Confusion about how to get to Heaven

[Capuano231]

Jesus says in Matthew that the only way to Heaven is if you keep the commandments. If you don't and you want to have eternal life, give all you stuff to the poor.

I am so confused... I thought you had to believe only in Jesus Christ and you will be saved from sin???

Please help

 

[Jakihe]

Jesus says in Matthew that the only way to Heaven is if you keep the commandments. If you don't and you want to have eternal life, give all you stuff to the poor.

I am so confused... I thought you had to believe only in Jesus Christ and you will be saved from sin???

Please help

In Matthew someone asked Jesus how to have eternal life and Jesus answered, saying, to keep the commandments.
It didn't stop there though.
Keeping the commandments wasn't all that was required.
The story continues when Jesus told the man to sell his possessions and follow him.


We should put Jesus first and follow him. Nothing should be more important or come before him or stand in the way of serving him.
And yes, we have to accept Jesus, know that he died for us and through his death and resurrection, we have our sins forgiven and have the promise of eternal life.

We are told by Peter to repent and be baptized.

Jesus also tells us,
Mark 16:16
that he who believes and is baptized will be saved.
When we accept Jesus as our savior, we are to turn our backs on sin and strive to live holy, as he did.

God bless

 

[chilehed]

Jesus says in Matthew that the only way to Heaven is if you keep the commandments. If you don't and you want to have eternal life, give all you stuff to the poor.

In order to attain heaven we must obey Christ. We must do what he said to do.

I am so confused... I thought you had to believe only in Jesus Christ and you will be saved from sin???

The idea that all you have to do is believe, and that belief doesn't involve action, is a heresy. A common heresy, but a heresy nonetheless. Satan himself believes that Jesus is Lord.

The Hebrew word aman is translated as “believe”, “trust”, “have faith”, and also “support”, “nourish”, and “make lasting”. A derivative word is omenat, meaning “pillars” or “supports of the door” as in 2 Kings 18:16. Another cognate is emunah, which is “faithfulness” or “trust”, as in Exodus 17:12 where God brought victory to Israel as long as Moses would hold his hands up. Aaron and Hur held up his hands so that they “remained emunah until sundown”. All of these illustrate that faith is an action that we take. Faith is a work, it's about what you DO and not merely about what you believe.

We are not able to do this work by our own effort, because of the effects of original sin. Each and every time we turn toward God and away from sin it is because God gave us at that moment the grace to be able to do it. It is completely and totally due to the grace of God, who enables all of us at some point in our lives to perform the work of freely responding to Him by performing the "obedience of faith". At that moment we truly have the choice that Adam had, to submit to God or submit to ourselves, and we only have that choice because of God’s grace.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church expresses this by saying that faith is an act of the will in which one turns toward God and away from sin; in which we decide that we will cooperate, with our intellect and will, with the divine grace that God gives us to enable us to comply with the moral law; it is a free response of the human person to the initiative of God; it is a personal adherence of the whole man to the God who reveals himself. It is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us, and that his Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth itself. By faith "man freely commits his entire self to God." For this reason the believer seeks to know and do God's will. "The righteous shall live by faith." Living faith "work through charity."

These are all actions, things we do in obedience to God. Thus the Apostle Paul says in Romans 1:5 "Through Him we have received the grace of apostleship, to bring about the obedience of faith...” This obedience is the essence of Christianity: submission to the Eternal One who was enfleshed, and through that submission being brought into union with Him so that we may participate in His divine life.

It’s important to understand that the Catholic view is not that we are a spirit stuck in a body, nor are we a composite of a body, a soul and a spirit as is commonly held among Protestants. God created us as a body/soul unity, not two things stuck together but one whole. As we pray with our minds using words, so we also pray with our bodies using actions. As we submit to God with our wills, so we also submit with our deeds. To speak of “faith” as separate from “works” is schizophrenic, because faith is the assent of our minds enfleshed in our actions.

We know that to observe the Ten Commandments is to conform oneself to God's will, because Jesus says that the essence of the Commandments is to love the Lord with all your heart, and your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:36-40). We also know that natural man can't do that because of Adam's Fall, so the only way we can truly observe the Commandments is by the grace of God... which means that obedience to the commandments is a work of GOD in us! These are NOT works of men, they are works of God's grace by which He gives us the ability and means to freely bind ourselves to Him.

What must I do to be saved? Submit in obedience to the Eternal One who was enfleshed, and die in that state of friendship with Him.

 

[Rescued One]

The truth is that you can't save yourself. God saves us. And when He saves us, He gives us the desire to follow Christ. Keeping X amount of commandments doesn't save you. Having the new birth which only God can give saves you through the blood of Christ.

