If you ask most people this question, they will say something like, "If you do more good things than bad things, God will probably let you into heaven." The above thinking will reserve your place in hell. There are no good deeds that we can do that will erase the sins that we have committed. In the Bible, God tells us what we need to do to get right with Him so that we can go to heaven. You are about to read the most important information that you will ever read. It is called the gospel.
The word "gospel" means "good news." The gospel is good news because God made a way for you to be forgiven of your sins. If you'll do it His way, you will live in heaven eternally. You will escape eternal damnation in hell. Besides all of this, you can have abudant life right now as you walk with the Creator of the universe.
The Bible says that nobody is good enough to get into heaven.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6)
According to the above verse, we still come up short even when we try to do good deeds. We are sinners and God is Holy. By His very nature, God cannot have fellowship with sin, otherwise He'd have sin. Everyone of us has sinned-- repeatedly. It is our nature. There is no amount of "good" that we can do to make up for our crimes against God. They must be punished.
For the wages of sin is death...(Romans 6:23)
As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die... (Ezekiel 33:11)
The Lord is...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (II Peter 3:9)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
..the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (I John 1:7)
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
Please remember that Jesus was not some victim or just a baby in a manger--He was and is the eternal God and Savior who came to earth and gave His own blood for your sins. After He accomplished this tremendous feat, He rose from the dead like He said He would:
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again... (John 10:17-18)
...Christ died for our sins...and he was buried, and...he rose again the third day... (I Corinthians 15:3-4)
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (Romans 10:9)
...repent ye, and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15)
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)
If so, talk to the Lord in prayer in your own words right now. Don't put off making a decision for Jesus, tomorrow may be too late. You can say something like, "Dear God, I am a sinner. I want forgiveness of sins and a new life in Jesus Christ. I want to be everything that You created me to be. I believe that Jesus died for me so that I could be saved from my sins which take me to hell. I believe that He rose from the dead. I want to be your child. Thank you for being merciful to me, a sinner. Thank you Jesus for saving my soul. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen."
If you have placed your faith in Jesus, praise God, you are a Christian. Now begins your new life of freedom and obedience to the Lord. Please see the section on the new life. E-mail me at volleyballfreak@hotmail.com so that we can rejoice together.
If you have not trusted Christ, I hope that you won't continue to reject His offer of life. You are in a dangerous position. John 3:36 says, "...he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." You will not make it into heaven on your own "good merits" or by your own conception of Who and What God should be like. He always has His way--the choice is yours to accept or reject.