How To Get To Heaven

Think about this question: If you were to die right now, where would you spend eternity– Heaven or Hell?

Maybe you say, “I hope it will be heaven.” Well, there’s only one way to be sure. The answer is found in the Bible. God says you can know for sure that you have eternal life with Him in Heaven. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13 ) You say, “Okay, then. God says I can know it. But how?” There are just a few things you must understand.

The Goodness of God

God is so good to us. He has provided everything around us– our family, food, and other physical needs we may have. He is also good to us in His character. God is patient, holy, loving, and just. His goodness is evident in the fact that He leads us to Him and desires a relationship with each one of us so that we may have eternal life with Him. God wants to spend eternity with us, we just need to trust in Him for it!

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Romans 2:4)

1. We are all sinners

Everybody does wrong, whether that is lying, disobeying parents, gossiping, etc. This wrongdoing, or sin, stems from Adam and Eve as a result of the choice they made to disobey God in the Garden of Eden. Because of this, sin entered the world, and each person has an inherently sinful nature.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

But the fearful and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and scorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars. shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

2. Our sins must be paid for

Sin separates us from God. God is perfect, therefore, He cannot tolerate sin in His presence. In the Old Testament, the way people were able to be forgiven of their sins was through the offering of sacrifices to God as a way to atone for them. In the offering, the blood of the unblemished animal was used to cover the sin of the person by being offered to God on His mercy seat, however, it was a temporary payment for a permanent problem that plagues mankind. What is the permanent solution? How can we remain forgiven and covered? Through Jesus’s blood offered once for sin.

For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a) 

Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. (Hebrews 9:12)

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22)

3. being good doesn't pay for it

There is no amount of good deeds or goodness we can have that can get us into Heaven. As mentioned before, we are ALL sinners. One sin is all it takes to separate us from God, which also separates us from Him for eternity in a place called Hell. By this standard, we deserve Hell, but God gives us grace by making it possible for us to become saved. We can be a “good person” all we want, but ultimately we need to trust in the One who is goodness for eternal life with Him in Heaven.

As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: (Romans 3:10)

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)

4. God's son, Jesus, died for our sins

God loved you so much that He could not bear the thought of being separated from you for eternity. This is why God sent His only son Jesus to pay the costly debt our sin earned us. Jesus is perfect and sinless, yet He took on the cross so that we could be covered by His precious blood if we choose to trust in Him. Christ is the permanent payment for our sin. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, He became the payment for our sin. He took our place as our Substitute! Now, we do not have to pay for our sin ourselves. By His grace, salvation is provided.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

5. God wants all to be saved

No one is “too far gone” to be saved. God loves all of us equally! No matter the sin, no matter how much the sin, God gives us deliverance through the blood of Jesus Christ. The Bible says in John 3:16, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Belief means more than just agreeing with some facts about Jesus. Rather, it is completely relying upon Jesus and Him alone to forgive your sins.

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)

a simple prayer of faith

If you believe what God’s Word says about eternal life, then pray something like this: “Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner and that Jesus died on the cross to pay the debt I owe for my sin, I receive the gift of eternal life You have offered me in Your Word. Please save me and take me to heaven when I die. Thanks for saving me, Amen.”