How Do I Get To Heaven?
There are many people who believe that either Heaven and Hell don’t exist, or, if they do, then all you have to do is be a good person and you will go to heaven. What if they’re wrong?
The Problem:
God is Holy. God’s dwelling place (heaven) is holy. Because of our sin, we are filthy and vile and cannot be in God’s presence.
Sin
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
Separation
But your iniquities have separated you from your God...Isaiah 59:2
Damnation
If anyone's name was not found in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15
The Solution:
Jesus Christ
Forgiveness
Of Sin
"For I will forgive their wickedness. "
Hebrews 8:12
Reconciliation
"...we also rejoice in God through our LORD Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." Romans 5:11
Salvation
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved". Acts 4:12
Why would God do that? Why would He give His Son for us? Why would God need to give His Son for us? What does it all mean?
Q & A
Do All Roads Lead to Heaven?
No. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12 ” Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13
I feel unforgivable. Can God Forgive Me?
Yes. “I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.” Mark 3:28-29
When I die, do I get to come back to earth and try again?
No. ” …man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgement.” Hebrews 9:27
Are All Gods the same?
No. “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.”
Hebrews 3:12
“It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:31
If I'm not sure that God is real, can I change my mind after I die?
No. …”between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here (heaven) to you (hell) cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there (hell) to us (heaven).” Luke 16:26
How can I know that the God of the Bible is real?
“Ask and it will be given unto you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
If god is supposed to be 'love', how come everyone doesn't go to heaven?
God is Love. He is also righteous, holy, faithful, merciful, just, patient, sovereign, fatherly, glorious, jealous and powerful. (Plus a lot more). God has allowed us to each have a ‘free will’. We are each given the ‘free will’ (opportunity) to accept his offer of redemption, or to reject it.
Why do I have to go to hell if I don't accept Jesus as my savior?
In the simplest of terms, there are only two places to spend eternity: Heaven or Hell. God lives in Heaven, so if you do not want to accept his redemption, why would you want to live with him for all of eternity? If you are happy in your sinful ways, you would be extremely unhappy in heaven.
It seems like god is playing a big game of chess and we are just his pawns
There is a spiritual battle going on. A battle between good and evil; light and dark; heaven and hell. The battle is indeed spiritual, but takes place in our lives in the natural world. Your very soul is the prize. “…your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.” Matthew 18:14 Make no mistake, we are not pawns, we are God’s prize possession, and he wants us back.
why did god even create us? why are we even here?
A long time ago, before the world looked like we know it, there was a war in Heaven. Satan, who was second in charge in heaven, believed that he was greater than God. By the time the battle was over, one-third of the heavenly beings had committed mutiny and were cast out of heaven. God created man to become part of his family and to live with him in heaven. All we have to do is accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. “To all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” John 1:12 We can be adopted into the heavenly family, but only through Jesus Christ. “No one comes to the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
what if I don't believe in heaven or hell and all this 'jesus' stuff?
You can stand in the middle of a train track and say to yourself, “I don’t believe in trains.”. But, your non-belief won’t stop the train from running you over. God knew when he created us that we would have doubts, so he did several things: 1) He placed within each of us a ‘conscience’ that tells us the difference between right and wrong. 2) He placed within us the inherent knowledge that God does exist. 3) He created our very being so intricately and precisely, that there can be no other logical conclusion, than that there is an intelligent God that created us. 4) God created a natural world around us filled with natural laws that must also be created by an intelligent Creator-God.
How can I become a child of god? (saved)
“…confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, and you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. A sample prayer: “Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I accept your sacrifice on the cross; your free gift of eternal salvation. Please come into my heart and be with me forever.”
Believer 101
What do I do now?
Congratulations on your acceptance of Jesus Christ! You are probably pretty excited and maybe even a little scared, not knowing what to expect next. Right now you are a ‘baby’ (spiritually) in Christ. That means, that just like a newborn infant needs help and nourishment from those older than themselves, you too will need help from others spiritually older than you. The best way to get started is to begin attending a Bible believing and Bible teaching church in your area. Good, sound doctrine is the foundation of what you will learn in the future. If you need help finding a church in your area, please contact us, and we will be happy to help you find a church in your area.
You absolutely need a Bible! When you have your own Bible, you can open it up at any time and read God’s words written for you. With your own Bible, you can underline and highlight those passages that seem to ‘jump out’ at you. You will also be able to write notes in the margins, ideas, thoughts and such that you will review down the road. With your own Bible, you can look up scriptures referenced by those teaching you, to confirm what you are being taught is accurate and true. You should avoid consistently letting other people interpret God’s Word for you. You need to guard yourself from being led astray by false teachers.
The Bible is a collection of 66 books conveniently arranged and grouped together for our ease of study. Many versions have been translated and printed over the years. The original writings were written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Pain staking efforts were taken in the 16th and 17th centuries to bring the Word of God into the English speaking world. The ‘Authorized’ version of the Bible, also known as the ‘King James Version’ (KJV) was first printed in 1611. A 47-member team of biblical scholars dedicated their time, effort and lives to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to the modern world. Today, you can still purchase the 1611 version. The language is antiquated and often times difficult to understand. You may want to skip this version for now. The modern KJV has helped make the antiquated words like ‘hee’ more modern: ‘he’. The NKJV (New King James Version), modernized the language even more, ie: ‘Thou’ is now ‘You’. The NIV (New International Version) changed the archaic words into words we use and can understand easily. ie: ‘only begotten son’ reads ‘one and only son’. Other versions are available, but we recommend one of these versions.
Join a Bible study group and/or other small groups at your church. See if your church offers a course for new believers. It is easier to learn, and continue to grow in God’s Word when you surround yourself with other Believers. “Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-9