The way to Heaven

The way to heaven
The following is what Christians believe is the way to heaven. I place it here so that you the reader may decide for yourself if you agree with it or not.
The writer of Hebrews tells us,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3  
Christians believe Jesus is God incarnate. God in the flesh. That He came to earth to show mankind the way to heaven.
Jesus speaking of himself said,

“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.  

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

 but to save the world through him.” 

                                                         John 3:16,17.

Christians believe that no one can live a life good enough to stand before a Holy God. That we sin. Sin is failing to do what God wants us to do, consciously or otherwise. The apostle Paul tells us,

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

 and are justified freely by his grace 

through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

                                                                                 Romans 3:23,24.

The apostle John noting,

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins 

and purify us from all unrighteousness.  

If we claim we have not sinned, 

we make him out to be a liar

 and his word has no place in our lives.” 

                                                               1 John 1:9,10.

The apostle Paul tells us,
It is by faith we get to heaven, by the grace of God. We cannot work our way to heaven.,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith

and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

 not by works, so that no one can boast.”  

                                                             Ephesians 2:8,9

Faith defined by the writer of Hebrews as,                                              Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.” 

                                                 Hebrews 11:1

The same writer noting

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”

                                                                     Hebrews 11:6

Thus the question becomes. Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God, God incarnate, the Saviour of mankind. The one who died for your sins?
If so are you willing to confess your sins directly to God and accept God’s saving grace that comes through Christ Jesus?
Please think about it.

The Way to Heaven

The Way to Heaven
The apostle Paul writes,
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  
For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-13.
The writer of Hebrews speaking of Jesus said,
“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.  
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” Hebrews 1:1-3. 
I as a Christian believe Jesus is the Son of God, God in the flesh. Who died for my sins. But not only that, I believe He rose again from the grave, walked again briefly on this earth, and ascended to heaven to be with God, form where He will one day judge each person.
As a Christian believe the following in brief is the way to heaven.  It come down to who you think Jesus is and what his purpose on this earth was for. I present this for you to think about.
Jesus speaking of himself said,

“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.  

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

 but to save the world through him.” 

John 3:16,17.

Speaking to the apostle Thomas Jesus said,

...“I am the way and the truth and the life. 

No one comes to the Father except through me.”  

John 14:6b

   Paul writing to the Romans said,

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,...”

 Romans 3:23

That all means every individual who has ever lived. Sinning is falling short of what God wants for you life. God’s ideal for our life. Sin separates us from God.
There is however hope for each individual.
 The apostle John noting,

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins 

and purify us from all unrighteousness.  

If we claim we have not sinned, 

we make him out to be a liar

 and his word has no place in our lives.” 

1 John 1:9,10.

Paul make it clear salvation is not something we can work for. Paul writing to the Ephesians stating,

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith

and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God

 not by works, so that no one can boast.”  

 Ephesians 2:8,9

Ultimately salvation is an act of faith, Hebrews stating,
Faith defined as,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for 

and certain of what we do not see.” 

 Hebrews 11:1

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”

Hebrews 11:6.

The fact is God cares for each person. At the same time God realizes that man cannot live a life good enough to stand before him. God realizes that man is flawed and does things God does not want him to do.
That’s why in the form of His one and Only Son Jesus Christ he entered the world to show man how much He loved him. To in human terms go as far as He could to reconcile each individual to himself.
C. S. Lewis the Christian writer noted this of Christian belief,

“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, 

but that God will make us good because He loves us.”  

C.S. Lewis.

As the Apostle Paul states. Entering heaven is an act of faith on the part of the individual. God out of love for His creation, in the form of His one and Only Son Jesus Christ reached down to man and said I love you.
All God asks of the individual is to have faith that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for your sins.
If you believe what I have written why not take a moment and from your heart say this prayer. A prayer in which you are simply acknowledging Jesus is the Son of God and are accepting Him as your Lord and saviour. The one who died for your sins.
Dear Heavenly Father
I believe in you. I believe that Jesus is your one and Only Son. Who paid the price for my sins.
     I admit that I am a sinner and fall short of what you would have for my life. Please forgive me of my sins.
I accept your Saving Grace that comes through Jesus Christ.
I give you permission to come into my heart and life today. Guide me and show me your will for my life.
In Jesus name I pray Amen.
If you do not believe what I have said. All I can do is ask you to read the New Testament and see what believers in Christ teach. Then decide for yourself if what I have said is true.
To quote C. S. Lewis,

“Christianity, if false, is of no importance,

 and if true, of infinite importance. 

The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” 

C. S. Lewis

Please think about it.

Three Quotes and an Explanation

Three Quotes and an Explanation
The Quotes
The writer of Hebrews states,
“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. “Hebrews 4:12,13.
The writer of Ecclesiastes,
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole  duty  of man. 
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”Ecclesiastes 12:13,14.
C. S. Lewis states,
“A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.” C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain.
The Explanation
I have no doubt God exists and as a Christian I believe that He in the form of His one and only Son entered His creation to point mankind to himself.
You can say God does not exist. But unless you’ve at the least been everywhere then the possibility exists that God exists where you have not been. And as far as I know, no one living today has been beyond the grave.
Thus if you don’t believe in God, I would ask are you so completely confident in what you believe?
As a Christian I believe in God. I also believe we cannot live a life good enough to stand before a holy God. As C. S. Lewis puts it,
“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”  C.S. Lewis.
That is why Jesus came into the world.
The apostle Paul tells us,
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.  
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!  
For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  
Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” Romans 5:6-11.
Paul also tells us,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8,9.
It is through the love and grace of God that we get to heaven. We cannot work for it.
God will one day judge every person that has ever lived. However as Christians we believe that the wrongs we have done are forgiven when we confess them to Jesus and accept His atoning sacrifice on the cross.
The apostle Paul does admit
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.  
For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” 
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  
For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.  
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom,  but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles,  but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  
For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.
God does not do things the way man would do things. God requires faith. The writer of Hebrews telling us,

“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

 and certain of what we do not see.”  

Hebrews 11:1

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, 

because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists 

and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” 

Hebrews 11:6.

God does exist. God will one day judge each person who has ever lived this is a fact whether you believe it or not.
So the question is do you believe in God and have you accepted the saving Grace of God, by accepting Jesus God’s one and only Son as your Saviour.
Please think about it.