“Are you good enough to go to heaven?”
The Problem of Sin
Have you ever lied, stolen anything, or hated another person? These offenses may seem small to us, but they’re a serious violation of God’s laws (Revelation 21:8, Exodus 20:15, 1 John 3:15 ). According to the Bible, God is holy and just, so he must punish us for every sin we’ve ever committed (Romans 2:5, 2:9-11, 2 Peter 3:7). There will be a day of judgement, and the guilty will be cast into a lake of fire (Ecclesiastes 12:14, Revelation 21:8). God doesn't ‘grade on a curve’, and no amount of good deeds, church attendance, or religious rituals can ever cancel out the evil we’ve done (Romans 3:20, Isaiah 64:6). We’ve all sinned and deserve God’s wrath (Romans 3:23,). Left to ourselves, our situation is hopeless.
The Gospel
However, God loved us so much that He graciously provided a way for us to be forgiven and accepted into Heaven. He sent His only Son (Jesus) to become a man, live a perfect life, and pay the full penalty for our sins by dying on a cross and rising from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3, (`Romans 5:8, John 3:16, ). Jesus took the punishment we deserved and gave us His righteousness, so we can stand before God on judgement day as if we've never sinned (1 Peter 3:18 , 2 Corinthians 5:21). Only through Jesus can we be purified from our sins and spend eternity with Him in heaven (1 Timothy 2:5-6, 1 John 1:7, 2 Corinthians 5:19).
Your Response
How you respond to the Gospel will determine your eternal destiny (John 3:17-18). If you trust in your own righteousness or reject Jesus’ sacrifice, you’ll be found guilty on the day of judgment and sentenced to eternal destruction (Galatians 3:10-11). But if you recognize that you deserve punishment and trust that Jesus fully paid for your sins, you’ll enter heaven on the basis of Jesus’ merit rather than your own. Jesus commanded us to repent and believe the Gospel (Matthew 4:17).
Repent
Think about the countless sins you’ve committed throughout your lifetime: lying, stealing, blasphemy, lust, and many others. Don’t try to justify what you’ve done or compare yourself to others (2 Corinthians 7:9-10). Instead, acknowledge that you’re a sinner who deserves God’s wrath and can do nothing to save yourself (1 John 1:9, Psalm 32:1-5). Turn away from your sinful lifestyle and trust in Jesus alone for salvation. (Acts 17:30, Acts 3:19, James 4:8-10). Repentance isn’t a flawless abstinence from sin in order to be saved, it’s the decision to obey God because you’re thankful He already saved you. You’ll still fail at times, but your response will be to turn away from sin and trust in Jesus (Matthew 3:8).
Believe
Put your complete trust in Jesus, who died on the cross to pay for your sins (Romans 10:9). When you do this, you’ll be forgiven for every evil thing you’ve ever done or will do (Romans 4:5, Acts 10:43. Acts 13:38-39). Jesus bore the wrath of God that you deserved, and applied His righteousness to your ‘account’. When you trust in Jesus, you can be confident that you’ll be found guiltless in the sight of God and have everlasting life in Heaven.