HOW TO GO TO HEAVEN

Admit – Confess to God that you realize that you are a sinner, and that your sin has separated you from Him.

Believe – Believe that Jesus is God who became man in order to die on the cross and pay for your sin. Also believe that after three days in the grave He rose again from the dead proving his power over death, and His ability to help you after you die.

Call – Call out to God asking the Lord Jesus Christ to be your one and only Savior from sin and hell.

Salvation (Eternal Life) is available to ALL OF HUMANITY.

John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE -

SAY THE FOLLOWING PRAYER. BUT REMEMBER, IT IS NOT THE WORDS THAT SAVE YOU. IT IS YOUR BELIEF IN YOUR HEART:

"DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, I COME TO YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS. I ADMIT TO YOU THAT I AM A SINNER, AND I AM SORRY FOR THE WRONG DOINGS THAT I HAVE DONE. I UNDERSTAND THAT MY SINS KEEP ME SEPARATED FROM YOU, AND I NEED THEM TO BE FORGIVEN.
I BELIEVE THAT YOUR ONLY BEGOTTEN SON JESUS CHRIST (GOD IN THE FLESH), SHED HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD ON THE CROSS IN ORDER TO DIE FOR MY SELFISH DEEDS. HE OFFERS HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS AS A PAYMENT FOR MY SINS. AT THIS VERY MOMENT I ACCEPT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST TO BE MY ONE AND ONLY SAVIOR. PLEASE FORGIVE ME OF MY SINS AND PLACE ME INTO YOUR FAMILY GIVING TO ME ETERNAL LIFE.

THANK YOU FOR OFFERING TO ME THE GIFT OF EVERLASTING LIFE.

IN JESUS PRECIOUS NAME I PRAY, AMEN."

WHAT IS SIN?

THE WORD USED FOR SIN IN SCRIPTURE SPEAKS TO THE PROBLEM OF FALLING SHORT OF THE MORAL STANDARDS THAT GOD HAS SET FOR HUMANITY (WHETHER PURPOSELY OR ACCIDENTALLY). LITERALLY SPEAKING IT IS “MISSING THE MARK”. IN OTHER WORDS GOD EXPECTS EACH PERSON TO TELL THE TRUTH, REFRAIN FROM STEALING, CHEATING, KILLING AND SO FORTH. HOWEVER, EVERY PERSON IN THE WORLD HAS FALLEN SHORT OF THOSE STANDARDS. EVERYONE HAS TOLD A LIE, CHEATED, STOLEN AND SO ON. IN THIS CASE EACH PERSON HAS MISSED THE MARK (THE MORAL STANDARDS) THAT GOD HAS SET FOR US. WE AS HUMANS FALL SHORT OF GOD’S EXPECTATIONS.

SIN IS A PROBLEM BETWEEN MAN AND GOD, AND NOT BETWEEN MAN AND MAN. JUST BECAUSE A PERSON DOES NOT FEEL HE/SHE HAS HURT ANY OTHER PERSON DOES NOT MEAN THAT HE/SHE HAS NOT SINNED. THE MORAL STANDARDS THAT MATTER ARE THOSE WHICH GOD HAS ESTABLISHED. SIN IS AN OFFENSE TO THE RIGHTEOUS CHARACTER OF GOD. IT IS NOT OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS THAT WILL HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE AFTER WE DIE – IT IS GOD THAT WILL JUDGE.

SALVATION EXPLAINED FOR ADULTS:

UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYTHING IN EXISTENCE IS HERE AS THE CREATIVE ACT OF ONE ALL-POWERFUL (INFINITE) GOD. THE BIBLE (GOD’S WORD) TELLS US THAT THE LORD CREATED MANKIND WITH THE DESIRE THAT HE WOULD DWELL WITH THEM FOR ETERNITY. HUMAN BODIES WILL FADE AWAY, BUT THE HUMAN SOUL IS DESIGNED TO EXIST FOREVER. GOD HAS AN IMMEASURABLE LOVE FOR HUMANITY (JOHN 3:16). SCRIPTURE ALSO EXPLAINS THAT GOD IS PERFECT (THAT IS WITHOUT ANY FORM OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS). HE DOES NOT LIE, CHEAT, STEAL, DECEIVE OR PERFORM ANY OTHER TYPE OF IMMORAL THOUGHT, DEED OR ACTION.

WHEN ADAM AND EVE REBELLED AGAINST GOD IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN SINFULNESS WAS BROUGHT INTO THE WORLD (ROMANS 5:12). SIN HAS ENTERED THE HEART OF EVERY HUMAN BEING THAT HAS EVER EXISTED FROM THAT DAY FORWARD. SCRIPTURE SAYS THAT GOD IS SO HOLY THAT HE WILL NOT (CANNOT) DWELL WITH SIN FOR ETERNITY (PSALM 5:4). THIS LEAVES HUMANITY WITH A PROBLEM. ROMANS 3:23 SAYS THAT “ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.” THE BIBLE ALSO SAYS THAT “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NO, NOT ONE” (ROMANS 3:10).

SO HERE IS THE DILEMMA.

