Would you like to have the knowledge, the assurance and the joy of sins forgiven? Would you like to be sure of heaven?
Well, the first step to heaven is to realize that you cannot get there by trying. You canβt walk there. You canβt climb there. You canβt fly there. Only God can take you there. Many try to earn heaven. They try to climb there on a ladder of good works. They talk about βadding another rung.β But look out for that good works ladder! Itβs not anchored at the top and the higher you climb the farther you will fall.
Godβs Word says that salvation is βthe gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boastβ (Eph. 2:8,9). He is not going to have boasters in heaven β there are enough of them on earth and nobody likes them.
All of us should realize that even the best of us are not good enough for heaven, for βall have sinned and come short of the glory of Godβ (Rom.Β 3:23), but in this same statement the Apostle Paul declares that believers in Christ, who died for our sins, are βjustified freely by His [Godβs] grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesusβ (Rom.Β 3:24).
βTherefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christβ (Rom. 5:1).
So, friend, it is not by trying, or crying, or praying, or paying, or doing anything that you will reach heaven: it is only by believing. God says He loves sinners, and that Christ died for our sins. Will you believe this and trust Christ as your Savior? source
