When President Donald Trump spoke recently about his hopes of getting to Heaven, the remark quickly made headlines. Reflecting on the terrible human cost of the war in Ukraine, he said that helping to end the conflict could “save 7,000 people a week from being killed,” and then added, “I want to try and get to Heaven if possible. I’m hearing I’m not doing well. But if I can get to Heaven, this will be one of the reasons.”

Some reacted with cynicism, while others dismissed it as just another sound bite. But I believe the comment deserves a deeper reflection.

As Jason Williams of North Carolina Faith and Freedom observed: “It’s genuinely refreshing to hear a president express such a desire. What a blessing to have a leader who acknowledges eternity and wants to do something good with the time he has on Earth.”

Indeed. President Trump has been a faithful friend to the Christian community. He has stood boldly for life, defended our religious liberty, and championed policies that reflect our Biblical values. Now, as he turns his eyes toward peace and eternal things, Christians should be grateful and prayerful, asking God to give him light, guidance, and ultimately the assurance of salvation that only comes through trusting in Christ alone and his finished work on our behalf.

I would be derelict in my spiritual duty if I didn’t point out that the president is mistaken on this subject, and, truthfully, so are most people. It is a common assumption that if we do enough good and make enough of a difference, if the scales of morality are tipped with more good behavior than bad in life, Heaven will be our reward. But this is not what the Bible teaches.

When Jesus began the most famous sermon ever preached, the Sermon on the Mount, He didn’t start by saying, “Blessed are the peacemakers” or “Blessed are the merciful,” although He did say those things later. He began with this: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

To be “poor in spirit” means to know that our spiritual bank account is empty – that we are spiritually impoverished – and that no accumulation of good works, no stack of moral achievements, no record of activism, philanthropy, or political service can pay the staggering debt of our sin. The kingdom of heaven does not belong to those who have done the most, but to those who come with nothing, humbled and emptied, casting themselves entirely upon God’s mercy in Christ.

This is a tall order for most people because nobody likes being told they are broke, especially spiritually. Pride makes it hard to admit our real condition before God. We must acknowledge that we don’t have what it takes to earn Heaven. We are all sinners, and everyone has utterly failed by God’s holy standards.

The Bible means this when it says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The same truth is emphasized when we read, “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).

This truth hit me once in a rather humorous way. I once lived out in the country, right down the road from an old-fashioned country store. Wooden framed, creaky wood floors, shelves full of everything: milk, bread, bags of dog food for your hunting dogs stacked to the ceiling, farming tools, and a half-circle of farmers sitting in chairs, jawing about the weather and local gossip. I’d stop in often to pick up a few groceries. The folks who ran it were kind and helpful – real salt-of-the-earth people. Not what you’d call fancy, educated, or sophisticated. They had a down-home style unmistakably their own, if you know what I mean.

“One day, the phone rang. It was the store’s regular cashier. In her thick country drawl, she said, ‘Rev. Creech, I need ya to come on down here an’ take care of this bad check.’”

I said, “What? Wait – you’ve got a bounced check from me? Surely not!”

“Yes, sir,” she replied. “I’m lookin’ at it right here in my hand.” Then she paused, like she was reading the verdict in a courtroom. “And, it says… ‘Insignificant funds.’”

I said, “Oh my goodness… It’s bad enough when your funds are ‘insufficient’ – that’s embarrassing. But when they’re ‘insignificant’? Now that’s as bad as it gets! I’ll be right there.”

That little mix-up has always made me chuckle, but much truth is said in jest. It reflects a serious spiritual reality – that’s our spiritual condition? We like to think our good deeds count for something before God. We polish them up like trophies: our philanthropy, our church attendance, our kindness, our achievements. But when measured against the blazing holiness of God, even our best falls woefully short. God’s ledger doesn’t say “insufficient.” It says “insignificant.”

The Scriptures couldn’t be clearer:

• “For by grace are ye saved through faith… not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8–9).

• “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us” (Titus 3:5).

• “A man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28).

• “To him that worketh not, but believeth… his faith is counted for righteousness” (Romans 4:4–5).

• “By the works of the law shall no flesh be justified” (Galatians 2:16).

• “All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6).

• “That I may… be found in him, not having mine own righteousness… but that which is through the faith of Christ” (Philippians 3:9).

• “If by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace” (Romans 11:6).

Together, these verses form a powerful, consistent theme: good works are the fruit of salvation, not the root of it. They flow naturally from a heart transformed by grace – grace received when the sinner comes empty-handed to Christ, confesses his utter need, and abandons trust in his own works to rest entirely in what Christ has done. This is the way of the blessed. This is the way to the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).