Let’s just say, hypothetically, of course, you actually died tonight. You get up to the gates of heaven, and there stands Jesus. And He wants to know one thing. So, He asks you, “Tell me, why should I let you into heaven?”
You know, my entire life, up until probably 8 years ago, I would have answered that question any one of the following ways:
- Because I am a good person.
- Because I am good to people.
- Because I try really hard to follow the 10 Commandments.
- Because my parents had me baptized as an infant.
- Because I was raised in (fill in the blank) denomination, the only “correct” one.
- Because I volunteer a LOT.
- Because I donate a LOT of money.
- Because I, I, I, I, I…………
But the problem is – NONE of those answers are correct. NONE of those answers will get me into heaven. Nope. Not even one of them.
(Did you happen to notice all of the “I’s” in that list? I, I, I, I………. As if there is ANYTHING I could do, that would even come CLOSE to being enough to EARN what God did for me.) I can’t. And neither can you.
I’m a Mom, and believe me, if I lost either one of my sons, NOTHING could ever replace them. God is the perfect Father. He sent HIS Son, to die a horrible death IN OUR PLACE! NOTHING we could ever do, could be enough payment to God, for having given up His Son for us!
And the GOOD NEWS is, we don’t have to try to EARN that FREE GIFT. Not only do we not HAVE to, God knows it is not even POSSIBLE for us to.
Really – How many times a week would volunteering at the soup kitchen be enough, to EARN what God did for us? By sending His ONLY Son to die ?? YOU COULDN’T EVER, EVER earn that free gift of eternity in heaven forever!
Nor do you have to! It really frustrates me that “religion” tries to make it all about us “earning” that free gift. What a slap in the face to Jesus!!! It’s like saying, “Hey, thanks so much for dying for me, Jesus, but um……….. it wasn’t enough so, I’ll just keep trying to earn it – You know, just in case.”
Back when I used to believe the lie that I had to EARN my way to heaven, I did things “so that….”
Now that I know I cannot earn the free gift of salvation, NOR do I need to, I do things “because of…..”
That’s a big difference. It’s a heart issue really.
So – What’s the correct answer? The correct answer is “Jesus, you should let me into heaven because I have accepted the shed blood of JESUS as the complete penalty for MY SIN.”
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3
There IS NO OTHER CORRECT ANSWER.
So, it’s almost midnight now. I don’t know what you have going on in your life – If you’re having health issues, financial problems, or whatever the case may be…… But if you are wondering how YOU can make absolutely sure you are going to heaven, read this list of scriptures below. It’s called the Roman’s Road. Cry out to God. He hears you. You didn’t stumble across this blog by accident. It was meant just for you.
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13)
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
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