s not sure, can’t nobody be sure. (16)

Most assume if they die in their sleep, they will wake up at the pearly gates.

The logic behind two good people go to heaven is seemingly impenetrable on two accounts.
First, it is fair.
Second, it coincides with the notion that there is a good God.

Besides the fact that this view appeals to our common sense, it is good for society. It keeps everybody on their best behavior–or at least it should.

In fact, life is the primary reason people struggle with the notion of a good God.
…a good God should have communicated directly to us…the problem is they (all religions) have a different formula.

Some say all religions are basically the same. But not when you prepare actual examples.
The good people go has some major problems.
First of all, if good people go to heaven, then we need a clear and consistent definition for what is good.

Let me illustrate:

#1-If you sign up for a race, and you line up and see the path fork off in three directions with no signs. The race official says there’s no map. What’s the distance? You ask. He says, “Just run.”

Would you call that a good race?

#2-If you go to school and your professor says your class grade will be determined by how well you do on your final exam. They then announce class is dismissed and there will be no more class meetings until the final. When you ask if there’s a syllabus or any textbooks you should read, the professor says, “None of that is necessary. Just be ready for the final.”

Would you be recommending that class?

It gets worse.

If there is a level of performance that gets us into heaven and God neglects to tell us exactly what it is then you are not only good, you are better than God! (27)

Isn’t there a built-in sense of right and wrong inside all of us?

…it finds its source in God.
…it is awfully difficult to explain how people throughout human history have continued to arrive at similar conclusions regarding right and wrong.

Your conscience is an interesting thing. It condemns you when you do bad, but it doesn’t do much in the way of assuring you when you do well.

Think about it.

If your inner sense of right and wrong had the ability to reassure you when things were right between you and God, there would be no need for religion at all.
But as you move beyond “Thou shalt not kill, lie, and steal,” diversity of opinion abounds.

…our perception of right and wrong changes as time passes.
EX: In high school, Stanley’s friend moved in with a guy, as it seemed the right thing to do. But 20 years later, she approached him with tears in her eyes, regretting the decision, even calling it sin. Sh

EX: In the fifties, black people were absolutely not welcomed in his church. In the church archives, it stated how one Sunday a black woman arrived, people left who were around her and they eventually turned out the lights on her! Then they approached her and asked her to leave. Then they sang:
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise Him, all creatures here below.
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Aaaaaaa-men!”

I am certain in their hearts they thought they were doing right.

Years later, many from the congregation admitted they were wrong.

My point? We change.

Someone said they would go to heaven because they follow the Ten Commandments.
“Do you even know the Ten Commandments?” He said, “Only a few of them.” When asked where it mentions them, they said they “didn’t know.”

But the fact is, there is no connection between the Ten Commandments and heaven.

The standard is too high.

What was their purpose? …to provide a social and civil framework for the nation of Israel.

But nowhere did he promise heaven for those who kept the law. And nowhere did he threaten hell for those who didn’t. (43)

…the New Testament is full of stuff about heaven and hell.

Here’s what the New Testament says about working our way into heaven:
Romans 3:23
Romans 3:10
Romans 6:23
Romans 3:20

The New Testament comes right out and says what the Old Testament implies: No one will reach God by being good.

…the good people go view has several hurdles to clear. The first is that there is no universal consensus regarding what is right and what is wrong. The second follows from the first.

When you die, do you get to go to heaven if your good deeds constitute 70% of your overall deeds? Or does 51% earn you a passing grade? (45)

What % is enough? God has not revealed it.

Let’s assume God is extraordinarily merciful and requires only 10%. Even then you could find yourself just one work shy of a passing grade. To make matters worse, you would have had no idea what one act of kindness would have made since God never made it clear.

If 90% was required, what if Mother Theresa was the cosmic curve?

In the what if mode, what if we ran out of time and didn’t have enough to get things right?

Shouldn’t God show up each generation and clarify? Goodness 7.0.

Only the good go imagines a God who values our strengths and pretty much ignores our weaknesses.

