"We may say therefore that he who is greatly virtuous will be sure to receive the appointment to heaven"?

Question

What can you say about this quotation?

Answer 1

I can say that it contradicts this one:

"While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!" Romans 5:8-9

And unless this "great virtue" is simply loving God more than yourself, it contradicts these:

"In spite of your wickedness and rebellion, God loved you enough to send His ONLY BEGOTTEN Son to die for your sins. The Bible says, "... thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people FROM their sins." (Matt 1:21). Jesus did not die so that you could keep sinning and go to heaven. He came to save you from the GUILT and the POWER of sin. Jesus DESTROYED the works of the devil on calvary (I John 3:8). When you are unsaved, sin hath dominion over you. Sin is your boss and you can't do anything BUT sin. You are under the wrath of a holy and just God. Murderers, thieves, fornicators, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, rebels, and all other spiritual lepers will not inherit the kingdom. The blood of Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. That means the blood took away the guilt of the sins we've committed AND it has ushered us into a Father child relationship with the Lord. Through the blood of Jesus, we are to serve sin no more."

You can't "earn" your way into heaven, by these accounts, but using any virtue (other than putting yourself 2nd) won't cut it. These say you automatically go to heaven, if you love God more than yourself.

Answer 2

I can't say this question goes any deeper than the surface level meaning it carries. It's simply stating that a person who acts virtuously, as their laws of virtue entail, will have earned the right to go to heaven, a place traditionally defined as the resting place for those who are vituous, noble, and/or pure of heart. Obviously this quotation assumes belief in the afterlife, but I think it's meaning is commonly understood at the basic level it provides.

Update:

Response to following post ---

Does it matter whether we are virtuous at all? Although maybe a prompting question on the outside, I think it's kind of silly to ask that in reference to a god, forgiving or not. I suppose it depends on what your beliefs of the nature of god are, but most who believe in god and heaven also believe in h**l and the actions and consequences that get us to each one. If god sets rules of virtue and we do not act virtuously as he requires, why then would he simply forgive our deliberate betrayal? If this was the case, he would have prepared no h**l, nor punishment. Then heaven would consequently cease to be and god would no longer exist himself.

Answer 3

  Where do we put question of religious nature???

Answer 4

Although i do agree with the quote, truly virtuous people going to heaven, it still depends on whether that person has still done any "wrongs" or bad things. However, God does forgive us all, so does it really matter whether we are truly virtuous or not?...