HOW DOES A PERSON GET TO HEAVEN? (GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION)
THERE ARE THREE THINGS YOU CAN KNOW FOR SURE…
1) THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HEAVEN… 1 John 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life.
2) THAT YOUR LIFE WILL BE CHANGED WHEN YOU GET SAVED… 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
3) YOU WILL NEVER LOSE YOUR SALVATION… John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
IT ALL REVOLVES AROUND JESUS CHRIST!
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...John 1:3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made…Jesus was God in flesh or God the Son who created everything.
HE CAME TO EARTH TO SAVE US… Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.(The first step in Going to heaven is to realize we need to be saved.)
HOW DO WE GET TO HEAVEN?… John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PHYSICAL & SPIRITUAL BIRTH… John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
MAN WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED A THREE PART BEING IN GOD’S IMAGE…A TRINITY... Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: …Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them… Man was made up of body, soul, and spirit.
GOD PLACED ADAM & EVE IN THE GARDEN AND GAVE INSTRUCTION…Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: …Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Man ate of the fruit, and though he didn’t die that day physically, he died spiritually!
WHEN ADAM AND EVE HAD CHILDREN THEY WERE NOW BORN SPIRITUALLY DEAD AS WELL (No longer in God’s three-part image).. Genesis 5:3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth: That is why we must be re-born spiritually.
This is also why we have a sin nature! You don’t have to teach a toddler to be selfish, lie, steal things, sass back, fight with siblings, etc., and this is all still part of our nature as we grow up.
Many places In the Bible tell us that liars, adulterers, idolators, thieves, the covetous, etc. will spend eternity in hell. (Rev 21:8, I Cor 6:9-10, Gal 5:19-21)
Romans 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Sin has a penalty… Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death (hell)
We cannot possibly get to heaven by keeping the law! (Ten Commandments).
The Ten Commandments were given by God to show us how impossible it is to be saved by doing good works… Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
The Law (Ten Commandments) Shows us that we are condemned and need a savior.
You will never get to heaven by doing good works…
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy he saved us…
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
YET GETTING TO HEAVEN IS NOT AUTOMATIC JUST BECAUSE JESUS DIED FOR YOUR SINS! SALVATION IS A GIFT THAT MUST BE RECEIVED… Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God…(that means that baptism has nothing to do with being saved) Rom 6:23 the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord
HOW DOES A PERSON KNOW WHEN THEY ARE READY TO BE BORN AGAIN?
WHEN THEY MEAN BUSINESS WITH GOD AND ARE READY TO REPENT OF SIN… Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, … 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is..not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.. JESUS SAID.. Luke 13:5 except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish…THAT MEANS BEING WILLING TO ALSO TURN FROM FALSE RELIGION OR FALSE TEACHING (anything contrary to the Word of God…the Bible).
TO REPENT MEANS TO CHANGE YOUR MIND ABOUT YOUR SIN, AND MAKE CHRIST THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE…ARE YOU WILLING TO TURN FROM YOUR SIN AND TURN TO GOD? DO YOU BELIEVE THAT JESUS PAID THE FULL PRICE ON THE CROSS FOR YOUR SINS?
THOUGH GOD HATES SIN, HE LOVES YOU AND SENT JESUS TO DIE FOR YOUR SINS… Romans 5:8 But God commendeth (proved) His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
IS GOD CONVICTING YOU OF YOUR NEED OF FORGIVENESS, AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE SAVED (BORN AGAIN)?
THE FINAL STEP IS TO ASK GOD FOR THE GIFT THROUGH A SIMPLE PRAYER… Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved…NOTICE THE PROMISE OF THIS VERSE FROM A GOD WHO CANNOT LIE…(Titus 1:2 God..cannot lie)… DO YOU BELIEVE THAT GOD WILL SAVE YOU SIMPLY BECAUSE HE SAID HE WOULD? CHRIST WILL SAVE YOU IF YOU ARE WILLING TO MAKE HIM THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE.
IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE READY, YOU CAN PRAY AND ASK GOD TO SAVE YOU IN YOUR OWN WORDS SUCH AS…”DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER; I KNOW THAT I AM A CONDEMNED SINNER UNABLE TO SAVE MYSELF, BUT I AM WILLING TO TURN FROM MY SINS AND MAKE JESUS MY LORD AND MASTER. I NOW TRUST IN HIS SACRIFICE ON THE CROSS TO PAY FOR MY SINS. PLEASE FORGIVE ME AND SAVE ME. AMEN.”