Do you know why the world religions cling to this idea in one way or another? Because there aren’t any good options.

Perhaps everyone goes to heaven. But that would mean the majority of religious leaders have misled us for generations. And if everyone is going to make it, why doesn’t God just tell us that?

Next, we will examine the third and perhaps the most surprising obstacle to the good people go view.

…there was one major religious figure who did not believe in that good people go to heaven. (48)

In fact, if good people go to heaven, Jesus completely misled his audiences and, on at least one occasion, wrongly comforted a dying man.

…he taught that God was intent on not giving people what they deserved…it was a departure from anything that had ever been taught anywhere at any time by anyone. (49-50)

That might result in a moral free-for-all!

See Matthew 5:20.

The Pharisees were professional do-gooders.

Basically, he pointed to the Pharisees and said, “As good as you are, you aren’t good enough.”
…then nobody was.

If that’s the case, what about us?

The only person who can forgive someone is the one offended or wronged. You wouldn’t ask me to forgive you for something you did to your mother… Jesus told people their sins were forgiven when he wasn’t even involved in the conflict. Makes no sense.

Besides he seems to contradict himself. One minute he assured bad people they had a place reserved in God’s kingdom. Then he turned right around and assured the best people they didn’t. (53-54)

The second criminal [being crucified with Jesus, as recorded in Luke] readily admitted that his life was so horrible that he was actually getting what he deserved.

One of his last acts before dying was to promise a criminal a spot in paradise!

That’s why the religious leaders got rid of him. Jesus was teaching an entirely different message.

And yet just about everybody has good things to say about Jesus.

So if you embrace the notion that good people go to heaven, you can’t embrace the teachings or person of Christ. At least, you can’t if you are going to be intellectually honest. (59)

Contrast John 14:6 with Surah 2:62 (The Cow, italics added):
“Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the
Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve.” (60)

…let me summarize what we have said thus far. The good people go to heaven has several seemingly insurmountable problems:

We don’t know exactly what good is. Even our religious leaders can’t agree on the subject.
Our internal moral gauges aren’t much help. They don’t line up cross-culturally (or even across the street for that matter). And as time passes, our definitions of right and wrong tend to change.
We have no clear indication from God how the scoring system for good deeds works.
It is difficult to reconcile the notion of a good God with a system that is so unclear and seemingly unfair. This is especially true in light of what’s at stake.
We can’t use the Bible as a gauge to measure how close we are to getting in. The Bible doesn’t claim to offer a way to heaven through good works. Besides, the catalog of good works listed in the Old Testament is culturally irrelevant and physically impossible to keep.
Jesus assured the most religious people of his day that they weren’t good enough to enter God’s kingdom, while promising criminals and prostitutes that God would gladly welcome them. (61)

Do you know where this view came from? Not with God.
This view does not seem to be going away–despite it not making any sense.

Other than abandoning belief in God, there seems no other approach.

There is another way.

PART 2: THE ALTERNATIVE
According to this view, forgiven people go to heaven (which comes from Jesus).

This is undeniably true: He either was or wasn’t who he claimed to be.

But people are hesitant to embrace either of those options. Nearly every major world religion views Jesus as special but not quite as special as he claimed to be.

So, 4 options:
Liar
Lunatic
Lord
Legend

Needing to make amends for or pay for a wrong deed is not a new concept.

God went to great lengths to convince us of our sin (in the Bible). Let me illustrate.

Then Stanley discusses how adorable his son was when born. But as time went on, his selfish nature got exposed. Their rules didn’t create his selfish nature. They sure revealed it (the desire to do things his way, at their parents expense).

The law of Moses was also given to make people aware of the sin that resided in them. (Romans 3:20)

In terms of coveting, Stanley is guilty every day. But he never knew he was guilty until I knew God required him to be content with what he had.

To subscribe to the good people go view assumes that we just need to do better. But Christianity teaches we need a savior, which separates itself from all other religions.