The law makes us aware of how much we need a Savior. It shows us our imperfections.

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3:19-20)

Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. (Galatians 3:23-25)

If God saves you and seals you with the Holy Spirit, you are a sheep of the Shepherd.

And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
(John 10:4-5)

So ask yourself, "Am I following the Shepherd?" What are your priorities in this life?

 

[SharonL]

When Jesus died on the cross He left us with 2 commandments - Have no other God's before us and love your neighbor as yourself. If we do those two it will cover all the rest.

The reason the Bible tells us that Jesus told the man to sell all his possessions and give to the poor is because he knew his heart - his possessions was his God - and God will not allow us to have anything that we think more of than we do of Him.

Yes the Bible says believe and you will be saved and that is what it means. It does not say Believe....But - man puts a lot of if, and or buts in our way, but Jesus makes it simple. Just hold on to His hand and let the Holy Spirit guide you and you will be just fine.

 

[GaryP]

So, is the verse a decoy? Your choice.

Mark 15:38. The Temple is open, Is that were you enter to get to Heaven.

Your choice.

 

[RobertZ]

Sorry, wrong forum. EDIT.

 

[hamashiachagape]

Jesus says in Matthew that the only way to Heaven is if you keep the commandments. If you don't and you want to have eternal life, give all you stuff to the poor.

I am so confused... I thought you had to believe only in Jesus Christ and you will be saved from sin???

Please help

To be saved from sin. Leviticus 17:11. Thats the centrality of it, but sacrifices are of necessity. We have the ultimate sin sacrifice in Yeshua (Jesus).

I always go with Matthew 5:17-20 on what Yeshua teaches. On the rich man, most people get so wrapped up in what Yeshua was trying to say, that they don't go back and check the Torah. Yeshua is merely teaching directly from that throughout his whole ministry. If he wasn't, then, he would be in violation of Deuteronomy 18:20. Hope this helps.

 

[heymikey80]

Jesus says in Matthew that the only way to Heaven is if you keep the commandments. If you don't and you want to have eternal life, give all you stuff to the poor.

I am so confused... I thought you had to believe only in Jesus Christ and you will be saved from sin???

Please help

Jesus was speaking in a particular way to an audience of lawkeepers to bring home a particular point.

For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. Rom 8:4​

The law isn't gone -- it's just unable to accomplish what we need accomplished.

Jesus is.

 

[gilliger]

In order to attain heaven we must obey Christ. We must do what he said to do.

The idea that all you have to do is believe, and that belief doesn't involve action, is a heresy. A common heresy, but a heresy nonetheless. Satan himself believes that Jesus is Lord.

I agree with this statement, but the further explanation was just as heretical. On the day of Pentecost, Peter told the crowd (who just realized they were guilty of the blood of Christ) that if they wanted to be forgiven they needed to repent and be baptized so that their sins could be forgiven. Once you've entered into that state, continue to follow Christ's doctrine (Matthew 28:19-20).

 

[DoctorJosh]

In Matthew someone asked Jesus how to have eternal life and Jesus answered, saying, to keep the commandments.
It didn't stop there though.
Keeping the commandments wasn't all that was required.
The story continues when Jesus told the man to sell his possessions and follow him.


We should put Jesus first and follow him. Nothing should be more important or come before him or stand in the way of serving him.
And yes, we have to accept Jesus, know that he died for us and through his death and resurrection, we have our sins forgiven and have the promise of eternal life.

We are told by Peter to repent and be baptized.

Jesus also tells us,
Mark 16:16
that he who believes and is baptized will be saved.
When we accept Jesus as our savior, we are to turn our backs on sin and strive to live holy, as he did.

God bless

Very good post. Right on track 100 percent. God Bless.

 

[toolite]

Jesus says in Matthew that the only way to Heaven is if you keep the commandments. If you don't and you want to have eternal life, give all you stuff to the poor.

I am so confused... I thought you had to believe only in Jesus Christ and you will be saved from sin???

Please help

Put God in your heart.. know the lord for yourself. How do you know to go to the Lord if you don't have a personal relationship with the Lord.


All The Glory Belongs To God Forever!

 

[Mister_Al]

Galatians 3:27-29 (Amplified Bible)

27) For as many [of you] as were baptized into Christ [into a spiritual union and communion with Christ, the Anointed One, the Messiah] have put on (clothed yourselves with) Christ.

28) There is [now no distinction] neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

29) And if you belong to Christ [are in Him Who is Abraham's Seed], then you are Abraham's offspring and [spiritual] heirs according to promise.


Blessings,

Alan