Are you going to heaven? Ask most people and they will say yes. Ask them why, and you will hear answers like these: "I've tried to keep the Ten Commandments." "I go to church." "I believe in God." "I'm basically a good person." "I've done the best I could." "I've never hurt anyone." Those sound like reasonable answers. But according to the Bible, none of them will get anyone into heaven. That is hard to hear, so let me explain why, and then show you what God has done about it. Each of us wants to be the boss of our own life. We would rather ignore God's principles for living and call our own shots. That rebellion shows up in our words and lifestyle, in looking out for ourselves with little thought for how it affects others, in living for our passions and desires, and in doing what feels good instead of what is right. The Bible calls this attitude sin. Sin is rebellion against God, and all of us are guilty of it. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way" (Isaiah 53:6, ESV). "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (1 John 1:8, ESV). Sin does more than break a rule. It breaks a relationship. It separates us from God and leaves us living with our hearts apart from Him. "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God" (Isaiah 59:2, ESV). "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23, ESV). Picture it this way. You are standing on one side of a canyon and God is on the other. Sin is the gap between. Many people feel that separation. They sense a "God-shaped void" inside of themselves, so they try to bridge the gap on their own: "My parents were really good Christians." "I try to live a good life." "I'll give up my bad habits." "I'll work hard to earn it." "I'll go to church a lot." "I'll give to charity." Every one of these attempts falls short. It is like trying to swim from Hawaii to Japan. Some of us may make it a little farther than others, but none of us will actually get there. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death" (Proverbs 16:25, ESV). The world's religions are sincere attempts to solve this problem, and most of them share one thing in common. They hand us something to do. Hinduism teaches release from the cycle of rebirth through devotion, knowledge, and good works. Buddhism offers the Eightfold Path. Islam calls its followers to the Five Pillars and hopes their good deeds will outweigh the bad. The Bible's answer to every system built on human effort is the same. We will never be good enough. "None is righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10, ESV). "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12, ESV). That is not arrogance on the part of Christians. We are in the same canyon as everyone else. It is simply what Jesus and His apostles said. Go back to that first list. Here is how Scripture responds to each answer. "I've tried to keep the Ten Commandments." Trying is not the standard. "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it" (James 2:10, ESV). "I go to church." "He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy" (Titus 3:5, ESV). "I believe in God." "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!" (James 2:19, ESV). "I'm basically a good person." "No one does good, not even one" (Romans 3:12, ESV). "I've done the best I could." God's standard is not our best. "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48, ESV). "I've never hurt anyone." Jesus said that even anger toward a brother makes us liable to judgment (Matthew 5:21–22). There is nothing we can do on our own to reach God. Here is the good news. What we could not do, God did. He came to earth as a human being in Jesus to restore our relationship with Him. If any other way would have worked, Jesus would not have had to come. "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (John 14:6, ESV). "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23, ESV). Jesus took care of your sin problem when He died on the cross. He paid the penalty you owed, and His cross became the bridge. "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all" (1 Timothy 2:5–6, ESV). Why would God do that? He did it because He loves you and wants you to know Him. "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8, ESV). God has already done His part. He took the initiative. Now He wants each of us to personally accept what He has done. Think of a gift. Someone can buy it, wrap it, and hold it out to you, but it isn't yours until you take it and unwrap it. Going to heaven is not based on the good things we have done or can do. It is based on receiving what God has done through His Son. "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, ESV). So how do you become a Christian? It is simple. 1. Admit that God has not been first in your life and ask Him to forgive your sins. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9, ESV). 2. Believe that Jesus died to pay for your sins, that He rose again, and that He is alive today. "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" (Romans 10:9, ESV). 3. Accept God's free gift. Don't try to earn it. "Even when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved" (Ephesians 2:5, ESV). 4. Invite Jesus Christ to come into your life and lead it. "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12, ESV). "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him" (Revelation 3:20, ESV). You can take those steps right now by sincerely talking to God. There are no magic words. What matters is that you mean it. Your prayer might sound something like this: Dear Jesus, thank You for creating me and loving me, even when I've ignored You and gone my own way. I realize I need You in my life, and I'm sorry for my sins. I ask You to forgive me. Thank You for dying on the cross for me. Please help me to understand it more. As much as I know how, I want to follow You from now on. Please come into my life and make me a new person inside. Help me to grow as a Christian and know You more. God's promise to everyone who comes to Him this way is clear: "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13, ESV). If you prayed that prayer and meant it, welcome to the family of God! You have begun a lifelong relationship with Him. Don't keep it to yourself. Tell a Christian friend or a pastor, start reading the Bible (the Gospel of John is a great place to begin), and find a church where you can grow. If you are near Spirit Lake or Spencer, Iowa, we would love to meet you at CrossWinds. One of the first steps Jesus asks of a new believer is baptism. To learn more, read What Do I Need to Know About Baptism?
The Problem: Sin Separates Us From God
Our Answer: Trying to Build Our Own Bridge
What About Other Religions?
What the Bible Says About Our Reasons
God's Answer: Jesus Bridged the Gap
How to Receive God's Gift
A Prayer to Begin
What's Next?
