It seems that everyone has their own ideas about how to get to Heaven. Many will spend their entire life living good or doing good things, hoping to earn their way to Heaven or to find favor with God. Often because we are not able to keep these high standards we become discouraged or just give up. While there are many hard to understand things about the Bible, the one simple truth is, how we can know God in a very real and personal way.
FIRST. We must take responsibility for the fact that we are not perfect (sinners). The Bible says in Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned , and come short of the glory of God.” Everyone is a sinner, that includes the preacher and the harlot. There is none righteous. So, now you know why it’s easy to call someone else a hypocrite because even Christians fall short.
SECOND. You may say “so if every one is a sinner, then what’s the big deal” Well, my friend the big deal is that we all have a great price to pay for our sinful ways. The Bible says in Romans 6:23 ” For the wages” (payment for) “of sin is death;” (eternal separation from loved ones and God) “But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This plainly states that the price you and I have to pay for our sinful ways is death, a price all too high to pay. BUT, God’s gift is eternal LIFE. By the way, when was the last time you paid or worked for a gift? The fact that it is a gift implies that the giver of the gift has to pay for it.
THIRD. It is easy to understand how God can love someone as nice and sweet as your grandmother. But how about you? Can you ever stop sinning or be good enough for God to love you? The Good News is the Bible says in Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth” (showed) “his love toward us, in that, while we where yet sinners, Christ died for us.” So, now we can see that even when our own family may not love us, that Christ came to where we are and showed His love to us.
FOURTH. You may ask “Then how can I know this God you are talking about?” I glad you asked that question. The Bible says Romans 10:9 ” That if thou” ( that’s you) ” shalt confess with thou mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” When you and I come to a place in our life that we realize that our way is not working, then turn to God and His way, we can have a new life. In the Bible there was a very religious man that one night he realized his good deeds was not good enough, Jesus told him “he must be born again” meaning a new start and a new life. What a peace it is to know that God loved me enough to take my place and pay my price for my sinful ways. Sounds simple doesn’t it? So simple that may people will try to work their way to heaven instead of taking God’s GIFT. None of us are perfect, so please don’t let that keep you from trusting in what Jesus has already done for you.
FIFTH. Getting to heaven is believing that you will never be good enough and God will always be great enough to save even the most sinful.
SIXTH. If you are willing to let God into your life as your Lord and Savior, you can by simply believing God. Realize you’re a sinner, realize the high price for sin (death in a Devil’s Hell), realize Jesus paid your price and is offering you the gift of eternal life, repent (turn away from) those sins and toward God, confess Christ as your Lord. Please let me know if you need more information or if you have asked Christ into your life.