God’s Plan to Bring You to Heaven
By Rick Warren
“God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us ‘not guilty’—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like.” Romans 3:22 (TLB)
Every human that has ever lived has faced the same problem: Their sin separates them from God. But the Bible offers a simple, straightforward solution, “the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone” (Luke 2:10 TLB).
The Bible says, “This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life’” (Romans 1:17 NLT).
God’s Word also says, “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).
The Good News is that the death and resurrection of Jesus give you access to God. In other words, you can only get to heaven by trusting in God through his Son, Jesus Christ.
How do you express faith in Christ? Here’s a simple, biblical guide:
Admit you need a Savior
You can’t get to God on your own. You’re a sinner. You’ve blown it. Heaven is perfect, and you’re not.
But the Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9 NIV).
And the apostle Paul says, “God says he will accept and acquit us—declare us ‘not guilty’—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like” (Romans 3:22 TLB).
Believe in Jesus
The Bible is straightforward about what you need to believe for salvation: “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31 NLT). That means you believe Jesus is who the Bible says he is, and you trust him for your future with everything you have. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV).
And your belief must be specific in Christ: “If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from death, you will be saved. For it is by our faith that we are put right with God; it is by our confession that we are saved . . . ‘Everyone who calls out to the Lord for help will be saved’” (Romans 10:9-10, 13 GNT).
Confess your commitment to Jesus
Tell Jesus you trust him with your life. Confess that you believe in him and his promises. Jesus said, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark” (John 12:44-46 NLT).
Depend on God’s promises
You can rely on God’s promise in John 3:16: “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (NLT).
No matter what you’ve done or how long you’ve done it, God promises that everyone who believes in Jesus will live with him in heaven forever.
Have you committed your life to Jesus?
If you haven’t trusted in Jesus and committed to following him, why wait any longer? Pray this prayer:
“Dear Jesus, you have promised that if I believe in you, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day. I’m so grateful that I do not have to earn or work for my salvation. It is a gift from God, through your sacrifice on the cross.
“I confess my sin, and I believe you are my Savior. I receive you into my life as my Lord. Today I’m turning over every part of my life to your management. I want to use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. I commit my life to you and ask you to save me and accept me into your family. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”
If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at Rick@PastorRick.com and let me know about it. I’d like to send you some free materials to help you start your journey with Jesus.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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