GOD IS HOLY AND WILL NOT DWELL WITH SINFULNESS. MAN IS SINFUL AND AS A RESULT WILL ULTIMATELY BE SEPARATED FROM GOD BECAUSE OF HIS INIQUITIES (ROMANS 6:23). THIS SEPARATION COMES UPON MAN WHEN HE IS JUDGED BY GOD. GOD’S WORD SAYS “IT IS APPOINTED FOR MEN TO DIE ONCE, BUT AFTER THIS THE JUDGMENT” (HEBREWS 9:27). MANKIND NEEDS TO FIND A WAY TO GET RID OF HIS SINS IN ORDER TO DWELL WITH THE LORD FOR ETERNITY. IF MAN DIES WITH HIS SINS STILL INTACT HE WILL BE SEPARATED FROM GOD FOREVER (1 CORINTHIANS 6:9).

SO THE QUESTION BECOMES –

HOW CAN MANKIND GET RID OF HIS SINS? ROMANS 6:23 SAYS “FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH”. THE DEBT MAN OWES FOR HIS SIN IS DEATH. THIS IS A PRICE THAT NO HUMAN CAN AFFORD TO PAY. HOWEVER, THE LAST HALF OF THIS VERSE SAYS “BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.” GOD IS OFFERING THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE TO ALL OF HUMANITY.

SO NOW THE QUESTION BECOMES –

HOW CAN A PERSON ACCESS THIS GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE? THE ANSWER IS FOUND IN THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS CHRIST. AN INDIVIDUAL NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND WHO JESUS IS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE IN ORDER TO MAKE AN INTELLIGENT DECISION THAT WILL LEAD TO EVERLASTING LIFE.

WHO IS JESUS –

HE IS GOD IN THE FLESH. THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS A PHRASE THAT EXPLAINS THE THREE ASPECTS OF HIS PERSONHOOD. HE IS LORD IN THAT HE IS GOD (SOVEREIGN OVER ALL). HE IS JESUS IN THAT HE IS PERFECTLY HUMAN. AND HE IS CHRIST IN THAT HE IS THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD (THE MESSIAH). JESUS SAID TO PHILIP “HE WHO HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER; SO HOW CAN YOU SAY, 'SHOW US THE FATHER'? (JOHN 14:9) CHRIST ALSO SAID “IF YOU DO NOT BELIEVE THAT I AM HE, YOU WILL DIE IN YOUR SINS” (JOHN 8:24). A PERSON MUST BELIEVE THAT JESUS IS GOD WHO BECAME MAN.

WHAT JESUS HAS DONE –

JESUS OFFERED HIS LIFE AS A SACRIFICE FOR ALL OF HUMANITY. NO SINGLE HUMAN BEING CAN AFFORD TO PAY THE PRICE FOR THEIR SINS (ETERNAL DEATH/SEPARATION FROM GOD). THEREFORE, CHRIST WHO KNEW NO SIN OFFERED HIS LIFE AS A PAYMENT FOR ALL OF MANKIND’S SIN (2 CORINTHIANS 5:21). WHAT IS SEEN HERE IS - THE JUST FOR THE UNJUST, THE INNOCENT FOR THE GUILTY. WHEN MAN WAS TRAPPED IN HIS SIN JESUS OFFERED A WAY OUT OF HIS PREDICAMENT BY GIVING HIS LIFE AS REPLACEMENT FOR ALL WHO WOULD ACCEPT HIM (EPHESIANS 2:5). CHRIST DIED ON THE CROSS AND SATISFIED THE DEBT FOR ANYONE WHO IS WILLING TO RECEIVE THIS FORGIVENESS (1 JOHN 2:2).

HOW TO RECEIVE SALVATION –

CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE SAVED (ROMANS 10:13). UPON UNDERSTANDING WHO JESUS IS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE THE INDIVIDUAL CAN ADMIT TO GOD THAT HE/SHE IS A SINNER (SEPARATED FROM GOD), AND CALL UPON THE NAME OF JESUS TO SAVE HIM/HER FROM THEIR SINS (ROMANS 10:9; 1 JOHN 1:9). IT IS NOT ENOUGH SIMPLY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE TRUTH ABOUT WHO JESUS IS. RATHER, ONE MUST PERSONALLY APPLY THIS KNOWLEDGE BY CALLING UPON CHRIST TO BE THEIR ONE AND ONLY SAVIOR FROM SIN AND HELL (JAMES 2:19).

WHAT ABOUT DOING GOOD WORKS –

SALVATION IS A FREE GIFT FROM GOD NOT BASED ON GOOD OR BAD BEHAVIOR (EPHESIANS 2:8-9; ROMANS 4:5). A PERSON IS FORGIVEN THEIR SINS BASED ON THE SACRIFICE THAT JESUS MADE. GOOD WORKS ARE THE RESULT OF A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST, AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. VICTORY OVER SIN IS ONLY POSSIBLE WHEN A PERSON HAS THE HELP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WHICH IS GIVEN TO THE NEW BELIEVER. AN INDIVIDUAL DOES NOT HAVE TO STOP SINNING IN ORDER TO GET SAVED. RATHER, HE/SHE STOPS SINNING BECAUSE HE/SHE IS SAVED. RIGHTEOUS LIVING IS A FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR SALVATION. (AN EVIDENCE OF SOMETHING DONE, NOT A REGULATION IN ORDER TO ATTAIN).