It’s a sad fact of life that we are born into a spiritual environment that places us in need of a rescue. As the tract “Grace to the Rescue” points out, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Sorry, but that includes you. Fortunately, there is good news! God has provided a solution to our eternal problem.
Many people think in order to go to heaven they must work hard and become “good enough” to earn that privilege. This is not what the Bible says. There, we’re told in no uncertain terms we are offered eternal life as a gift: “We are “justified [made right with God] by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).*
No human being will ever “earn” his or her way to heaven. It is only by believing in Jesus Christ as one’s personal Savior that anyone is entitled to a piece of heavenly real estate: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall hot perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
The devil seems to want people to think that God’s main purpose is to find something wrong with human beings so He can point a finger at them and say, “Aha, I caught you! You can’t go to heaven!” But Jesus makes it clear that just the opposite is the case: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned” (John 3:17, 18).
Does this mean we can accept Jesus and then go cheat on our taxes or rob a bank, and still go to heaven? The truth is, as you learn more about what Jesus has done for you, you will not want to “spit in His eye” by doing such things. Indeed, His power in your life will slowly but surely change your entire attitude: “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13). The verse goes on to state that with Jesus at work in our lives, we actually become people who are “eager to do what is good” (verse 14).
