HOW DO I GET TO HEAVEN?
How do I get to heaven? It's one of the most important questions a person must ask themselves. Life is very short and eternity is forever, so we want to make sure we know what the Bible says about how to get to heaven.
Romans 6:23 is a clear verse that is often used to share the gospel, or good news of Jesus Christ. The first half of Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death." Ever since the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, fell into sin by disobeying God, every man born after them inherited the sin nature. We sin because we are sinners in the heart and that is no secret. We are proud and lie and cheat and steal and disobey God. Our sin separates us from God, keeping us from having a right relationship with Him because He is holy and perfect and righteous and no wickedness dwells with Him. The "wages" we have earned for our sin is death - both physically and spiritually, we deserve to be separated from God forever in hell. However, there is good news!
Romans 6:23 is a clear verse that is often used to share the gospel, or good news of Jesus Christ. The first half of Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death." Ever since the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, fell into sin by disobeying God, every man born after them inherited the sin nature. We sin because we are sinners in the heart and that is no secret. We are proud and lie and cheat and steal and disobey God. Our sin separates us from God, keeping us from having a right relationship with Him because He is holy and perfect and righteous and no wickedness dwells with Him. The "wages" we have earned for our sin is death - both physically and spiritually, we deserve to be separated from God forever in hell. However, there is good news!
The second half of Romans 6:23 says, "BUT the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Since there was no way we could ever undo our sins against God and there is no amount of religious works or good works we can do to ever make up for it, the God of mercy and grace took care of it for us. By sending Jesus Christ (God the Son) to pay for man's sins by His sacrificial death on the cross, He made a way and bridged the sin gap that stood between us and Him. Jesus Christ, who is both God and man, bridged the gap between sinful man and holy God. The Bible says whoever has faith in Christ, trusting in His sacrifice and depending completely upon Him (and not their own works or goodness), will be born again to spiritual life now and have everlasting life in heaven. He came to give us abundant life now and in eternity (John. 10:10).
Jesus said, "No one can see the kingdom of heaven unless he is born again." To be born again spiritually and have eternal life, one must place all their trust in what Jesus Christ did for him on the cross. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes (places their faith or trust) in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." Again Romans 5:8 says, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." He loves us that much! After Christ died for our sins, He was buried and rose again back to life as He said He would, proving death was conquered and that He is who He said He is!
Jesus said, "No one can see the kingdom of heaven unless he is born again." To be born again spiritually and have eternal life, one must place all their trust in what Jesus Christ did for him on the cross. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believes (places their faith or trust) in Him will not perish but have everlasting life." Again Romans 5:8 says, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." He loves us that much! After Christ died for our sins, He was buried and rose again back to life as He said He would, proving death was conquered and that He is who He said He is!
If you wanted sum up the gospel message in just few words, you could say, "We are saved by GRACE, through FAITH, in CHRIST." By grace, because it's a free gift and we don't deserve it. Through faith, because we are trusting in something - what is it we're trusting in? We're trusting in Christ and His death for our sins on the cross, His burial and resurrection. Ephesians 2:8-10 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
Do you believe the good news?
Do you believe the good news of the Bible about how Jesus Christ died for your sins? If so, you might pray a prayer similar to this: "Dear God, I know I am a sinner and that my sin separates me from You. But I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins, was buried and rose again. I put all of my trust and hope in what You did for me on that cross and not in myself or my own works trying to be good enough. Jesus Christ is enough. Thank you for the forgiveness and everlasting life in Christ. It is in Jesus' name and righteousness I pray. Amen."
For everyone who has trusted Christ as their Savior, there is also more good news!
For everyone who has trusted Christ as their Savior, there is also more good news!
More good news: eternally secure in Christ!
Every believer in Christ has received the Holy Spirit as a down payment on eternity. They have been baptized by Him, placed into Christ, and sealed for eternity. Ephesians 1:13-14 says, "In Him, you also after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation - having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory." Once you place your faith in Christ, you are saved and the Holy Spirit will never leave you nor forsake you.
Believers can be assured and know that they have eternal life . In John 5:24, Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." It does not say, "may have" or "might have", but "has" eternal life and does not come into judgment! 1 John 5:11-13 is also clear, "And the testimony is this, that God HAS GIVEN us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son HAS the life; he who does no have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may KNOW that YOU HAVE eternal life." This is the kind of assurance of salvation that encourages us to live godly lives worthy of the gospel!
Believers can be assured and know that they have eternal life . In John 5:24, Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." It does not say, "may have" or "might have", but "has" eternal life and does not come into judgment! 1 John 5:11-13 is also clear, "And the testimony is this, that God HAS GIVEN us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son HAS the life; he who does no have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may KNOW that YOU HAVE eternal life." This is the kind of assurance of salvation that encourages us to live godly lives worthy of the gospel!
What do I do now that I believe?
- Continue to grow in your new relationship with God by talking to God through prayer. (Philippians 4:6-7)
- Read the Bible daily to learn more about Him and learn from Him. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- Worship with God's people in a local church near you. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
- Tell others the good news about Christ! (Matthew 28:18-20)
- Read the Bible daily to learn more about Him and learn from Him. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- Worship with God's people in a local church near you. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
- Tell others the good news about Christ! (Matthew 28:18-20)
"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."
2 Corinthians 5:17-21