Are You a Good Person?

Last Thursday and Friday, the evening custodian was at a funeral and his daughter, Melissa, was filling in for her dad. I've talked with her several times and knew that she had made many mistakes and was trying to change her life around. After we talked for about 10 minutes, I asked her where she thought she would go when she died. She laughed and replied, "Heaven, I hope."
I asked her why she thought that heaven was her destination and she said that she was a pretty good person.
Next, I asked her if she thought she was a good person and she replied hesitantly, "Well yeah, I try to be good, but keep making mistakes."
You and I both! Can I ask you a few more questions.
"Sure."
Well, have you ever lied before?
Yes, of course!
And if you lie, what does that make you? A liar, right?
Have you ever taken anything before, regardless of the price?
If you have, what does that make you? A thief, right?
Have you ever used the name of our precious Lord and Savior before?
If you have, that makes you a blasphemer.
So, by your own admission, you are a lying, thieving, blasphemer, and these are three of the ten commandments.
If you stand before God on Judgment Day, will you be sentenced to heaven or to hell, based on God's Laws, the Ten Commandments?
She sort of laughed and then looked at me with all seriousness and replied, "Well, I would go to heaven." (You know it tugs at their heart by the way their face changes at their voice answers this question.)
You're right, you would be sentenced to hell. What do you think about that?
Well, I don't like that idea.
Neither does God, Melissa! Growing up Catholic most people will say, God is a loving God, he would NEVER send me to hell.
God is a loving God, but he is also a just God. Think of it this way, if I committed a crime and was standing before a judge and he was going to sentence me and I plead with him not to send me to jail because I am a good person and really try to do the right thing, he is NOT going to be a very good judge if he says, "Oh all right. You do seem like a good person, except for this crime. I will let you go. That would be absurd.
So, on Judgment Day God is about to sentence me and all of a sudden someone comes into the courtroom from the back of the room and says, "Wait, I will take her place."
If that happened, would you allow this other person to spare you from hell for all of eternity?"
"Well, I don't know. That wouldn't be very nice of me to have this other person to pay my price."
"Guess what, Melissa, God already took care of this for you and me. Do you know who that person is that came up from the back of the courtroom, the person that took your place?"
"Jesus, right?"
"Exactly, Melissa. God sent His one and only Son to die on the cross for you and me, so that we can be with Him in heaven for all of eternity. Now will you accept this FREE gift so you can be in paradise?"
I told her what she would need to do if she wanted to accept Jesus' FREE gift either right then and there or later that evening.
Melissa began to talk about how all of her friends are either Jehovah witnesses or athiest.
We talked for a bit longer and I gave her a million dollar bible tract and told her that I would pray for her and her family, as well as all of the changes that she is trying to put in place in her life. The LORD will be the best choice she will ever make. Nothing else will seem to matter if you have the Lord, other than trying to tell others about the BEST NEWS OF ALL.
10 out of 10 people will die and heaven and hell are real places? Where do YOU want to spend eternity?
Please pray for Melissa, Dave, Lisa, & Anna.