…the punch line for the rest of this book: Christianity is the fairest possible system in a world that is irreversibly unfair. (77)

Let’s look at the assumption at the heart of the fairness debate.

people are basically saying:

Christianity is unfair; therefore, I don’t believe it is true.

Fairness doesn’t determine truth.

The good people go view appears to be fair, but it’s really not!

The initial appeal is not fairness, but forgiveness.

Christianity is based on the premise that God laid aside fairness and opted for mercy and grace instead.

Life is not fair. But we don’t expect people to be satisfied with things being unfair either.
EX:
“No fair! My piece is bigger!”
“No fair! I got more presents than everyone else!”

Stanley shared story of his son pitching in baseball, the ref making a bad call by calling a third strike that was clearly wide. But he said in his heart: “Thanks You, Lord!” But if the kid who was batting was pitching, he would have thought it was unfair. Crazy how it works like that. (81)

Stanley has more money than others, but that doesn’t make him want to redistribute it to others.

We are fickle in our demands for justice.

Do we really want God to give us what we deserve?

The best answer is “I don’t know.” We don’t know what we really deserve.

God tried being fair once. Things didn’t work out too well.

At one point, God only gave humans one commandment, which was committed to memory.

When Adam and Eve ate the fruit, the possibility of fairness came to an end. (84)

God had two choices: Start over or resort to mercy and grace.

Why should we pay for their sins? I don’t know. But we do.

Chances are we have all suffered as a result of someone else’s choices. (We could think of LOTS of examples)

Stanley believes that God suffered as well the day fairness died. He had to do something very unfair. He sent His Son to earth to suffer and die for sin He didn’t commit.

Is Christianity fair? It certainly isn’t fair to God. Fairness would demand that we die for our own sins. But the good news is that God opted for grace and mercy over fairness.

I don’t know how you account for bad things happening to good people. Christianity offers both an explanation and a solution. The explanation is that when sin entered the world, life became irreversibly unfair. The solution is…well, the topic of the final chapter. (86)

Someone scratched the letter “A” on his car, and even tried other letters too. He was heated. But he found out his 3 year-old daughter did it.

There was no way he was going to be able to explain to her the significance of her actions, and what it was going to cost him in dollars, time and hassle to get it fixed…It would be equally absurd to demand that she pay for the damages. (Fair, but unrealistic)

How should he react? Sever the relationship? Demand payment? Rant and ‘rave’? Of course not.

He knelt down and asked, “Please don’t do that anymore." And he continued to love her as much as ever. He paid for the damage caused. And he wasn’t concerned about fairness. What was most appropriate was grace and mercy. Even if it meant that he had to pay for what she had done.

God sees our sin as a debt that we can’t pay. There’s no point in asking us to. See Romans 5:6.

Good people don’t go to heaven. Forgiven people do.

Is Christianity fair? What is fairer than this:
Everybody is welcome
Everybody gets in the same way
Everybody can meet the requirement
These all match John 3:16

Sample prayer (You can ignore it or repeat it verbatim):
What matters is you believe Jesus is who he claimed to be and that you are no longer trusting in what you have done, or will do, to get you to heaven.

Heavenly Father, thank You for not being fair. Thank You for instead being merciful.
I believe true fairness would have separated me from You forever, because that’s what I deserve. Thank You for sending Jesus to die for my sins.
I now place my faith in him as my savior.
Thank You for sending him to die in my place.

The word gospel means “good news.” The good news is that good people don’t go to heaven–forgiven people do.
And if you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your savior, you are one of those forgiven people! (92)

[Brad Bolton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every once in awhile I read a book and think: "I wish I had written this!" because it touches on so many thoughts I've had or discussed with others. That's how I felt reading Andy Stanley's 'How good is good enough?'. Many concepts are drawn from the works of CS Lewis, Josh McDowell and others but Stanley's description of the difficulty relying on one's conscience was insightful. In fact, he expands on Lewis' position that conscience is a relatively consistent guide amongst people of different regions and historical periods, pointing to an external source of our internal 'moral law'.

