First, why would I want to go to heaven? Because the alternative is going to HELL! That’s right, the loving God who created the Heaven and the Earth set up a time table with everything eventually ending as we know it. He made plans for a new Heaven and a new Earth. The catch is that only those found righteous will enter into this plan. God gave you free will so that you can make the decision. Is Heaven in your future or is Hell? If you choose Hell, you won’t be alone. Here is a little test for those not totally sure where they will spend eternity.

                                                  Pick from the list below what you think is necessary to get you to heaven.

                                    1. Obeying God’s laws as given to Moses
                                    2. Doing your best
                                    3. Living a good life
                                    4. Good works
                                    5. Trying to obey the Golden Rule
                                    6. Tithing, or giving money to the church
                                    7. Church membership or attendance
                                    8. Prayers
                                    9. Water baptism
                                  10.Holy communion
                                  11.Born of Christian parents
                                  12.Confirmation
                                  13.Penance
                                  14.Doing those things commanded by Peter
                                  15.Obeying Popes, Prophets, Pastors, or Priests

                                                  Now see below how you scored on the test

Explanation:

If you picked one or more of the above items, you failed the test. Don’t feel badly though, most people do fail. Most are to some degree”religious”, but religions are nothing more than man-made attempts to reach God.

The real answer of how to get to Heaven is not found in some religious system or by man’s self-righteousness. God has declared that “there is none righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10). “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”(Romans 3:23).

Further, God’s Word teaches that sin is a very serious matter. II Thessalonians 1:9 tells of “everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord.”

What can you do about your sin problem ? Can you clean up your life, do good works and hope that in the end your good works will outweigh your bad works ? NO! Salvation does not come to those who work for it, but to those who cease from their own works, placing their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 4:5 makes that point abundantly clear: “To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. “In Ephesians 2:8 & 9, it is declared, “For by grace are ye saved through faith: and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.”

The issue is not what you can do for God, but what He has done for you. “But God commendeth His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “He hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (II Corinthians 5:21). You have no righteousness of your own. To have eternal life you must have the righteousness of Christ (see Romans 3:26).

What then is your responsibility? God has given you a free will to either accept or reject what He has done for you. To have God’s righteousness, you must believe that “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried; and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (I Corinthians 15:3, 4).

Your response to the gospel should be as we read of the Ephesians: “In Whom (the Lord Jesus Christ) ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13). This seal is a guarantee that your salvation is eternal–you can never lose it (see Ephesians 1:14, 4:30, IICorinthians 1:22).

Remember, you can not pray a sinners prayer for salvation. Salvation is a free gift from God the moment you believed and trusted the finished work of Jesus Christ. His finished work finished your work. Walking down the isle to the front of the church gets you no closer to God than going out the front door. God sees the heart. Please read the word of God as presented here. Understand that God is always right and I am always wrong. His righteousness paid for my wrong.

 How are we saved?

 The order of events is laid out in Ephesians.

Eph 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,…..

 You heard the word, the Gospel …you believed and trusted what you heard…You are sealed with the Holy Spirit…SAVED.

 What is the gospel?

 I Cor 15: 1-4…15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

What is it that saves us? It is Grace through Faith

 Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

How do we get faith?

 Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 Faith is not given outside the word of God, but through it.

 Can grace and works co-exist? No

 Rom 11:6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

 Why then do I say we cannot pray for salvation? Because God declares prayer to be a work.

 Col 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

 LABOURING IN PRAYERS is a WORK…

 These are not my words, but Gods. Nothing else is required. No Prayer, No Baptism, No Confession, No coming forward…Nothing you can do except believe. If you want to claim that believing is a work, lets look again at scripture. Notice the difference between works and believing.

 Rom 4:4-5

4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

 If you want to say a prayer you might want to say, “Thank you Lord for dying for my sins and paying my debt from the cross.”

 Who needs to be saved? Everyone

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Is it God’s desire to save a select few, the chosen or elect, or is he offering salvation to all? To all

 I Tim 2:

3  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

The ALL who have sinned are the same ALL MEN God would have saved, if they would only believe.

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