I Want To Go To Heaven
Life is a precious gift from God, but each heartbeat is counting down to our last breath. What if
you died this very day, as many people will, and found yourself standing at the gate of Heaven? What if God then asked you why He
should let you come into Heaven? What reason should a person give? What would your answer be? Would any of these answers below be
similar to what you would say?
1. I have sincerely tried to obey His commandments.
2. I am a good person.
3. I have
been baptized and have joined church.
4. I read the Bible, pray and do good deeds.
5. I have done more good deeds than bad
deeds.
6. I have never done anything really bad.
7. God loves everybody and would not send anyone to Hell.
Even
though many different people have many different answers on how to get into Heaven, God says there is only one right answer – and
that is precisely the reason most people will never be granted entrance into Heaven. Would it surprise you to know that God would
reject any person who attempted to enter Heaven based on any of the seven reasons listed above.
Objection to #1: Galatians 2:16 (Trying
to keep the commandments has never saved anyone.)
Objection to #2: Romans 3:10 (None of us is good according to God’s perfect standards.)
Objection
to #3: Ephesians 2:8,9 (Good deeds don’t save people.)
Objection to #4: Titus 3:5 (Our religious deeds won't save us.)
Objection to #5: James 2:10 (Breaking even one commandment is enough to condemn us.)
Objection to #6: Proverbs 30:12 (We are worse than we think we are.)
Objection to #7: Revelation 20:15 (God does allow some to go to Hell, based on their own choices.)
God says in
Romans 3:23 that all of us have sinned against Him and in Romans 6:23 the penalty for that sin is death. God says in Isaiah 64:6 that
none of us can get into Heaven by our own good deeds or righteousness because even our goodness is contaminated by our own sinfulness.
Our own efforts at getting into Heaven would leave us hopeless.
The one and only answer provided by God Himself is: “Believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved…” (Romans 16:31). For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other
name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Belief in Jesus is not blocked by the mind,
but by the will (John 5:40).
What about you, Dear Friend? Will you harden your heart toward Christ, or are you willing
to believe that He loves you and died on the cross to fully pay the penalty for your sins. Are you willing to believe that God raised
Him from the dead as proof that He is the Son of God (Romans 1:4)? Are you willing to believe that He will forgive your sins and cleanse
you right now if you sincerely ask Him (I John 1:9)? If you are willing to believe, you can be saved at this very moment. Right now,
you can turn to Him for forgiveness and cleansing and eternal life. There are literally thousands who turn to Christ every day and
find the joy and peace of His forgiveness.
In Romans 10:13, God promises that, “whoever will call upon the Name of the Lord will be saved.” If you are willing to be saved, pray a prayer something like this: Lord Jesus, I realize I have sinned against You. I know that the penalty for my sin is death and Hell. I realize I can’t save myself by my own efforts. I ask God’s forgiveness, not because I deserve it, but because You paid my penalty on the cross. At this moment, I give myself to You, Lord. I give You control of my life. Make me the person You want me to be. Thank You Lord for saving me as You promised You would. Amen.
Everyone who believes and sincerely prays that prayer is born again into the family of God. As new babes in Christ, we must be fed and cared for. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that we become part of a healthy church that will love us and feed us with the Word of God and model the Christian life for us. God wants us to do more than just become saved. 1Thessalonians 4:3 says “For this is the will of God, your sanctification;” In other words, it is God’s will for us that we grow to become mature Christians.
There
are many good churches that are eager to assist you in your Christian growth. First John is one of those churches that will love you
and feed you and provide a model of Christianity for you. If it is not feasible for you to place your membership at First John, we
would be happy to give you recommendations on other good churches you may wish to consider.
