So, Just Who Goes to Heaven?

The Answer Is in the Bible and May Surprise Many!

A man was asked if he thought that he would go to Heaven. He answered, “If there is a Heaven; I believe I will go there.” When pressed on why he believed he would go, he said that he would go to heaven because he was good. That is the belief and hope of many when the subject of Heaven comes up. Many believe that the way they live their lives and the good things they accomplish during their life determine their final destination. While living a good life and doing good things are admirable goals and something we should all strive after; these things, in themselves, will not result in our going to Heaven.

We must understand that we have a fallen nature. If we were to be honest with ourselves, we know that we have failed to live a perfect life. And perfection is what the Lord requires to gain Heaven. So, even if we seek to live a morally good life, we will fall short of God’s standard for fellowship with Him and access to Heaven when we die.

So, what are we to do? If we cannot live a life pleasing to the Lord; How can we gain Heaven? The answer is that we must realize the helpless condition that we are in and seek the Lord for His mercy and grace. We cannot, in ourselves, please the Lord and gain Heaven.

The Lord saw our lost condition and provided a way for us to have fellowship with Him and gain Heaven. Jesus spoke of this way in John chapter 3 when He said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again (spiritual birth), he cannot see the kingdom of Heaven.” What the Lord was saying was that just as a person is physically born and at that moment has life; we must be born again to have spiritual life and see, or understand, the Kingdom of God.

So, we are unable to save ourselves. The Bible says, before being born again, that we are dead in our sins. Once we understand our desperate condition, we can seek the Lord and His solution. His mercy and grace is the answer to our need. We are born again or quickened by faith in the Lord and the way He has provided.

“And you has He quickened (made alive spiritually), who were dead in trespasses and sins (totally lost).” (Ephesians 2:1)

The way the Lord provided for us was to send His Son, the Lord Jesus, to pay the price for our sin and to offer us “newness of life” by faith in Him and His great sacrifice at Calvary. We are “born again” into a new life (spiritually) when we come His way by faith. The Lord offers us this through His mercy and grace. Jesus said the following regarding this way:

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

In this one verse, Jesus tells us that He is the only way to the Father. There is no other. We are born spiritually when we place our faith in Him and His great sacrifice at the cross. This is the way to Heaven and the way to have fellowship with the Lord. It is the only way. Our sins are forgiven and the Lord sees us “in Christ”. His righteousness becomes ours. We become children of God by our faith in Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross that paid for our sins.

“But as many, as received Him (Jesus), to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those that believe in His Name ( Christ and Him crucified).” (John 1:12)

In summary, we are unable to please God and live a life that will result in us going to Heaven when we die. We must be born spiritually. We do this by placing our faith in Christ and Him crucified. It is at Calvary that the Lord paid the price for our sin. He offers us forgiveness and newness of life when we place our faith in Him. And we can know that we are going to Heaven, not by our goodness, but by the Lord’s mercy and grace. He saw our need and our helpless condition and provided a way for us to be saved; We are forgiven and will spend eternity with Him in glory. The Lord’s Word says it best:

“For by grace (unmerited favor) you have been saved through faith (in Christ crucified); and that not of ourselves (not earned): it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)

We are saved by faith and we are kept by our faith in the Lord and the Lord’s sacrifice at Calvary. And through faith, we can know that we have eternal life and will be with our Lord in Heaven.

“These things have I written unto you who believe on the Name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)

The Lord loves us and has reached down in His mercy and provided for us in our fallen state. Psalm 118:23 says it best: “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.”

See the A,B,C’s of Salvation page on this website. Link below.

https://wordpress.com/page/tqministries.com/5448

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Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com