Question #429

Can only perfect people go to Heaven?

There is a church in our area that teaches we can live perfect in this life! In fact they teaches we must live perfect in order to go to heaven is this true?

The Answer:

This question must be answered in general because the inquirer provides no information concerning what is meant by “liv[ing] perfect in this life.” If the term is used to teach that the only way to go to heaven is to live a sinless life, it is contrary to the teaching of scripture. In fact, teaching such calls God a liar. John wrote:

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10)

On the other hand, if the term is used to teach that a sinner must be forgiven by having his sins washed away by the blood of Christ and receiving continuing cleansing through that blood by “walking in the light as he is in the light,” it would be true. In verse seven of the same chapter John wrote:

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Those who teach such doctrine may misinterpret 1 John 2:1a: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.” The structure of this verse is different from the structure of the verses above. “Cleanseth” in 1 John 1:7 is present tense and indicates a continuing action, i.e., Christ’s blood “goes on cleansing us from all sin.” This is in perfect harmony with Paul in Rom. 6. Read the entire chapter. The Christian cannot go on sinning. He is dead to sin, free from sin, and cannot go on living therein. John is saying that the Christian cannot go on living in sin and as long as he doesn’t live in sin the blood of Christ goes on cleansing him. First John 2:a is in the aorist tense and looks at a single time or action. The action here is “sin.” Sin, any sin or a single sin, separates from God and has done so since Eden. See, Isa. 59:2. In 2:1a, John is not saying that Christians cannot or do not sin. It is a warning in what is called “a negative purpose clause.” In the second part of the verse, 2:1b, John says clearly that Christians can and do sin: “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” This part of the verse repeats the truth of 1:7 – The blood goes on cleansing us through the advocacy of our Savior, who pleads for us based on his merit, not upon our on. We are among those of whom Paul said (Rom. 6-8):

Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

One last thought. Folks who teach that one must live a perfect life may restrict that perfection to live after becoming a Christian. That is also wrong for all of the reasons stated above. John and Paul were both writing to Christians. John tells us that a Christian who says that he is perfect has by that act become imperfect – his is a liar. Worse yet, he has called God a liar and has denied the Christ. One who does not sin is not lost. One who is not lost does not need a Savior. One who does not need a Savior has no need for the continuing cleansing of the blood. It strikes me that claiming perfection is not a good argument to make on judgment day before the God of Glory who sent His Son to shed his cleansing blood on our behalf, and did so while were still sinners (Rom. 5:8).