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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Dear Rev. Graham: I work hard to live right, though I fail most every day in some way. I try hard to please God. I do want to be in Heaven someday and want to know if I can be assured of this if I keep working at it. – W.H.

Dear W.H.: It is wrong to want to please God for the wrong reason. Many people hope they can somehow get God to like them. They think they can earn God’s love by being a good person. Then there are others – far too many – who simply ignore God or don’t care what He thinks about them. The Bible urges us to “please [God] in every way: bearing fruit in every good work” (Colossians 1:10, NIV).
No matter how good we think we are, we can never earn God’s love because God’s standard is perfection. Even one sin – just one – would be enough to keep us out of Heaven. The Bible says, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10, NKJV).
This doesn’t mean that God will never love us. It doesn’t mean that we cannot be saved. No human is perfect. But Jesus in His perfect righteousness came to forgive mankind their sins and make us part of His family forever. He did this because He loves us and wants us to be in Heaven with Him for eternity. God offers mankind salvation. It is a free gift from Him, because Christ has already paid for it by His death on the cross. But we must repent and receive Him as Savior and follow Him as Lord. Jesus said, “He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life” (John 5:24, NKJV).
Faith is the only approach to God. No one goes to Heaven until he or she has faith in Jesus Christ.
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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)