Can Bad People Go to Heaven?

This week’s Brite lesson helps kids understand that Jesus can save anyone. As they learn about the thief on the cross, kids are seeing that salvation is not something we earn by being good. It is a gift from God through faith in Jesus.

Kids may naturally think of people as “good” or “bad” and wonder how someone who has done terrible things could still be forgiven. This week, we’re helping them understand that all of us sin and all of us need Jesus. No one can be good enough to earn heaven, and no one is beyond the reach of God’s grace.

This week, ask your kid what they think makes someone “good enough” for heaven. Talk about how Jesus offers forgiveness to everyone who trusts in Him, and thank God together that His grace is something we receive, not something we have to earn.

Here’s how we discussed this topic and how you can discuss it at home: 

Discuss: What are some of the worst sins people commit?

Discuss: Can people who do these things go to heaven? Why or why not?

Discuss: What does God say about those people?

Say: God loves every single person, regardless of what they have done. He desires for everyone to turn to Him and turn away from sin. Ephesians 2:8 says: For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. All of us are saved from sin in the same way. We can go to heaven because of God’s grace and our faith in Jesus. It doesn’t matter how bad or good we are. Salvation is available for everyone. Compared to God’s holiness, we are all pretty bad. We all need the forgiveness of Jesus—just for different sins. We can thank Jesus for loving all of us enough to die on the cross and for giving us another chance to follow Him.