The gospel and how to Enter Heaven

The truth is that God created you to have a loving relationship with him, and he has a purpose for your life. God loves you unconditionally; he loves you on your best and worst days. No matter who you are or what you've done, nothing will stop God from loving you. The only problem is that we turned our backs on God by disobeying him (sin). God is holy and perfect, so our sin cannot dwell within the presence of God, causing us to be separated from his loving and eternal kingdom (heaven). 

It's a common misconception that the following things can save you from your sin: 

• Going to church 

• Coming from a Christian family

• Doing good actions 

In reality, you can't earn your way into heaven. You are guilty of breaking God's law; have you ever lied, stolen, lusted, been angry, or used God's name in a swear? (I know I've personally done these things and more). The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and that the payment for sin is death (Romans 6:23). Your good works or morals will not override the crime you have committed. God is a just judge and breaking his law calls for a punishment, which is eternal separation from him in Hell. We all deserve to be cast into eternal hell, but God does not want us to go there (2 Peter 3:9), so he made a way to forgive our sins. A fine must be paid for your sin, so you need the judge (God) to pay your fine and clear the debt of sin. You can only be saved by God's grace through Jesus' sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus says: 

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" - John 14:6

"Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" - Mathew 20:28  

"For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" - Mathew 26:28

"When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, 'It is finished,' and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit" - John 19:30 

Jesus saved us from our sins by taking the punishment for sin on the cross as our replacement. The debt for our sins was paid when Jesus died on the cross, he then rose from the dead to show that the payment leads to new life. 

How to accept the free gift of salvation. 

According to Jesus, we can receive his gift of forgiveness and kingdom inheritance by putting our faith in him, which is done by changing our minds to trust in him for our salvation. 

"I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins" - John 8:24

"For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day" - John 6:40

"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" - Mark 1:15 

The biblical Greek word for repent (metanoeo) means "to think differently" and repentance (metanoia) means "a change of mind." Jesus is calling us to change our pre-existing beliefs about God's kingdom so that we can believe in the good news that gets us into that kingdom. The good news is that Jesus died as a payment for our sins and that he rose from the dead so that we may have eternal life. To make this change of mind you must first recognize that you are a sinner who is guilty of breaking God's law, and that you need (and want) Jesus to save you from your sin. 

Believe in Jesus and trust his plan for the world: 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" - John 3:16

The biblical Greek word for believe (pisteuó) means to believe and to trust in. Believing in Jesus means believing who he says he is and trusting in what he did. Believe that Jesus is the Messiah and son of God, who died for the forgiveness of our sins, and that he rose from the dead. Trust that we are saved from our sins through his sacrifice on the cross alone. You must realize that you are guilty of breaking God's law and that your own works will not save you, only Jesus' work on the cross can save you from your sin. 

If you believe in your heart that Jesus is the son of God and trust that Jesus forgives your sins through his sacrifice and resurrection, then you are saved by his grace. Confess this faith with your mouth and live your life in confidence knowing that you will go to heaven. 

You will stay saved as long as you keep your faith in Jesus' sacrifice. Now out of gratitude, you can show your love for God by continuously living for him and staying obedient to his word. If you put true faith in Jesus then God will send his holy spirit to dwell in you and make you "born again" (1 John 4:15, Romans 8:9-10, John 14:23, Ephesians 1:13-14, John 1:12-13). The holy spirit will change your heart's desires and convict you on sin so that you will start to naturally turn away from sin and follow God (John 16:7-11, 1 John 3:24, 1 John 2:29). This doesn't mean that you won't ever struggle with sin and mess up, but the change in heart from God's spirit is what matters because it proves the genuineness of your faith. Go get baptized to publicly confess your faith and start your new life. 

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments" - John 14:15

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" - John 3:3. 

"So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my father who is in heaven" - Mathew 10:32-33

How to know for sure that you are saved: 

Some Christians may think that the status of your salvation changes based on how well you are serving God in the current moment (work-based salvation), but it is actually based on how long you have true faith because God promises salvation to all who believe in his son. 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life" - John 3:16 

So how do we know if we have true faith and therefore eternal life? Well, the bible says that the holy spirit is the guarantee of our salvation after we have put true faith in Jesus. 

 "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory" - Ephesian 1:13-14 

Jesus also affirms this by saying “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" - John 3:5. 

Once you confess true faith in Jesus Christ you will receive the holy spirit which guarantees your salvation so long as you profess that faith. This is what's referred to as being a born-again Christian. When you receive the holy spirit your heart's desires will start to change. The holy spirit helps you to turn away from your sinful nature and to live for God. So, if you have a new desire to walk in the light and obey God's commandments after confessing true faith, then the spirit of God is living in you. 

 "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. 

"Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God" - 1 John 4:15 

"Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us" - 1 John 3:24

Here are some signs that the holy spirit is living in you: