How to Get to Heaven

Do you want to know how to get to heaven? Consider these verses from the book of Romans:

Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” 

Scripture tells us that every person has sinned. While it is true that most people do good things, it is also true that every person has done bad things. Have you ever told a lie? Ever taken something that didn’t belong to you? Committing even just one sin makes each of us a sinner. 

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 

Each of us who has sinned, which is everyone, deserves death. In scripture, death means being separated from God. The only way we can be separated from God is to go to the one place where He is not, which is Hell. So spiritual death is to spend eternity in Hell. 

The good news is the second half of 6:23, the gift of God is eternal life. 

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

The good news is also made clear in 5:8. While we were still living in sin, Jesus died to pay the wages of sin for us. In other words, He died in our place. Note that we attain salvation as a gift from God, not because of any good works we might do. 

Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” 

If we confess that we are sinners and confess that Jesus is our Lord, He has promised that we will be saved. 

Romans 10:13 “for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 

Everyone who has sinned will receive death, UNLESS they call on the name of the Lord. Those who call on Jesus will be saved. 

Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

Justified means to be made righteous in God’s sight. Notice that we are justified by faith, not by works. 

Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God— this is your spiritual act of worship.” 

So what about good works? When we accept salvation through Jesus Christ, and consider the cost He has paid for us, the obvious response is one of gratitude. In view of God’s mercy, 12:1 tells us to live holy lives that please God. In other words, our good works are our way of saying “Thank You” to God rather than trying to earn God’s favor.

If you realize that you are a sinner and in need of salvation, you can pray to God right where you are. Your prayer could be something like this: 

Dear God, 

I confess that I have sinned. I know that the Bible says that sinners deserve death. I ask you to forgive my sin because of the payment Jesus made for me on the cross. Please take away my sin so that I can live with You for eternity. Please help me to live a life that is holy and pleasing to You, that I might express my thanks to you for the salvation you have provided through Jesus Christ. 

In the name of Jesus I pray, 

Amen. 

If you prayed this prayer, please send us a message and tell us about it! We would love to rejoice with you in your new life in Christ. 

Your next step: find a good, Bible believing church in your area where you can receive teaching from God’s Word and grow in your new faith. If you don’t know where to turn, we’d love to help you with that, too.