In response to the majority belief that 'something' good will happen to good people when they reach the other side, Stanley does a terrific job explaining the impossibility of knowing just how good one needs to be when the definition of 'good' itself differs amongst individuals, societies and religions. Where I felt he touched on something rarely discussed but I think of often, was how he tied the practice of ancient sacrifice into Christ's own. We see sin lead to death around us all the time, any belief system that is true should reflect that observation. We also expect those who commit sin which hurts us, or others, to be dealt with justly but we prefer not to face justice for our own sinful acts. Finally, Stanley's description of how we rarely expend much emotion demanding fairness when we get more than we deserve certainly hits home. Whether it's an erroneous call made by a referee in my team's favour, or my reluctance to redistribute excess wealth beyond what I really need to those born into unfair circumstances, I'm guilty!

Good people don't go to Heaven because there are no good people, and while Stanley doesn't elaborate with the following I would add that it's logically impossible. If an imperfect person was allowed into a perfectly good Heaven, Heaven itself would no longer be perfect! Fortunately, there is a solution for this conundrum because God doesn't require justice when it comes to our sins and Stanley outlines the solution as well as anyone in the final chapter...

[Jaycee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great little read. I was able to make many connections to my real life and so many of the subjects the author spoke about made sense. I loved the chapter when they spoke about fairness and he said "think about the last time you thought something was unfair? It was likely unfair because it did not benefit you" I feel like I really think about that on a day to day basis now.

[Dorothy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I traded a box of old books for a box of someone else's old books and found this. I almost didn't want to add it because it was so short, but my OCD wouldn't allow that because it does come up as a book although only 92 pages. I was actually very interested in his discussion and waiting for the shoe to drop. Bam! Last chapter. If you're a born again Christian I'm sure you love this book. I'm an atheist who still finds the subject of religion interesting. My first thought on finishing this book was, What a crock of 💩. And aren't we special. So if you are any other religion your beliefs no matter how ancient or dearly held are wrong. It's not about fair. It's about we know the real truth so we will be rewarded even if our whole life we were horrible individuals. Well, all I can say is I disagree. I expect at some point to die and have my basic elements go back into their component parts as do all living things. I don't however condemn everyone who doesn't believe that. Can't we just live and let live and accept that basic societal laws should be followed? Ex. Don't kill, steal, etc. But it was interesting to read so I gave it 2.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Notes:

Here is the gospel according to Andy:
+ Good people don’t go to heaven, forgiven people do
- “There is no connection between the ten commandments and heaven… There is no promise of heaven for people who keep the ten commandments”
- “There is no universal consensus regarding what is right and what is wrong”
- And even if there were, if “good” people go, how good is good enough? This question is not adequately answered by any world religion
- It’s unfair to be held accountable to a standard you aren’t clearly informed about at the outset. What if you fell one deed short of heaven? The good news in the Christian view is that God treats us better than fair and we don’t get exactly what we deserve

[Elizabeth Castellanos · Rating 1 out of 5]

El autor quiere explicar el cristianismo desde una perspectiva más comprensible para personas ateas, pero en este intento por ser más "empático", se torna en un texto reduccionista. El propósito del cristianismo no es ir al cielo, no es cumplir con una serie de requisitos. Es una exégesis muy deficiente para venir de alguien que dice ser pastor cristiano. Apenas y explica en un par de párrafos (literalmente) la gracia, cuando esta es LA base del cristianismo. Honestamente, este libro no tiene bases bíblicas y NO lo recomiendo. Es un texto peligroso que puede confundir a nuevos creyentes.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is excellent for answering the question, how good do I have to be to get to heaven.
Well thought out but simple reading.

[Eric Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved the book. bought a 10 pack for my mother and she gives them out to peeps. Great look and in simple language of how to deal with being imperfect and a perfect God.

[Cindyanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Would recommend to anyone with questions regarding Christianity and doesn't give a one-sided opinion - lots of good arguments and concrete facts.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wished it was longer. His sermon series with the same title was a good listen also.

[Ryan Rindels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like Andy Stanley's style. This is a good little read. He pleads convincingly in a unique oblique approach

[greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author Andy Stanley main point within the book is that good people do go to heaven. He uses different verses in the Bible, speaks about the main purpose of Jesus being crucified and God’s fairness.

The first part of the book is about the saying if good people go to heaven that means God is good as well. He questions whether his teachings are true and what his true motive. What are our true intentions on this earth? How do we know what he wants us to do in order to enter the gates of Heaven? Just a bunch of questions regarding “good people”.

The second part of the book revolves around the idea life isn’t fair since God isn’t fair. If we were to be punish for the things we have done and He was fair, what would happen? We would pay, but God has mercy for what we deserve and grace for what we don’t deserve. Ultimately, ending in forgiveness. Jesus died, so we can have forgiven for our sins. Even it wasn’t fair to him, we are the byproduct of human nature. It isn’t good people will go to heaven, it’s forgiven people will go to heaven.

The book had a very good message, short and sweet. I got this book when I randomly went to a church I never been to, and they handed this book out to everyone. Interesting why they would want us to read this.

I actually really enjoyed the book more than I should have, I recommend this to anyone who is trying to understand God’s message and why our life is the way it is.

Themes include goodness, fairness and forgiveness.

[Rose Olsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Someone at church gave me this because I tend to be more universalist in my beliefs than other Christians. I'm open minded enough to say this was interesting, but I am not close minded enough to take it word for word without speculation. He event admits that his thinking is elitist. There are some points that make sense such has How do you define good? and what level of good do you need to reach in life? However, he does not take his argument to a worldly perspective that makes sense. What about other cultures? You could read this and leave it thinking that because you were born into the right family you are going to heaven and you can treat people however you want in this world. Regardless of the how good is good enough concept, isn't telling people that being good does not matter a bad thing for society. It has this go to my church or you are going to hell cult vibe that does not sit right with me and should not sit right with others. All complaining aside, the book did make me think and consider this perspective more than I did before reading it.

[Michale Lalor · Rating 4 out of 5]

My rating is 4/5 stars simply because the first 90% of the book is fascinating in asking some very fair questions about religion and skepticism surrounding it. The biggest fault in this book lies in the fact that the author struggled to create a proverbial bridge from said content to the conclusion. The pacing is very jarring.

Either way, I got the book for free from a church and whether you actually practice Christianity or not, it's an entertaining read, and there's a lot to learn in terms of HOW to think and explore these topics vs. WHAT to think, a very common plague in the realm of religious texts.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read Andy Stanley before, but I admit I went in with a little hesitation because I've heard recently that he hasn't been as biblically solid. However, this little book was good, and I enjoyed his causal writing style. He goes through the "Good people go to Heaven" view that many, if not most, people believe, working through its good qualities and its gaps. Then he presents Christianity as an alternative to this belief since in Christianity, good people don't actually go to Heaven - forgiven people do. I thought his presentation was clever and didn't try to bash anyone over the head with the Bible.

[Jenny Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t remember how this book came to be in my collection. But in going through books recently, I decided to evaluate whether or not to hang onto it.

For much of the short book, Stanley used logic and common questions to discuss where we go in the afterlife. For example, God isn’t good if he doesn’t tell us what he considers good. And Exodus doesn’t include the promise of eternal life with the 10 commandments. But a little over ¾ of the way through or logic paths hit a fork.

Overall, it’s a decent book and I will keep it in my collection for now. This is my honest and unbiased review.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did not like this book until about 1/2 way through. The beginning made me slightly irritated for some reason. I think I didn't like the fact that it was hard to decide what point the author was trying to make. I wasn't sure if he believed in Heaven, God and any specific religion or if he hated it all. finally by the second half of the book, it was clear where he stood and things fell into place. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it really drives home some things that are often preached in my church and Bible study groups.