How can I get to heaven? It is a question that man has tried to answer in many ways. For instance, we are told that if our good works outweigh our bad works, God will accept us into His heaven.
But God’s Word absolutely refutes such an idea. Titus 3:5-6 tells us that it is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy (that is God’s mercy) He saved us.”
No, our good works will never be sufficient to satisfy God. Romans 3:23 tells us, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And besides that, man is trying to do what God has already done.
As you will notice, it is “according to His mercy He saved us.”
Yes, “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Romans 3:16
Can you imagine a righteous God Who would sacrifice His Son to save sinners?
And can you imagine a Son Who would change places with those sinners and allow them to change places with Him? But that is what happened.
On Calvary’s cross, God “made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
That was God’s part, but we must do our part.
We must admit that we are sinners, and we must forsake our sins.
We must accept Jesus as the only One Who can save us from the penalty of our sins.
And if you do that, “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him (that is Jesus) from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10. And God has promised that “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13
Lloyd McDonald