The Way to Heaven

To start off, let me ask you a few more questions:

 

These are five of the Ten Commandments. When we use God's standard, the Ten Commandments, we see that we have a problem.

Actually we have three problems.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. - Romans 3:23

First, our sins have separated us from God.

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear. - Isaiah 59:2

AND

There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. - Proverbs 14:12

In fact, the just punishment for sin is death.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Romans 6:23

(See also: Matthew 12:36, Mark 9:47, Luke 12:47-48a and Revelation 14:9b-11)

If we use our own standard for righteousness, we will not see the seriousness of our situation.

Second problem, God will not lower His standard.

Have you ever been with someone who boasted about how self-righteous he was? If God lowered his standard, not only would this be a great compromise, everyone who got in would be self-righteous. Can you imagine what Heaven would be like if it was full of self-righteous people? In fact, some of Jesus' greatest adversaries were the self-righteous, that’s why Jesus said,

I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.''  Luke 5:32

Third problem, God cannot overlook our sins anymore than a moral judge can let criminals go free, even when they say they are sorry.

The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. - Psalms 145:17

Imagine that a valuable possession of yours has been stolen. The police catch the thief, but your valuable possession was completely ruined. After a few weeks, the thief is taken before a Judge. The Judge, in his verdict, states, ''The evidence makes it clear that you stole the valuable object and ruined it. However, since I am merciful, I am not going to convict you. You are free to go''. What would you think of that Judge? What would be the point of such a trial? Similarly, if God were to compromise, He would not be righteous.

However, God did have a solution to the three problems.

God’s solution was to send us Jesus

Who is Jesus?
 

Jesus is the Son of God

He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. - Luke 1:32
 

Jesus is the Creator

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. - John 1:3-4

AND

has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; - Hebrews 1:2
 

Jesus is the Anointed One, Who was promised to come

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. - John 20:31

AND

Then He said to them, ''These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.'' - Luke 24:44

AND

[Moses also promised the Messiah, saying] ''The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’

''And the LORD said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. - Deuteronomy 18:15-19
 

Jesus is the Lord

... God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth. - Philippians 2:9-10

AND

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ''All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. - Matthew 28:18
 

What did Jesus do?

Jesus became a servant to us, and offered Himself as a substitution.

[Jesus] made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. - Philippians 2:7-8

Jesus lived a sinless live (in order to be our substitute He couldn't have His own sins).

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. - 2nd Corinthians 5:21

AND

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ''Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'' - John 1:29
 

Why did Jesus die on the cross?

When Jesus died on the cross for our sins it was God’s ultimate love. If we add good works to be saved, we insult God by saying God’s ultimate love is insufficient to save us.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. - John 15:13

Only the cross can solve the three problems that were mentioned earlier:

First, our relationship to God has been restored

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. - Romans 5:10
 

Second, God did not have to lower His standard. Those who ignore His offer of salvation will see how high that standard is, on the Judgment Day.

For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. - Ephesians 2:8-9

No one will boast, rather everyone will be grateful.

Third, God did not have to overlook our sin.

[Jesus speaking] Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to each according as his work is. - Revelation 22:12

The way into Heaven is to believe.

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. - Romans 10:9

Most assuredly, I [Jesus] say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. - John 5:24

Do you believe this?

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