Is faith enough to get us to Heaven?
Both the believer and the atheist hold to either a faith-based belief or a faith-based non-belief; but it takes more than faith to have salvation. It takes grace, which is unearned favor from God. That means whoever you are and wherever you have been and whatever you've done, Jesus STILL loves you unconditionally. He is not willing that any should perish And when Jesus died on the cross, he obviously wasn't thinking of himself. He had you and I on his mind, the whole time. He more than proved his love for us, in coming all the way from heaven, just to save us.
Ephesians 2:8-9 -
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
God didn't come to save the perfect, and he knows none of us are! He came to save sinners like myself and whosoever else wants to come to him to be saved. He doesn't expect us to be perfect. He knows our sinful nature, but as soon as we repent of our sins, he can help us escape the condemnation that sin placed on us. Only then are we fit for heaven, because we can't drag our sins into a holy heaven. But through Jesus, we are cleansed and made ready for heaven.
We're all in the same spiritual boat...in need of a Savior.
First you must recognize that you are a sinner, then ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins, then accept that by His blood, He paid for all your sins on the cross, when He died for you. Accept His forgiveness for your sins, thank Him for saving you, then go on and walk in the newness of your new life with Christ. God's instruction is the beginning of wisdom and Life.
It is important to know that salvation cannot be earned. It is a GIFT from God. If I give you a gift, it is free. You didn't do one thing to earn it. Same way with salvation. NOTHING you can do, will earn you a free ticket to heaven. HOWEVER...God graciously offers it for free!
Belief, according to God's Word, requires action on our part. Many "believe" but are not saved. It takes trust and commitment. "Ask for God to save you, and salvation shall be given.". That involves trust, repentance, and accepting the fact that Jesus died for our sins.
Faith is simply believing God (taking Him at His Word) when He tells us to stop trying to earn it, and instead, trust in the fact that Jesus paid for ALL our sins.
As I've mentioned before, anyone can claim to believe. Satan was thrown out of heaven for rebelling against God and trying to take over the Kingdom. He wanted to be head-honcho. Even Satan believes in God, but is not saved! Consider how it is with two couples. He says he loves her. She has lots of people who love her. However, wanting to give her your all, you ask her to marry you. Then you become one in the flesh through that commitment. Same with Jesus. If you confess you believe in Him, the next step is to make a commitment and be faithful. It's then, you become one with Christ. A spiritual union between you and God. You become part of His family when you do, and inherit eternal life.
No one can live a sinless life. That's impossible and unreasonable to think. Jesus ate with the sinners, thieves, prostitutes, and tax collectors. He loved them just as much as others. Even those that turned away from him, he calls them back and accepts them in everlasting love, just as the prodigal son's father did.
You can only know that God is real, through faith...trusting that God will save you. By reading the Bible and praying for God's understanding of His message to us, we learn how to accept His Son Jesus, as our personal Savior. All you have to do is ask, through simple prayer. Repent, believe, and receive. He turns no one away and there's always room at the cross for one more.
The key to salvation is total commitment. God doesn't want a half-hearted commitment, anymore than you would from someone who says they love you.
Ephesians 2:8-9 -
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
God didn't come to save the perfect, and he knows none of us are! He came to save sinners like myself and whosoever else wants to come to him to be saved. He doesn't expect us to be perfect. He knows our sinful nature, but as soon as we repent of our sins, he can help us escape the condemnation that sin placed on us. Only then are we fit for heaven, because we can't drag our sins into a holy heaven. But through Jesus, we are cleansed and made ready for heaven.
We're all in the same spiritual boat...in need of a Savior.
First you must recognize that you are a sinner, then ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins, then accept that by His blood, He paid for all your sins on the cross, when He died for you. Accept His forgiveness for your sins, thank Him for saving you, then go on and walk in the newness of your new life with Christ. God's instruction is the beginning of wisdom and Life.
It is important to know that salvation cannot be earned. It is a GIFT from God. If I give you a gift, it is free. You didn't do one thing to earn it. Same way with salvation. NOTHING you can do, will earn you a free ticket to heaven. HOWEVER...God graciously offers it for free!
Belief, according to God's Word, requires action on our part. Many "believe" but are not saved. It takes trust and commitment. "Ask for God to save you, and salvation shall be given.". That involves trust, repentance, and accepting the fact that Jesus died for our sins.
Faith is simply believing God (taking Him at His Word) when He tells us to stop trying to earn it, and instead, trust in the fact that Jesus paid for ALL our sins.
As I've mentioned before, anyone can claim to believe. Satan was thrown out of heaven for rebelling against God and trying to take over the Kingdom. He wanted to be head-honcho. Even Satan believes in God, but is not saved! Consider how it is with two couples. He says he loves her. She has lots of people who love her. However, wanting to give her your all, you ask her to marry you. Then you become one in the flesh through that commitment. Same with Jesus. If you confess you believe in Him, the next step is to make a commitment and be faithful. It's then, you become one with Christ. A spiritual union between you and God. You become part of His family when you do, and inherit eternal life.
No one can live a sinless life. That's impossible and unreasonable to think. Jesus ate with the sinners, thieves, prostitutes, and tax collectors. He loved them just as much as others. Even those that turned away from him, he calls them back and accepts them in everlasting love, just as the prodigal son's father did.
You can only know that God is real, through faith...trusting that God will save you. By reading the Bible and praying for God's understanding of His message to us, we learn how to accept His Son Jesus, as our personal Savior. All you have to do is ask, through simple prayer. Repent, believe, and receive. He turns no one away and there's always room at the cross for one more.
The key to salvation is total commitment. God doesn't want a half-hearted commitment, anymore than you would from someone who says they love you.
