How to get to heaven

[DarkProphet]

What is needed to get to heaven? I mean do you have do anything to get in? Do you have to believe a certain thing with all your heart? Do you have follow the ten commandments? Do you have to follow any of the rules in the Bible? Do you have to know the name Jesus? Or, as I heard once, vote Republican?

 

[childofGod31]

You have to believe that you are a sinner (doesn't matter if you are a good or bad person) and that you can't get to heaven because Holy God cannot accept sinners into heaven.

You have to believe that Jesus came and died for your sins and opened the way to heaven for you.

You have to ask God to forgive your sins and invite Jesus to come into your heart. (And confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior).

If you truly believed, the Holy Spirit, (and/or Jesus) will come into your heart and you will become born again. A person created in Jesus. A new creation. Sinless before God (because Jesus is sinless and we are in Jesus also sinless).

After that, you have to read the Bible and talk to God on a regular basis. You have to do everything that would please God (if you read the Bible, you will see). There is no rule book, just common sense - put God first in your life AND do not do anything hurtful in any way to another (such as lying, stealing, cheating, abusing, mistreating,...)

 

[Ailanthus]

Once again, it's simple; the way to heaven is to let Christ live in you. Following the Ten Commandments is not enough; following certain rules in the Bible is not enough; and, *chuckle* voting republican is NOT enough. There is only one way to heaven and the Father. That way is Jesus Christ. He is the ONLY way.

 

[ebia]

What is needed to get to heaven? I mean do you have do anything to get in? Do you have to believe a certain thing with all your heart? Do you have follow the ten commandments? Do you have to follow any of the rules in the Bible? Do you have to know the name Jesus? Or, as I heard once, vote Republican?

You have to trust God. That's all; it's as easy - and as hard, as that.

 

[tapero]

What is needed to get to heaven? I mean do you have do anything to get in? Do you have to believe a certain thing with all your heart? Do you have follow the ten commandments? Do you have to follow any of the rules in the Bible? Do you have to know the name Jesus? Or, as I heard once, vote Republican?

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.

That is one of several of scriptures on how to come to Christ.

 

[heron]

When Jesus offered eternal life to people, most of them were coming from a premise that the afterlife was in the grave, below the ground. Jesus brought up a fairly new possibility-- that we could extend our existence into a new and wonderful realm.

Hinduism primarily revolved around reincarnation on earth; Islam hadn't started yet; elite Egyptians (e.g., pharoah-gods) used the Book of the Dead instructions for obtaining an afterlife (not in heaven); Greeks believed Elysian fields reserved for gods; Zoroastrianism probably came closest to the idea, believing that souls would be reunited with God at an end of time.

Our civilization is so accustomed to hearing about heaven that all sorts of diverse philosophies have sprung from it, and everyone feels they deserve an eternity in paradise. But it wasn't about deserving. It was a new offer, an invitation for something more.

One could look at it like a friend invited you to the Oscars, because they knew you were a film student who wanted to learn more about the industry -- but then your friends didn't understand why they weren't invited.

That's a slanted example. But it only makes sense that if one wants to be with God for eternity, one would want to be with Him now. Otherwise, there's no sense in going.

 

[DarkProphet]

One could look at it like a friend invited you to the Oscars, because they knew you were a film student who wanted to learn more about the industry -- but then your friends didn't understand why they weren't invited.

That's a slanted example. But it only makes sense that if one wants to be with God for eternity, one would want to be with Him now. Otherwise, there's no sense in going.

The problem with your analogy is also that Christians don't believe in reincarnation so the options are either heaven or hell. That means if don't get into heaven you must end up in hell. An analogy with that might be a sinking ship without enough lifeboats for everyone. You either make it to the lifeboats or you suffer death in the water there is no middle ground.

 

[childofGod31]

Well, Jesus said: MAT 7:13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

But it's not completely because of lack of knowledge that people will "miss the boat".
In Revelation it implies that people will believe in God's existence, but will choose Satan anyways.
REV 16:11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

Also, in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, rich man was convinced that if somebody rose from the dead, then people would believe. But Jesus DID raise from the grave and many people still didn't believe (or accept it.)
LUK 16:27 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house,
28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'
29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'
30 "'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'
31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

 

[AvgJoe]

What is needed to get to heaven? I mean do you have do anything to get in? Do you have to believe a certain thing with all your heart? Do you have follow the ten commandments? Do you have to follow any of the rules in the Bible? Do you have to know the name Jesus? Or, as I heard once, vote Republican?

Jesus said it plainly in Mark 1:15, "...repent and belive the gospel."

 

[Catherineanne]

What is needed to get to heaven?

Those who die in the faith of Christ, go to heaven.

Maybe others do as well, but these certainly.

 

[hlaltimus]

What is needed to get to heaven? I mean do you have do anything to get in? Do you have to believe a certain thing with all your heart? Do you have follow the ten commandments? Do you have to follow any of the rules in the Bible? Do you have to know the name Jesus? Or, as I heard once, vote Republican?

When the great flood of Noah's day came upon the Earth, it rained for forty days and forty nights. "Forty days" impies that it took some time for the flood to do it's awful work, all the while people resorting to this and that different tactics for their survival. All such tactics failed except for one: Noah entered his ark of safety. If he had built this ark and yet failed to enter deep into it's recesses, he would have likewise perished with the disobedient. There is the whole concept of salvation in a nutshell: God has placed for all an ark of safety, our Lord Jesus Christ, and all who enter into His Divine Being through saving faith will survive the coming great calamities that will befall our sinful world. Here is where I love the Recovery Translation's rendering of John 3:16 -

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that every one who believes into Him would not perish, but would have eternal life."

