How To Enter God’s Kingdom
Becoming a believer is the most important turning point a person can ever experience. It will determine the way he lives on Earth and where he will spend eternity.
The Bible says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23, NASB).[1] The word sin means to miss a target by falling short of it. Everyone misses God’s target by transgressing His commandments. Sin is the failure of a person to live the life God’s word commands us all to live. Sin is a universal plague that brings spiritual death to all people. For all people have sinned against God.
The person who lives without God in this life will pay the awful price of an eternity separated from God. God will not allow rebellious people to enter into His Presence, i.e., His eternal Kingdom, where God’s children live in perfect peace with Him. Because of the righteousness and justice of God, man must pay the penalty of sin.
The Bible says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23, NASB).
The suffering and death of the Man Christ Jesus is the greatest demonstration of the love of God for sinners. For Jesus was God Himself made flesh. He died to make atonement for all our sins. It is a great love for someone to die in place of a loved one, but Jesus died for His enemies.
The Bible says, "Repent and believe in the Gospel" (Good News). The word repent means to turn around and go in a different direction. It is a change of mind and life toward God (Mark 1:15, NASB).
By God's grace, sinners receive eternal life through faith, which is also from God: "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9, NASB). The word grace refers to the free, unmerited and unconditional gift of God’s faith, love, forgiveness and salvation.
Our God-given faith must be in the sin-atoning blood of Jesus Christ alone, shed on the cross for those who will believe.
Confess Jesus and believe that God raised him from the dead. The Bible says, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9, NASB). The word confess means to acknowledge that Jesus is Savior and Lord, to believe that Jesus died on the cross for sins and conquered death for those who will believe. Believe that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and He will change your life as you love Him and keep His commandments.
Grace to you . . .