What Happens to People of Other Religions?

Don Barkley —

“Don, what happens to people of other religions? Do they go to heaven?”  

“This is such an important question. Thanks for asking it.”  

“Sure.”  

“I’ll give you my two cents on it. First of all, the Bible never says that anyone goes to heaven because of the religion that they belong to.”  

“Really?”  

“In fact, everyone, whether they’re raised Jewish or Christian, need a Savior, not a religion. And that’s because in order to be in God’s presence, you have to be perfect. Both the Jewish Bible, which is the Old Testament, and the New Testament say that the moral standard required to be with a holy perfect God is perfection.”  

“Uh-oh!”  

“Yeah, the Old Testament says that we should be holy because God is holy. And Jesus says in the New Testament, ‘Therefore, you are to be perfect even as your Heavenly Father is perfect.’ And James says, ‘For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.’ So, no one, by practicing a religion, can remove their sins from their account and stand perfect before God.”  

“But then I’m confused. Don’t you believe that you will go to heaven?”  

“Yes, but not because of my religion, or anything I have done, or the name of the church that I go to.  Without Jesus, there’s no way that I could stand before a perfect, Holy God.”  

“Hmmm…”  

“That’s why you may have heard, it’s not about a religion, it’s about a relationship. Religion tells us what we must do for God. But the Good News—which is what ‘gospel’ means—tells us what God through Jesus has done for us. If Jesus is who He says He is, then He is the One that every person from every religious background needs. He is everyone’s Savior, if they accept Him. And if they accept Him, trusting that He has paid the penalty for sins, then He covers them up, and clothes them in His perfect reputation (His righteousness). I don’t know of another way that imperfect people can have a relationship with a perfect God. But that’s what Jesus promises. With Him as our perfection, we don’t have to fear death. But without Him, all people, whatever their religious practice or tradition (and that includes many who go to Christian churches), will remain separated from a holy God.”   

Don Barkley is the Director of Staff Training at Search and over the last 40 years has led hundreds of discussions about God and life in homes, businesses, country clubs and colleges. With his wife Ann, Don enjoys visiting their kids and grandkids in all four time zones.