All Scriptures are from the NIV unless otherwise noted.
Heaven is a place of perfect, unimaginable beauty, filled with the radiance of God’s presence and glory. Thus, it’s a place of total purity and light, where sin and darkness doesn’t exist, where joy and peace reigns.
Heaven is the eternal blessing of being in a right relationship with God. To have this relationship, God requires us to accept (via faith) the provision He has made for the forgiveness of our sins. You see, sin separates us from God. Sin is a wall that stands between us and God:
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)
Forgiveness of sin removes the wall. It’s through Jesus, and faith in Him, that we obtain this forgiveness—thus bringing us into a right relationship with God:
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)
TO OBTAIN FORGIVENESS OF OUR SINS, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WE MUST BELIEVE:
1 That we are all sinners in the eyes of God, and therefore, separated from Him:
“There is no one righteous, not even one….for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:10,23)
2 That if we die in our sins apart from Christ, we will be separated from God forever, which involves punishment—for God is just:
“He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.”( 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)
3 That God loves us and offers us a pardon. Through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, we can have forgiveness of our sins and be saved from His judgment:
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! (Romans 5:8-9)
“All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:43)
4 That Christ died on the cross for our sins (bearing the punishment we deserve) and rose from the dead—thereby, providing the way of forgiveness and a right relationship with God:
“…that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:18)
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” (John 14:6)
5 That because of our sinful condition, there’s nothing we can do to earn forgiveness, but is a gift of God’s grace:
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
6 That to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life in a right relationship with God, we must be act upon it individually. This means placing our faith in Christ, trusting Him alone as our Savior:
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.” (John 3:36)
“God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:11-13)
BECOME A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (Philippians 3:20-21)
You’re only one step away from heavenly citizenship. Take that step of faith in Christ today.
CHRIST’S PERSONAL INVITATION
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)
“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” (John 6:37 – ESV)
This is personal between you and the Lord Jesus. If your heart is ready, take a moment to express your heart and faith in Him as your Lord and Savior, thanking Him for all He did for you in providing for your salvation.
When we receive Christ as our Savior, we become a new creation (spiritually), as a miracle of God. We’re given a new nature, a new heart, a new life and peace in our soul. We have a wonderful new purpose in life as we serve our Lord and King. Becoming a follower of Christ is truly life-changing:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 – ESV)
Time to grow: If you have opened your heart to Christ, it’s vital that you grow in this new relationship. Ask Him to guide you as you begin living for Him. Begin reading your Bible each day, starting with the New Testament. Start attending a good Bible-teaching church, where Christ is central. Live your life with eternity in view.
Jesus said, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” (John 14:21)
