This is the most important question we can ask while on planet earth.
What will you say to God at the end of your life, when He asks why He should allow you to spend eternity with Him in heaven? The reason most people give is this: “I try to be a good person; hopefully my good deeds will outweigh the bad ones.” Wrong answer! Let me explain.
Are You Good Enough to Get Into Heaven?
Have you ever told a lie? If yes, that would make you a liar.
Have you ever stolen anything? If yes, that would make you a thief.
Have you ever looked at someone and had lustful thoughts? Jesus said that makes us guilty of adultery.
That is only 3 of the 10 commandments, but it is enough to show us that we are not good compared to God’s standard.
The Penalty of Sin
The problem is, God will not let a guilty person into heaven. The Bible says everyone has sinned, and the penalty for that is death, judgment, and the lake of fire. (Romans 3:23, 6:23, John 3:18, Matthew 25:41.)
Jesus Christ Paid The Penalty
The good news is that God has provided a way for us to be forgiven. If we agree with God that we have sinned, and choose to turn from sin and turn to God, we can be forgiven. The Bible says that God shows His love for us in that while we were sinners Christ died for us to pay the penalty for our sin. (Romans 5:8, 1 Peter 3:18). “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son [Jesus], that whoever believes on him will not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
There is no other way to get to heaven than through Jesus. He said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). If there was another way (such as our doing enough good things to outweigh the bad), then Christ died needlessly (Galatians 2:21).
Our Good Deeds Won’t Get Us In
We cannot be saved from the consequences of sin by the good things we do. The Bible makes that very clear in Ephesians 2:8-9, “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.” And in Titus 3:5, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.”
So how does one receive this gift of forgiveness, heaven, and eternal life? John 1:12 says, “To all who received Him [Jesus], who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.
How To Receive
Receiving is an act of believing in and trusting upon Jesus based upon the truth of what God has said. Talk to God. Tell Him in your own words that you are turning your back on the old way of living, and putting your trust in Jesus Christ’s shed blood on the cross to pay the penalty and forgive your sins. Invite Him to come into your life, fill you with His Holy Spirit, and be the Lord of your life.
After you have done that, put your confidence in what God says in the Bible: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved” (Romans 10:9-10).
I would love to hear about your talk with God, and will send you some free material to get started on your new life in Christ, if you contact me.
God’s Plan for You
God wants our lives to be significant, but life has no meaning apart from knowing God and Jesus Christ. “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3 NIV).
The wisest king who ever lived left this advice: “get wisdom and understanding even if it costs all you have” (Proverbs 4:7). Since Jesus is the source of all wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3), knowing Him is the most valuable thing a person can do for now and for all eternity.
Jesus is the way to significance, and the way to redeeming a lost society. Every other attempt to live life will result in a wasted and superficial life.