WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS REQUIRED FOR A PERSON TO GO TO HEAVEN?
There are many different world views about life after death, but God’s Word, the Bible (1) explains that the ONLY way to avoid eternal death and go to heaven is through God’s grace. Grace can be defined as the free and undeserved (or unearned) favor of God. By using the letters from the word GRACE to form an acrostic, we can better understand God’s path for eternal life in heaven.
(1) For proof that the bible is truly God’s word, please provide your email address in the contact form and we will send you a copy of “Objections to Faith”. If you would like to receive a phone call to discuss any of the information in “The Face of Grace”, please provide your phone number, also, and we will return your call in two weeks or less.
2 COR 4:6 – “FOR GOD, WHO SAID, ‘LET LIGHT SHINE OUT OF DARKNESS,’ MADE HIS LIGHT SHINE IN OUR HEARTS TO GIVE US THE LIGHT OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE FACE OF CHRIST.”
GOD
The G in GRACE stands for GOD, who created mankind to enjoy perfect fellowship and companionship with Him. The book of Genesis explains that God made the sun and the sky and the land and the sea and the animals, and it was all good. He also made man, but in a very unique way from the rest of His creation (2). He made us in His own image, created us to rule over the other living creatures and gave us free will to make our own decisions. Why did He give us this free will to make choices? Because without it, we would be just like the animals, totally controlled by instinct and nature, and incapable of entering into true fellowship with God.
(2) For evidence proving creation over evolution, please provide your email address in the contact form and we will send you a copy of “Objections to Faith”. If you would like to receive a phone call to discuss any of the information in “The Face of Grace”, please provide your phone number, also, and we will return your call in two weeks or less.
REBELLION
Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”
Because of that first sin, all of us have inherited a nature of sin in our lives. How do we know this? Why do parents have to work so hard to teach a small child to be good? Do children have to be taught to be bad? No, it comes naturally to them. That is called sin, which means disobedience to God.
Sin is a part of every person’s life. Our sin, or rebellion, separates all of us from God, even though most people don’t see it that way.
Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” How far short do we fall?
Romans 3:10-11 says, “There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God,” meaning there isn’t one single person who comes anywhere close to measuring up to God’s perfect righteousness, goodness and glory.
This downward spiral of sin all started with Adam’s first sin, and then got worse, as he did just like we do, and compounded matters by adding other sins. When God came looking for him, he tried to hide from God out of fear and embarrassment, like we often do when we play hide and seek with God. He then blamed Eve, who in turn blamed the snake for tricking them, like we often do when we play the blame game with God.
Even though most of us understand this concept of sin, people often believe they will still go to heaven because they are good enough, and haven’t done that much wrong in their lives. If you are one of those people, simply think about God’s law, the 10 Commandments. Why the 10 Commandments, you might ask?
(3) For clarity on God’s rule that Adam not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, please provide your email address in the contact form and we will send you a copy of “Objections to Faith”. If you would like to receive a phone call to discuss any of the information in “The Face of Grace”, please provide your phone number, also, and we will return your call in two weeks or less.
First, because God’s Word says in Psalm 19:7, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.” Second, because the 10 Commandments show us how far below God’s expectations we fall. Romans 7:7(b) says, “Indeed, I would not have known what sin was except through the law.”
Imagine taking a test but not knowing what grade was required to pass. God’s law is like the grading curve in school, and it shows that in God’s class we all have a failing grade. If you don’t think so, consider how many of the 10 Commandments you and I have broken. Have you ever taken the Lord’s name in vain? Have you ever stolen anything, no matter how small? Have you ever been jealous of someone else or their possessions? Have you ever looked at another person with lust, which the Bible describes as adultery? Have you ever failed to honor your father or mother? Have you ever made something in your life more important than God? How about this one – have you ever lied? If you are being honest with yourself, you can see that we have all broken all of these, but did you know that breaking just one was enough for us to be separated from God? Where does it say that?
James 2:10 says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking it all.”
It’s like the story of the small girl who was standing in the meadow with her mom looking at a flock of sheep against the backdrop of a green rolling hill. She remarked to her mom how amazingly white the sheep looked compared to the green grass. But then it started to snow, and as the snow covered the grass, the sheep started to look brown and dirty against the backdrop of the pure white snow. That is how it is with God. We might think we are clean compared to the “green grass” standard of the world, but compared to God’s perfect standard, we are actually quite dirty because of our rebellion.
ACTIONS
The A in GRACE stands for ACTIONS. Even though many people recognize that they fall short of God’s expectations, they believe they can earn their way to heaven by doing enough good deeds. It is their hope that by working hard at being a good, moral person, their good actions will outweigh their bad actions, as though God has some giant scale on judgment day. But remember that the very definition of grace is the unearned favor of God, and the Bible makes it clear that we cannot earn our way to heaven.
Ephesians 2:9 says that salvation is, “not by works, so that no one can boast.”
