I was surprised yesterday when I heard what the former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said: “I am telling you if there is a God, when I get to Heaven I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I am heading straight in. I have earned my place in Heaven. It’s not even close.”

I’ll have to admit that I’m no fan of Mr. Bloomberg’s and much of his activist political agenda, and I really disagree with several parts of his statement above:

• “if there is a God”—For such a small word, “if” casts a long shadow. If Mr. Bloomberg isn’t sure about the existence of God, how can he be sure there is a heaven or know anything about how to gain entrance?

• “I’m not stopping to be interviewed. I’m heading straight in.” Perhaps the former Mayor should check his narcissism before he tries to enter the Pearly Gates. Jesus may have a different opinion: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me (Mt 7:21-23).”

• “I’ve earned my place in Heaven. It’s not even close.” Well Michael, the angel not the Mayor, you might need to blow your trumpet or send a text message or something, but Mr. Bloomberg needs to hear the truth of Ephesians 2:8-9: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

Mr. Bloomberg, do you understand the significance of tomorrow? It is Good Friday, and instead beating your own drum and tooting your own horn, maybe, just maybe, you should consider what Jesus did for you: “ God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).”

The far reaching truth is this: Jesus died for each and every one of us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).”