Which one of the following do you believe you are required to fulfill in order to go to heaven?
1. Attend Church
2. Be Baptized
3. Keep the Ten Commandments
4. Perform Good Works
5. Go to Confession
6. Be a Good Moral Person
7. Receive the Free Gift of Salvation
Please see below for the right answer to this very important question.
1. Can Church Attendance get me to heaven?
Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples,
attended church with the Savior Himself on a daily
basis for at least three years. However, Judas committed
suicide and went to hell (Matthew 10:4; 27:3-
5; John 17:12; Acts 1:16-19). Attending church with
Christ Himself did not get Judas to heaven.
2. Can Baptism get me to heaven?
The thief on the cross simply believed in Jesus
as his Savior and was promised eternal life by Jesus
(Luke 23:40-43). That thief was never baptized and
still went to heaven. Therefore, baptism is not a requirement
to enter heaven.
3. Can keeping the 10 Commandments get me to heaven?
The Bible tells the story of a Pharisee (a religious
leader) who was in the temple thanking God
one day because he had kept all of God’s commandments
(Luke 18:9-14). There was a publican in the
temple at the same time just asking God for mercy.
God did not justify the Pharisee because he was
proud of his own accomplishments. Yet, God justified
the publican because he was humble before God and
remorseful over his mistakes. Keeping the Ten Commandments
will not allow us to enter heaven either.
4. Can performing good works get me to heaven?
There was a rich man in the Bible who fed the
poor beggar at his gates. Both died. The rich man
went to hell and the beggar went to heaven (Luke
16:19-31). Isaiah 64:6 says that apart from God, our
own righteousness (our best deeds of rightness and
justice) are as filthy rags to God. Good works did not
give the rich man entrance to heaven.
5. Can going to confession get me to heaven?
The Bible tells us to confess our sins only to
God and not to a man (1 John 1:9). Therefore, confessing
our sins to anyone other than God will not result
in God’s forgiveness and will not get us to heaven.
6. Can being a good moral person get me to heaven?
Jesus said that He had come for the sick and
not for those who considered themselves to be good
(Matthew 9:10-13). Although there may be some good
in ourselves, it is not good enough for God. Psalm
39:5c says that man in his best estate is but vanity. Our
own morality and goodness will not give us access to
heaven.
7. Receiving The Free Gift of Salvation
Jesus died for the sins of the whole world because
He loved us (John 3:16). After He died and shed
His blood for all of our sins (1 Peter 2:24), Christ went
to heaven to reconcile us to His Father (2 Corinthians
5:19). Therefore, Christ has done everything needed
for our salvation. It says in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by
grace are you saved through faith; and that (salvation)
is not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works,
lest any man should boast.” According to the Bible,
the free gift of salvation is the only right answer.
God’s salvation is free because Christ has finished
the work (John 19:30). Paul commended the believers
in Ephesians 1:13 because they believed this good
news after they heard it. For a gift to be yours, you
must first accept it. Won’t you accept God’s free gift
of salvation to get you into heaven? Simply believe
and pray, “Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I receive
you as my personal Savior, and I accept the free gift
of salvation. Thank you for loving me so much that
you died for me so I can have eternal life with you.
Amen.”
A living growing faith:
The Word of Christ (the Bible)
Learn the Bible!
* The Finished Work of Christ: Positional Truth, to learn your new identity / who you are in Christ.
* Maryland Bible College & Seminary: mbcs.edu
The Body of Christ (the Church)
Visit a good bible believing church
* Greater Grace - about our ministry. Greater Grace World Outreach: ggwo.org
* Check if there's a church by you
- Greater Grace in: Africa Asia Europe S. America N.America