Does Everyone Go to Heaven?
How does God decide who goes to heaven? Do good people go to heaven? Ultimately, will everyone go to heaven when they die?
Going to heaven isn’t about living a relatively good life. Yes, God wants us to treat others well and take care of the things He’s given us, but spending forever with Him in heaven has nothing to do with that.
In fact, there’s nothing we can do to earn our way to heaven. Not helping others, not working hard, not serving the community. And that’s a good thing, because we’d never be able to do enough.
You might not think of yourself as a “bad person,” and maybe you aren’t compared to others. But God tells us in the Bible—His message to humanity—that no human is without sin (Romans 3:23). And it’s sin that separates us from a perfect, holy God.
The prophet Isaiah once explained that even our best efforts and intentions will never be worthy of God (Isaiah 64:6).
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, said the only way to heaven is through faith in Him (John 14:6). How is that possible? Jesus, who was sinless, took our sins upon Himself so we could be cleansed of our imperfections and made holy before God. He erases our sins when we trust in Him!
Paul, a godly man who lived around the time of Jesus, once wrote a letter to a church, saying, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
God cares about more than a holy performance; He wants us to know Him and be known by Him.
So does everyone go to heaven? Everyone who puts their faith in Jesus will go to heaven.
Step 1 – God’s Purpose: Peace and Life
The Bible says:
"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Romans 5:1
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16
"I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
John 10:10
Step 2 – The Problem: Our Separation from God
The Bible says:
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 3:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23
The Bible says:
"There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."
Proverbs 14:12
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."
Isaiah 59:2
Step 3 – God’s Bridge: The Cross
The Bible says:
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus."
1 Timothy 2:5
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God."
1 Peter 3:18
Step 4 – Our Response: Receive Christ
The Bible says:
"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
John 1:12
"If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10:9
Here is how you can accept Christ into your life:
- Admit your need. (I am a sinner)
- Be willing to turn from your sins. (Repent)
- Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave. (Be saved by faith)
- Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive him as Lord and Savior)
We suggest a prayer like this one:
"Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that You raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord, from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do Your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen."
Did you pray this prayer?
