The Two Ways to Heaven
WHAT’S YOUR PLAN?
Are You Heaven Bound?
90% of Americans believe in heaven—and a whopping 85% believe they will go to heaven when they die.* Yet how do we know for sure if we will go to heaven? This should not be a guessing matter, after all, heaven or hell last for eternity!
God wants us to know now how to get to heaven, so He left us a written, objective record of His thoughts in the Bible. The Apostle John stated the purpose for which He wrote, “I write to you so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). We can know now whether we will go to heaven or not when we die! Please consider the two ways to get to heaven.
*ABC news poll, October 5, 2005
Plan A: Be Good, Real Good
If you want to be judged based on your good deeds, the Bible is clear — you must be perfect. “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all” (James 2:10). If we try to leap across the Grand Canyon of total perfection, we will fall short. “All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory” (Romans 3:23).
Galatians 3:10 warns: “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law to perform them.” To avoid the curse of the law, which is eternal life in hell, you must obey every single command written in the Law for your entire life.
A pop quiz before your final exam: Have you ever lied, cheated, stolen, cursed, lusted, gossiped, coveted your neighbor’s goods, been drunk, or had sex outside of marriage? If you have ever sinned in any of these ways, forget about Plan A—it’s already too late. Are you ready for “Plan B”?
Plan B: Believe
Fortunately, God has made a way for us to go to heaven apart from our performance! It’s the way of faith—believing in Jesus Christ alone. As God says in Romans 4:5, “To the person who does not work, but believes in Jesus who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” Romans 6:23 captures our options well, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Did you notice that eternal life is called a “free gift”?
Is there a catch? No catch; Jesus Himself said in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish (hell), but have eternal life (heaven).
So how do you receive this free gift? What Should I Do Now?
Receive The Free Gift!
The Bible has very good news regarding how to receive this free gift of eternal life. In John 1:12 we read, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”
Receiving Jesus means to believe He is God’s only Savior from our sin. He died on the cross to pay the penalty of our sin, which is death. But we must receive His work on the cross for us to have our sins forgiven and go to heaven.
So invite Him to be your Savior, “Lord Jesus, I admit I’ve sinned against You often. I receive You as my Savior from sin. Thank You for paying the penalty of my sin, so that I can be forgiven. I receive Your free gift of eternal life.”
After receiving Christ, turn your life over to Him. He came to give abundant life — a more full and satisfying life, so trust and follow Him with everything. Commit to a good Bible teaching church and read His Word to grow in faith.
If you received Christ while reading this, please let us know! We want to encourage you and send you some free information on following Jesus Christ!