Romans 11:6 says, “And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.”
This makes it clear that God’s grace is not based on anything we can do. We cannot earn our way to heaven, as our sins stand in the way. What is the payment for sin?
Romans 6:23(a) says, “For the wages (or payment) of sin is death,” meaning physical death and spiritual death.
So you might start to ask the question, when is this story going to get better? How can ANYONE go to heaven? Well, there is good news. The answer lies in our next letter in the word GRACE.
CHRIST
The C in GRACE stands for CHRIST. Jesus Christ is the answer.
Romans 6:23(a) told us that “the wages of sin is death,” but the second part of that verse tells us “but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by grace you are saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.”
Notice that both verses say that God’s grace is a gift, and that gift is given in the person of Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for our sins.”
We cannot meet God’s expectations, but Jesus did. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came down to earth as God in the flesh of a man. He lived a perfect life, He died to pay the price for our sins and He rose again to heaven so that we could be saved. Because of His perfection, our sins can be wiped out, and we can enter heaven when our time on this earth has ended.
Furthermore, 1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ died for sins, once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God.”
In other words, when all seemed hopeless, when mankind ruined things with Adam’s first sin, God had a plan. He would have Someone who had never done wrong take the place of everyone who had ever done wrong. Jesus never sinned, so he qualified as the perfect substitute for all sinners – all of us! One sinless man for all sinful mankind.
It’s like the criminal who is on trial. Just as he is about to be sentenced by the judge for his crime, a kind man who has never committed a crime steps forward and says that he will pay the penalty so that the criminal can go free. The only condition is that the criminal accept his offer. As much as we don’t want to see ourselves this way, the criminal represents all of us. The kind man represents Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the only way to God (4). Many people think there are lots of ways to God, such as living a good enough life, giving money to charity, going to church or belonging to a certain religion. But there is no other way. No other religious leader. No other loophole. Jesus is the only way. How do we know that?
(4) For justification that Jesus is the only way to heaven, please provide your email address in the contact form and we will send you a copy of “Objections to Faith”. If you would like to receive a phone call to discuss any of the information in “The Face of Grace”, please provide your phone number, also, and we will return your call in two weeks or less.
In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Acts 4:12, speaking of Jesus, says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given unto men by which we must be saved.”
How else can we know that Jesus is our Savior? Did you know that there are over 300 prophecies from the Old Testament books of the Bible that point directly to Jesus as our Savior? If you don’t think that is a big deal, consider that those prophecies were written hundreds and even thousands of years before Jesus entered the world as a baby that first Christmas day.
Moreover, consider the transformation of Christ’s disciples after he died. He appeared to them and about 500 other people after his death and resurrection into heaven. The disciples went from scared men fearing persecution and death, to lions of the faith. In fact, 11 out of 12 of them eventually died for their faith in Christ. It is one thing for a person to die for something they believe in, but quite another to die for something they know to be false. Clearly, these men, who witnessed Christ’s life and death and resurrection first-hand, believed to the point of dying for Jesus.
Finally, you might ask how a loving God could send people to hell. This is a difficult concept to understand, but the Bible makes it clear that God is a holy God who must punish sin. If He didn’t, He would be a liar, and the entire Christian faith would be a fraud. It is also important to understand that God loves us so much that He doesn’t want to lose any of us, and the only “sending” He has done was to send His Son to die for our sins.
John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
Which brings us to the last letter in the word GRACE.
ETERNAL LIFE
The E in GRACE stands for ETERNAL LIFE. People often make two major time miscalculations in their life – the brevity of life and the length of eternity. Understanding eternity is like looking at the Sahara desert. One grain of sand represents our brief life on this earth, and all the sand in the entire desert does not even begin to represent the forever length of eternity. But here is the catch – we determine the forever part during this short, “grain of sand” life on earth. Unfortunately, there are so many people who don’t turn their life over to Christ due to lack of understanding, fear, lifestyle choices, selfishness or believing they can do it later. A famous bumper sticker once said, “those who plan to seek God at the eleventh hour, often die at 10:30.” If that happens, it is too late, because God cannot allow sin into heaven. The Bible says, “it is appointed unto man, once to die, and after that the judgment.” So we die, and then we are judged. There are no second chances after death. We can still be saved while taking our last breath, but why risk eternity in hell, which the Bible describes as a place of torment, absolute darkness and eternal loneliness, forever and ever and ever. There is no party going on in hell, and our loving God does not want any of us to be there.
(5) For proof that God and heaven and hell truly exist, please provide your email address in the contact form and we will send you a copy of “Objections to Faith”. If you would like to receive a phone call to discuss any of the information in “The Face of Grace”, please provide your phone number, also, and we will return your call in two weeks or less.
Conversely, heaven is described in the Bible as a place more awesome than we can ever imagine in our human mind. (5)
So the question is – how do we accept God’s gift of grace given through His Son Jesus Christ? Well, as is the case with any gift, we must first choose to open it in order to receive the gift.
