How can I get to Heaven?
Heaven is the place of unspeakable joy in the presence of God and His people forever. Heaven is the place
where there will no longer be any tears, death, mourning, crying, sin or pain. On the other hand, hell is the
place of eternal torment where there will be eternal weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. The Bible tells
us that every person who has ever lived will end up in one of these two places.
The question of the hour is: how can I get to heaven? Many people have their own opinions and thoughts
about how to get to heaven, but the Bible speaks very clearly about this all important issue.
The Problem
The Bible says that mankind has a problem, and the problem is called sin. Sin is any action or attitude that
falls short of God’s perfect standard. You may have heard someone say, “I’m only human, nobody’s perfect.”
The Bible says the same thing: we are all sinners, and we have all fallen short of God’s standard of perfection.
“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
This is vital for us to understand. Think of it like this: if heaven is the perfect place, how are we who are sinful
ever going to go there? Our problem continues because sin has a drastic consequence: “For the wages of sin is
death.” (Romans 6:23). Sin is a terrible offense to a holy God, and sin demands to be punished. Just as
criminals must pay the penalty for their crimes, sinners must pay the penalty for their sins. Unless something
is done to take away your sin, you will pay the penalty of spiritual death. You will not only die physically, but
you will also be separated from God for all eternity.
Man-Made Solutions
Throughout history, people have tried in many ways to deal with their sin problem and get to heaven without
success. Some think being a good person and doing good deeds will get them to heaven. Others think that
going to church, giving money, and being religious will get them to heaven. But the Bible tells us that none of
these things will get you to heaven because none of these things deal with our core problem: sin. In fact, on
our own, there is nothing that we can do to solve our problem of sin. So what then is the solution?
The Real Solution
Jesus Christ is the only answer to this problem. The Bible tells us that God so loved the world that He sent
Jesus, His only Son, to pay the penalty of death for the sin of every person who would ever believe on Christ as
Lord and Savior. Jesus became the believer’s substitute for sin. The price for sin is death, but instead of God
punishing you (the believer) for your sin which results in eternity in hell, God punished Jesus on the cross
instead! Jesus paid the penalty of death for all who believe so they wouldn’t have to!
When you believe and receive Christ as Lord and Savior, the ultimate trade off occurs. You give Him all your
sin which He paid for on the cross, and in return, He gives you His perfect righteousness. Your sin is imputed
(credited) to Christ’s spiritual account, and His perfect righteousness is imputed to yours! And now as a
Christian, God looks at you through the lens of Christ and He sees a perfect person who is fit for heaven.
Through Christ your sin as a believer has been covered up and paid for, and now the problem that banned you
from heaven has been taken care of.
“For Christ died for sins once and for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” (1 Peter 3:18)
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2
Corinthians 5:21)
Think about that! God loved all who believe enough to punish Jesus for our sin, so we could be with Him! Sin
cannot be overlooked or ignored, the price for sin demands to be paid, and Jesus willingly paid that price of
death for us.
Your Response
The question now is: how will you respond to this incredible news? The Bible tells us that we can be saved by
God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result
of works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Today you can be saved from the terrible consequences of your sin by believing in Jesus as Lord and Savior,
and by entrusting your life to Christ. Biblical belief isn’t merely intellectual assent to something, but it involves
a life that has repented of sin, surrendered to Christ, and committed to serving the Lord. Repentance means
that you are so sorry for your sin that offends God, that you will turn away from them to Christ. Surrender
means that you put your confidence in Christ and not in yourself to save you. Service means that you want to
live for the Lord and honor Him with your life from this point forward. The idea is this: Jesus died to save me,
and now I gladly give myself over to Him by loving and obeying Him.
Does this mean you’ll be perfect? No. But it does mean that your desire in life is to bring glory to God, and
your life reflects that desire. Why don’t you respond today by crying out to the Lord to save you? The prayer
below, offered in true heartfelt faith, is a good way to start.
“Dear Lord Jesus,
I am sorry that I have sinned against you. I know I am guilty and deserve your punishment for my sins. But I
thank you that Jesus died on the cross in my place and took my punishment there. Thank you that He rose
again and lives today. Please help me now to turn from my sins, and please forgive me, cleanse me from all my
sins, and take control of my life as my Lord and master. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”
