What most religions don’t tell you about the Bible.
Almost every major world religion can be summarized with the idea that we must somehow appease God by doing good deeds or completing a checklist of works to receive eternal life.
These systems are the ultimate form of religious bondage for millions of people all over the planet. They are held hostage to fear and are bound to intricate systems of religious behavior that they are convinced will restore them to God and give them eternal life.
The saddest thing about these systems is that they offer only despair and bondage. They leave the human heart feeling ultimately rejected by God and forever wondering if, "I’ve done enough." They characterize God as more of a slave driver than a heavenly Father, and they leave your heart feeling anything but "close to God."
These systems fill the heart with nagging doubts. What if I missed something? What if I haven’t lived up to God’s demands? What if I’m doing the wrong list? What if my list is missing some critical element? Have I been good enough? How good is good enough? What if I haven’t been good enough?
These systems are great for building wealthy, powerful religions because they enslave people, but they do nothing to relieve the inner fears and yearnings of our hearts. They do nothing to heal the conscience and truly bring us into God’s favor. They do nothing to introduce us personally to the loving heavenly Father of whom the Bible speaks.
As Jesus hung on the cross, he cried "It is finished". At this point, salvation's work was complete, it was settled, it was done.
These systems are the ultimate form of religious bondage for millions of people all over the planet. They are held hostage to fear and are bound to intricate systems of religious behavior that they are convinced will restore them to God and give them eternal life.
The saddest thing about these systems is that they offer only despair and bondage. They leave the human heart feeling ultimately rejected by God and forever wondering if, "I’ve done enough." They characterize God as more of a slave driver than a heavenly Father, and they leave your heart feeling anything but "close to God."
These systems fill the heart with nagging doubts. What if I missed something? What if I haven’t lived up to God’s demands? What if I’m doing the wrong list? What if my list is missing some critical element? Have I been good enough? How good is good enough? What if I haven’t been good enough?
These systems are great for building wealthy, powerful religions because they enslave people, but they do nothing to relieve the inner fears and yearnings of our hearts. They do nothing to heal the conscience and truly bring us into God’s favor. They do nothing to introduce us personally to the loving heavenly Father of whom the Bible speaks.
As Jesus hung on the cross, he cried "It is finished". At this point, salvation's work was complete, it was settled, it was done.
What does the Bible have to say about eternal life in Heaven...
... the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life …
Romans 6:23
Second, realize everyone is a sinner. The Bible says in Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." No one is perfect. We have all broken God's commandments. This is called sin, and it separates us from God.
Third, realize sin has a price that must be paid. Romans 6:23 tells us, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The "wage" or payment for our sin is death, which according to the Bible is eternal separation from God in a place called Hell.
Fourth, realize Jesus Christ died to pay the price for your sin. Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." If we choose to accept Christ, we do not have to pay the price of death and Hell for our sins because Jesus paid for our sins when He died on the cross and rose again three days later!
Finally, pray and ask Jesus Christ to be your Saviour, and claim His promise of eternal life. In Romans 10:13 the Bible says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." That is a promise directly from God that if you will pray to Him, confess that you are a sinner and ask Him to forgive your sins, and accept Him as your Saviour, then He promises to save you and give you the free gift of eternal life (heaven).
