How to Go to Heaven
Why is heaven appealing to so many people? Why do those who claim to not be religious still hold beliefs about heaven? Our culture doesn’t know much about heaven, and yet it maintains a positive attitude about it.
Why do most people want to go to heaven? Because God created each of us with an internal sense there’s more beyond this life. We are designed for an eternal life and it begins the moment we die. Some people try to ignore it, while others reject it—atheists publicly oppose it. Even still, there’s a feeling within all of us that keeps coming back to heaven. An Old Testament author said God “has planted eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11).
How do you go to heaven? The answer is simple but sobering. You have to be perfect. Not mostly perfect, but absolutely perfect. This means you can’t have a bad day or a moment of weakness where you give into temptation. Ever.
The reason is God lives in heaven and He is absolutely pure and holy. We can’t be in His presence unless we are pure as well. Just one sin is enough to prevent us from entering heaven. The Bible says, “No one is righteous—not even one” (Romans 3:10).
That’s the bad news, but here’s the good news: With Jesus, you don’t have to be perfect. God sent His Son to our world to take away our sins. Jesus was perfect and never sinned, but He took all of our sins to the cross. His death was the judgment we deserve. The Bible says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
Jesus made a way for you to be pure and spend eternity in heaven. You only have to accept God’s gift. Ask Jesus to come into your life, turn away from your sins, and trust He is the only way to heaven.
Are you ready to receive Jesus and guarantee your eternity will be spent with Him in 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?
