An unknown Sunday school teacher relates the following story. "I was testing the children in my Sunday school class to see if they understood the concept of getting to heaven. I asked them, ‘If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale, and gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven?’ ‘NO!’ the children answered. ‘If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven?’ Again, the answer was, ‘NO!’ By now I was starting to smile. Hey, this was fun! ‘Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my husband, would that get me into Heaven?’, I asked them again. Again, they all answered, ‘NO!’ I was just bursting with pride for them. ‘Well,’ I continued, ‘then how can I get into Heaven?’ A five year old boy shouted out, ‘YOU GOTTA BE DEAD.’"

While we smile at the answer of the young boy, he was actually theologically sound. In order to get to heaven "you gotta be dead." Many people believe they are alive spiritually and right with God because they have been baptized as a child, attend church, and perform good works. There are individuals who have not yet died to self righteousness and yet the Bible states very plainly that by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified or declared righteous in the sight of God. "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Gal 2:16). In the words of the little boy in the Sunday school class, "you gotta be dead." But there is good news. In Christ, those who are dead can live. "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this" (John 11:25–26)?

The great questions come to each of us. "Am I dead to self, sin and self righteousness? Have I believed in Jesus Christ as my personal Savior? Have I stopped depending on my baptism, church, and good works to get me to heaven?"

The little boy was right. "You gotta be dead" in order to live.