In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”
Picture Jesus knocking on the door of your life. He wants to come into your life, but the only doorknob is on your side of the door. As the verse indicates, if we will simply choose to open the door, Jesus will come into our life and into our heart and provide for us the gift of eternal life. But just like the previous story about the criminal, a gift can only be received if it is accepted by the one to whom it is being given.
Accepting this gift is as easy as ABC. Here is how:
A – Admit you are a sinner.
Acts 3:19 says, “Repent then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.” Repenting is described in the Bible as admitting our sins with Godly sorrow. In other words, we must truly realize the seriousness of our sin and not only be sorry, but turn away from our sinful actions.
B – Believe Jesus died and rose again to heaven.
Just believing IN Jesus isn’t enough, as even the devil believes IN Jesus. James 2:19 says,“You believe there is one God – good. Even the demons believe that – and shudder.” Many people and many other religions believe Jesus was a good, moral man, and a great prophet. But we must believe that Jesus is our risen Savior. (6)
(6) For information proving the resurrection of Christ, please provide your email address in the contact form and we will send you a copy of “Objections to Faith”. If you would like to receive a phone call to discuss any of the information in “The Face of Grace”, please provide your phone number, also, and we will return your call in two weeks or less.
C – Confess Jesus as the Lord of your life.
The verse that best summarizes Believing and Confessing is Romans 10:9, which says, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Notice that it doesn’t say you might be saved, or you hope to be saved, but it says you WILL be saved. If you admit your sins, believe Jesus died on the cross and rose again to heaven and confess him (or trust in him) as the Lord and leader of your life, you can be assured that you have eternal life. That trust is called faith, which is a true commitment to follow Jesus. Ephesians 2:8-9 said that it is God’s grace, through our faith, that saves us. When you sit down in a chair, you have faith that the chair will hold you up. In the same way, when you trust in Jesus, you have faith that He can and will save you.
The most critical decision you will ever make in your life is whether or not to accept the gift of eternal life that comes only through Jesus Christ. It is the all-time greatest gift ever offered. If you want to receive this gift, just ask God in a simple prayer like this, but understand that it is not the words that save you, but meaning what you say in your heart.
“Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and fall short of Your expectations. I need Your forgiveness. I believe that You sent Your son Jesus to die for my sins and raised Him into heaven so that I could be forgiven. I place my trust and faith in Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and commit my life to Him. Thank You for saving me and giving me eternal life. Please take control of my life and help me to be the kind of person You want me to be. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.”
As amazing as it seems, if you just prayed a prayer like that, and meant it in your heart, congratulations, and welcome to the family of God! In the blink of an eye, you just became a child of God. How do we know that?
John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Is there anyone excluded from this salvation? No.
Romans 10:13 says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Nothing or nobody can ever take salvation away from you. Eternal life in heaven is now yours forever and ever. This step doesn’t mean you stop sinning, because we live in a sinful world and must still contend with the desires of our fleshly body. However, it does mean your sins are covered by Chris’s perfection, and as a new creation in Christ, you start to live more and more for Him.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “You become a new creation in Christ. The old has gone. The new has come.”
And for more good news, this decision didn’t JUST promise you eternal life in heaven, but also a full life on earth.
In John 10:10, Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life and have it to the fullest.”
So His gift not only includes paradise in heaven forever, but also a full and joyful life on earth, powered by God’s Holy Spirit, who lives in us once we are saved. This doesn’t promise that there will be no problems or that we stop struggling with sin. In fact, the Bible tells us that the devil is unhappy that he has lost us, and will now try harder to lead us into sin. He wants to keep us from the fullness of life God offers and to discourage us from leading others to Christ. In addition, God sometimes allows adversity into our life to help us to understand that we must rely solely upon Him. But we are promised that the power of Christ is always with us, no matter whether our circumstances are good or bad.
Philippians 4:12-13 says, “I know what it is to have plenty and what it is to be in want. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Finally, Ephesians 2:8 – explained that we are saved by God’s grace, through our faith, and not by our works. However, if you read on to verse 10, it tells us how we should live ONCE we are saved.
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.”
Therefore, out of a sense of gratitude for what Jesus has done for us, suffering and dying on an ugly cross, and through the power of God’s Holy Spirit, we should live our life by doing good actions and works for God.
The letters in the word GRACE help us to understand God’s free gift, by telling us about God, rebellion, actions, Christ and eternal life. The same letters also remind us of what God’s grace is really all about with these loving words: GRACE – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.
Jesus paid the ultimate price for all of us. As a new follower of Christ, spend time daily in prayer and reading his textbook for life – the Bible. If you don’t already attend one, find a healthy well-balanced Christian church. As you grow in your faith, you will be able to share this message of God’s grace with others, as Christ commanded us to do, and help your friends and family to learn the answer to the question we asked at the beginning – what do you believe is required for a person to go to heaven?