How do I get to Heaven?
All across the world people ask that question or one that is similar.
It is said that there are many great teachers who proclaim that there are many roads that all lead to Heaven, however, Jesus disputed that seriously when He declared, “I am the Way, the Truth, the Life, no one comes to the Father but by me.” John 14:6. That is a very exclusive statement.
CS Lewis the former Archbishop of Canterbury, a skeptic turned Biblical Theologian and Christian Apologist, stated that these are not the words of a great teacher. Great teachers do not make claims like that. Instead There are three options for someone who would make a claim like that. Either Jesus is a mental case on the same level as a deranged man who claims to be a poached egg, or He is the greatest deceiver, who crawled out of Hell, or He is the Son of God and Lord of all who has every right to make that claim. CS Lewis examined the facts and concluded that Jesus is Lord of all with every right to make that exclusive statement because of His great love for us that motivated Him to say that.
We need Jesus because we have lost our Way because of sins we have done and chosen. Romans 1 states that God has placed within us the knowledge that He exists and that we need to seek Him. See Romans 1:18-25 He (Jesus) is the way back from judgment.
We need Jesus because we are trapped in the web of lies that comes with the sins we do or have done. Without Truth there can be no true love (only emotion and lust) and no true justice (only surface sorrow) . The truth about our condition is found in Isaiah 53:6, “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him (Jesus) the wickedness of us all. Sin makes us delusional like the unrepentant thief on the cross next to Jesus. (I have done nothing wrong. I am a good person, never mind that I have broken all 10 of the commandments.) Romans 3:23 says, “ For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Does that include me? Yes. Does it include you? Yes
We need Jesus because we are dying as a result of our sin and disobedience to God. Scripture says that the soul that sins it shall die, that means both physically and spiritually. The Apostle Paul declared that to be without God is to be without hope in this world. No wonder we are living in times of death and despair! Many people have pushed God out of both their public and their private life. Romans 6:23 states that “the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” If I sin I earn death, but if I repent and trust Jesus I receive the gift of eternal life.
How do we connect with Jesus?
Jesus began his ministry in the same vein that His Cousin John the Baptist had begun. His first sermon was, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Repentance is to turn from sin and to turn to God. It involves a change of thinking, a change of desires, and a change of behaviors. It means to step down from the thrown of your own life and to ask Jesus to be the new manager of your life.
Sin requires a death penalty or to escape death, a substitute sacrifice for our sin. God requires that substitute to be a perfect human. When Jesus the perfect God-Man was crucified He knew full well that He had to take our sin and guilt upon Himself so that God’s justice would be satisfied. When He was close to death He cried out, “Testelistie” which is a Greek expression that means “the debt is paid in full”. Then he died satisfying God’s requirement. Three days later He rose from the dead completing our justification. Justification means to be made right with God’s law. When we transfer our trust from what ever we are depending on to satisfy God on judgment day, over on to Jesus the Son of God and His death and resurrection, we are legally made right with God. God then adopts us into his family and declares we are His child. At that point the Holy Spirit enters our being establishing a spirit to Spirit relationship with God. Then prayer the Bible and God’s purpose for our life begins to make sense.
If you understand these facts and would like to repent and transfer your trust over on to Jesus here is a prayer that will help you take that step.
The words are not magical in themselves, what is important, is that you communicate from your heart to God’s. Words here are a way to express your heart toward God.
Dear Jesus,
I am a sinner. I have gone my own way and done my own thing in violation of your law. Please forgive me and help me cooperate with you as you take over the management of my life, and as you work to change my thinking, desires and behaviors to conform them to your truth. Thank you for dying on the cross for me and rising from the dead so I can be made right with God and His Law.
Amen.
If you took that step then I encourage you to share with someone what Jesus has done for you. Start reading the Bible, beginning in 1 John which will help you establish a good foundation for your new life. Start talking to God daily in prayer. There are many prayers in the Bible that will help you learn this new way to communicate with God. Seek out a Bible believing Bible teaching church to attend weekly. If you would like to talk to Pastor Dave about this new adventure you may contact him through the email below or in the “contact us menu”.
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Dave