There is only one way for individuals to be saved from their sins, reconciled to God, and enter heaven when they die. That is accomplished through placing their faith in God’s only Son, Jesus Christ, for what He did for them on the cross. In other words, they must trust exclusively in God’s grace for forgiveness and redemption through Jesus Christ. This biblical truth excludes everyone and everything else as a means of obtaining those things.
Dwelling in God’s holy and righteous presence in heaven requires sinless perfection. This biblical truth disqualifies every human being from entering in on their own merits because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Therefore, Jesus was sent from heaven to earth to resolve this dilemma for sinners.
As God manifested in the flesh, Jesus lived a sinless life of obedience to the Father while on earth. He did this on behalf of all sinners, which satisfied God’s righteous requirements for holy living. At the appointed time of His death, Jesus willingly took the sins of the entire world upon Himself, suffered the punishment for each of them, and died a substitutionary death in every sinful person’s place. When He breathed His last breath, He proclaimed, “it is finished,” signifying God’s acceptance of His perfect sacrifice for sins, once and for all.
Those who receive Jesus’ gift of salvation by faith, trusting in what He did for them on the cross, are redeemed from their sinful condition and cleansed from all unrighteousness. In exchange for their sinfulness, they receive Jesus’ righteousness and will enter heaven when they die (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 10:4).
Those who reject Jesus’ gift of salvation remain in their sinful state with no other means available for their redemption. As a result, they will reap the full measure of God’s wrath upon their death, suffering the consequences of their sins because they refused Jesus’ sacrifice offered on their behalf.
(See the Scripture References link at the top of the page.)