"Believing in Christ" is a good expression too, so long as you understand that faith in Christ is not just a mental state of agreement alone...Faith in Chirst must unite you in a very real and spiritual sense with and into His very redemptive person in order for it to have it's true saving work. Your "faith" must bring you deep within into His glorious person where you will find all the blessings of the Father there awaiting you in His only begotten Son. Just like Noah's faith in that immense ark: His faith brought him into the ark and this is the sole reason why he survived while others clinging to lesser hopes did not.

 

[skyblue]

What is needed to get to heaven?

Luke 23:39-42
One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? “And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

He saw his need, he believed and he received.


I mean do you have do anything to get in? Do you have to believe a certain thing with all your heart? Do you have follow the ten commandments? Do you have to follow any of the rules in the Bible?

John 6:29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”

Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?

Ecc 12:13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Eph 2:8-10 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

What we do is a result of our belief. Our works don’t get us into heaven.

What is needed to get to heaven? Do you have to know the name Jesus? Or, as I heard once, vote Republican?

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 6:44a “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”

John 10:1-4, 27-30
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are one.”
Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart,”

Jesus is the only way to heaven. It is God that draws us to himself.

 

[LovesEnduringPromise]

You go to heaven by believing in Jesus Christ, believing he died on the cross for us and he rose again. You go because you obey Jesus Christ's gospel and you have him truly in your heart.

 

[dvd_holc]

What is needed to get to heaven? I mean do you have do anything to get in? Do you have to believe a certain thing with all your heart? Do you have follow the ten commandments? Do you have to follow any of the rules in the Bible? Do you have to know the name Jesus? Or, as I heard once, vote Republican?

Throughout the bible, the message of God is for reigning of God here on earth. God created the world good and wants people to be in the likeness of God here on earth. But we sinned and the kingdom of sin reign on earth...God did not leave the creation to be ruled by sin, but began a process of redemption of creation through the covenants. When we cling to the covenants we participate in the redemption and restoration of creation. The process is a built up to a point by the Spirit to fresh acts of mercy and grace in Jesus. The first accomplishment of the covenants where fulfilled in the life, death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus...the next major act of accomplishment of the covenants will be fulfilled by Jesus' return which we finish the restoration of creation and the indwelling of God in creation. The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. We aren't getting to Heaven, but Heaven is uniting with Earth.

 

[mophed20]

Not necessarily. Not all Christians believe in the kind of hell you persist in asking about, and yet you ignore their replies and continue to suggest that there is only one dimension to our faith.

Hell is about being separated from God. In that context, you are now, this minute, in hell, while I, who have Christ sitting next to me, am in heaven.

This is not about angels and fluffy clouds. It is about relationship and separation. We create relationships for ourselves while on earth, and we take them into eternity with us.

catherineanne, i gotta correct you. you are neither in heaven, nor is darkprophet in hell. that's a bold and weighty statement. we are blinded by the world to the spiritual world, and we have seperated ourselves and continue to run away from God to return to our sins, but the difference is, God can manifest Himself to anyone here, He can pursue us and we, Him. in Hell: He either cannot, or will not, because those in Hell have made the choice to follow satans voice into the darkness of their sin.

why does it matter how we go to heaven though? are we afraid of what we deserve? instead, shouldn't we follow Christ whether we know we know we are saved or not? if you are a non-Christian, or even a Christian, please realize that heaven is not going to be a place that fulfills all you human desires, and you get to run around free. it is a place where you worship God the whole time, it is Divine rest, it is (as the Orthodox say) an eternal Divine Liturgy! if you don't like all that, you won't like heaven. and hell, that is seperation from the One who has grace, and protects us here on earth, and that is probably the worst thing ever, because there is no grace, no more chances.

Any questions?

 

[INRI2]

16 Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" 17 "Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." 18 "Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, "'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'" 20 "All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?" 21 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

 

[kulenok]

To get to heaven you must be a Christian. Voting republican won't get you there any faster. Well, maybe you don't HAVE to be a christian, but following the ten commandments is very important. You have to believe the faith with all your heart, and follow the Holy Spirit. I hope I see you there Darkprophet, bewcause if your not there, your in...anyways bless you in finding GOD.

-Alex

 

[Stinker]

What is needed to get to heaven? I mean do you have do anything to get in? Do you have to believe a certain thing with all your heart? Do you have follow the ten commandments? Do you have to follow any of the rules in the Bible? Do you have to know the name Jesus? Or, as I heard once, vote Republican?

Of course like what so many posters have already said, one has to first fulfill the New Testament's definition of belief. To know if one has fulfilled this definition they will have followed it with repentance in the heart and showed it with action. Immediately following their having repented it will be obvious that they have truly converted by witnessing their following the teaching of Jesus and the Apostles and their keeping the commandments of God.

 

[jesussavess]

Hello and good evening,

In order to get to heaven, a person must truthfully & heartfeltly come to Jesus Christ in LOVE (true repentance). Love will keep each of us continually picking up our crosses, denying ourselves (our flesh) daily, helping others come to the cross and remain united to Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ (Love), is the Only way to God the Holy Heavenly Father (Heaven), The KEY to Heaven's Door.

Thank you for your question and God bless you.


(Romans 10:9)
jesus saves

​

 

[Jenniferloveschrist]

These people have definetly got it covered.
God I just ask that you will be with this precious child of yours. That you will bring him to a knowledge of you and your love for him. Protect him from false docrine and false teachings!
IN JESUS NAME