“F*** God. I’m not going to worship something in order to go to heaven.”

When somebody says this, start with the person. Anger this strong usually has a story behind it: a prayer that wasn’t answered, somebody who died, a church that hurt them. God isn’t scared of that. David prayed, “How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?” (Psalm 13:1). “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart” (Psalm 34:18). So ask what happened before you argue.

You don’t worship to get into heaven

The objection has the order backwards. Nobody earns heaven by worshipping. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). “The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). It’s a gift, not a trade.

Worship comes after, as the response: “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). He went first: “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

God doesn’t need your worship

He isn’t insecure, waiting on your praise. He “dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” (Acts 17:24-25). Worship isn’t for His ego. It’s you lining up with what’s real.

Everybody worships something

There’s no neutral spot. “No man can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). If it isn’t God, it’s money, yourself, a person, a high. Romans 1:25 says people “worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator.” Joshua put it plain: “choose you this day whom ye will serve” (Joshua 24:15). So the real question is what you’re going to worship.

It’s the same root as the first rebellion

“I won’t bow to anybody” is the oldest attitude there is. Lucifer said, “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God... I will be like the most High” (Isaiah 14:13-14). It’s the same pushback against any authority over you that shows up in Isn’t the Old Testament God a moral monster? and Aren’t we all God?.

Heaven is being with God

Heaven isn’t a resort you get into by putting up with God. God is what makes it heaven: “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them” (Revelation 21:3). If you don’t want Him, you wouldn’t want heaven. God doesn’t force anybody in (see If God loves us, why does He punish unbelievers?).

God has saved people who said worse

Paul was “a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy” (1 Timothy 1:13). God took the man who hunted Christians and used him to write 13 books of the New Testament. Saying “F*** God” today doesn’t shut the door. Jesus is still saying, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Say it like this

“I hear you. Can I ask what happened? Because you’ve got it backwards. You don’t worship to buy your way into heaven. Heaven’s a gift, and Jesus already paid for it. God doesn’t need your worship either. Everybody worships something, though. The question is what. And for what it’s worth, Paul used to curse Jesus and hunt Christians, and God still saved him.”

Keep reading: If God loves us, why does He punish unbelievers? · How do I actually get saved? · If God is good, why is there suffering?