International Bible Teaching Ministries
Will All Good People Be Saved?
Many times we have heard people say, “God will save all good people.” This implies that there are good people in all churches who will be saved. It also implies that there may even be good people who have never been members of any church who will also be saved. Will all good people be saved?
What does the Bible say?
The Bible teaches that one can never be good enough to be saved by his own goodness. If people could be saved by their good deeds, then it would not have been necessary for Christ to die for our sins. The Apostle Paul wrote: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Paul also wrote: “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).
Even the very best people, who have lived long enough to know the difference between right and wrong, have sinned. The Bible says: “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks, that they are all under sin. As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. . . . For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:9-10; Romans 3:23).
In Acts, chapter 10, we read about a man named Cornelius. Cornelius was a very good man. He was also a very religious man, but he was not saved. Please notice the Bible’s description of this good man: “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always” (Acts 10:1-2). Please observe that Cornelius was a worshiper of the true God and had taught his family also to fear God. Too, Cornelius was a man of prayer. He was also kindhearted and generous for “he gave much alms to the people.”
In spite of his faith and good deeds, Cornelius was not saved. He was told by an angel of God to “Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved” (Acts 11:13-14).
Will all good people be saved? The answer is “no,” for even the best people have sinned and just one sin can keep a person out of heaven. John wrote, “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27). The only way to remove sin is by the blood of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:5). This is done in our obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We read in Acts 22:16, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
All good people will not be saved. Neither will all religious people be saved. It is not enough to be religious, but one must be right religiously. Jesus said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted” (Matthew 15:13). He also said: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
Not all good people will be saved. Those who will be saved are those who humbly submit to our Lord Jesus Christ in obedience to His gospel and who ever after live for Him doing His Will. “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” (Hebrews 5:8-9).
Dear reader, have you obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ? If you have not, you are lost! Please obey Christ today. “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).