How to Get to Heaven
If you are like most people, you want to go to heaven, but don’t know the way. A previous post demonstrated that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. But it never explained how to get to heaven through Christ. This Bible study will use the Bible to clearly explain how to go to heaven by believing in Jesus Christ. If you have ever wondered, “How do I get to Heaven?” this post is for you.
Perhaps you are convinced that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven, but wonder what that means. How do you get to heaven through Jesus? Maybe now you want to know, “What must I do to go to heaven?“
The good news is that all you need to do is believe God’s Word and have faith in Jesus Christ (who is the Word made flesh (John 1:14)). Salvation through Christ is a free gift given by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8) and is simple enough for a child to receive.
There are just a few things you need to do and believe.
Confess Your Need
The Bible says:
- There is none righteous, no, not one (Romans 3:10)
- There is not a just man upon the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not (Ecclesiastes 7:20)
- All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
- If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8)
Humble Your Heart
- Agree with God that you are a sinner
- Admit that you cannot earn heaven by “good works” (Titus 3:5)
- Acknowledge you need a Savior to save you from your sin
Repent
Repentance is a change of mind. Repenting involves turning away from one thing and turning toward something else.
Turn From:
- Pride and Faith in Yourself – You must reject the notion that you are good enough to deserve God’s blessing in heaven.
- Sin and ungodliness – You must stop rejecting God and His Word
Turn To:
- Humility and Faith in God as your loving Heavenly Father who sent His only Son to save you from your sin
- Jesus Christ who shed His blood and died on the cross to pay for your sins.
Believe in Jesus Christ
Biblical belief is more than head knowledge. Believing in Jesus Christ means having complete faith and trust that everything the Bible says about Jesus Christ is true.
Who Jesus Is:
- Jesus Christ is the eternal Word of God, who entered His creation as a man through a miraculous virgin birth. (John 1:1-3, 12; Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:26-35; 2:11)
- Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God, who was both fully God and fully man. As a man, Jesus experienced the trouble of human existence in a sin cursed world and was tempted to sin. But being God, He was able to live a perfect life without sin.
- “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), but Jesus never sinned so He never earned the penalty of death. He was therefore able to pay the penalty of death for our sins as our perfect substitute.
- Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who became sin for us to take away the sins of the world, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. (John 1:29; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
- Jesus voluntarily laid down His life to pay for our sins, but death could not hold Him in the grave. So, with His power as God, on the 3rd day Jesus took up His life again and rose from the grave.
- By His resurrection, Jesus Christ proved that He has power over sin and death. By raising His own body from death, Jesus proved that He can save your soul and resurrect your body as well.
What You Must Do:
- “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31)
- Receive Jesus Christ in faith by believing in His name (John 1:12)
- Call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord for salvation (Romans 10:13)
What You Must Believe:
- Believe and confess to God that you are a sinner in need of a Savior
- Believe that Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God who is fully human while remaining fully God
- Believe that Jesus lived a perfect sinless life and died a bloody death on the cross to pay for your sins, so He could be your Savior
- Believe that God will keep His Word and save your soul if you call upon the name of Jesus Christ to save you.
You May Want to Pray
The Bible never says that we must pray to receive Jesus as our Savior. We just need to believe in Jesus Christ.
For example, the conversion of Cornelius and other Gentiles recorded in Acts 10 appears to have occurred while Peter was still speaking. “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word” (Acts 10:44-45). These Gentiles were filled with the Holy Spirit the moment they believed in Christ while listening to Peter’s words.
Still the act of praying is a good way to “call upon the name of the Lord” Jesus for salvation. Just remember, you are saved by your faith in Christ, not the prayer.
If you would like to pray to God now to confess your sin and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, the following is an example of what you can pray:
Prayer of Salvation
Dear Heavenly Father, I confess that I am a sinner who deserves to go to Hell. I know there is nothing I can do to deserve heaven or save myself.
But I believe You are a merciful God, and sent Your Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross and shed His blood to pay the penalty for my sins so I can be forgiven.
Dear Jesus, please cleanse my heart and save my soul by Your shed blood and resurrection. Please give me new spiritual life by filling me with Your Holy Spirit.
If you believe what the Bible says about Jesus, and you are now trusting Him as your Savior, then you are saved. That is all you all you needed to do to get to Heaven.
If you truly believe in Jesus Christ,
then you can know:
to Heaven you will go.
If you would like to read more about how to get to heaven by trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior, please continue reading at How to Connect with God.
If you trusted Jesus as your Savior today or have any questions, I would love to help you. Please contact me.
If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, but you lack assurance of your salvation, please read Assurance of Salvation – How to Know You are Saved.
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