Some have asked, Can short people go to heaven? Some even asked, Is being short a sin? This article will address this question, which is both legitimate and important.
Do short people go to Heaven?
The answer to the question is YES; short people can go to heaven.
This article will address why this is true, but let me begin by noting why some ask the question and why some people consider being short a sin.
Some assert that the height-impaired are excluded from heaven out of meanness. Some make the claim out of a desire to feel in control of (or dictate) what happens in the heavenly realm. And as it was in Jesus’ day, some suffer from wrong-thinking, perhaps amplified by demonic spirits that cloud the mind and obscure the truth.
The root of the answer regarding why some claim short people can’t go to heaven, is that Satan does not want humans to know that God loves them, desires to forgive them, and be in special relationship with them—forever, in heaven. And so, Satan advances the lie that God’s love has limit.
Is Being short a Sin? Does the Bible say that Short people will not go to Heaven?
So if you ask me Is there a Scriptural/biblical foundation for asserting that short people won’t go to heaven? The answer is NO. Let me support my answer by first dealing with a Scripture passage that can be difficult to understand. Consider the following passage from the Old Testament book of Leviticus:
“For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, a man blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, or a man who has an injured foot or an injured hand, or a hunchback or a dwarf or a man with a defect in his sight or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles.” Leviticus 21:18-20 (ESV)
What the passage is NOT saying: The passage does not list qualifiers, requisites, or stipulations for entrance to heaven. The passage is not about heaven at all—the passage presents Old Testament-era qualifications for priests performing specific acts in the Tabernacle or Temple. These stipulations –
- no longer apply as the Old Testament Covenant of Law has been replaced by the New Testament Covenant of Grace (Hebrews 8:6-13; Jeremiah 31:33-34; Hebrews 10:20) and
- were given to illustrate how the imperfect (that is, those marred by sin) can not be servants of, or in right relationship with, God (Galatians 3:24). To remedy this, Jesus, the perfect (“unblemished”) sacrifice, offered His atoning blood to covers our imperfections (Hebrews 10:14) and make it possible to walk in right relationship with Him (Romans 5:8,10-11).
So, Can short people go to Heaven?
Scripture does NOT present a height requirement for salvation or be in the right relationship with God. Scripture does, however, note who CAN go to heaven. Consider:
- Romans 10:9-10 notes the promise that ALL who confess Jesus as Lord and believe He, the Son of God, came, died, and rose again, will be saved. Height is NOT presented as a requisite to salvation.
- John 1:12 states that “AS MANY as received Him, [believes in Him], to them He gave the right to be called children of God.” Again, height is NOT presented as a requisite to salvation.
- John 3:16 states that “WHOSOEVER BELIEVES” that God “so loved the world that he gave his only Son…” will be saved. Again height is NOT presented as a requisite to salvation.
- Matthew 7:21 notes that it is NOT height, but faith in Christ, that makes salvation possible: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
- In Luke 19:3-4, Scripture notes how Jesus paused to minister to Zacchaeus, who “was short.” At the end of this encounter, Jesus proclaimed, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.”
Over the centuries, dominant groups have claimed that certain races were somehow inferior and ineligible to receive the gift of salvation. These assertions have no biblical foundation and, in fact, contradict Scripture.
Faith—not height, ethnicity, weight, intellect, eye color or skin color is an ‘X’ factor in God’s redemptive work. Christ came for all, died for all, and extends salvation to all who believe in Him and strive to live for Him.
“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” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Gary Ray is a Pastor and a community leader who lives in Arlington, United States. He completed his Theology degree at the Golden Gate Theological Seminary and went on to serve as a pastor for many churches in CA and WA for over 30 years. He currently serves as a President for the 'I Am A Watchman' ministry where he developed several books, bible studies, teaching videos, radio devotional pieces, research documents, and blogs. Gary loves guiding people and have published several ebooks on christianity.