You Can’t Get to Heaven on Your Own
By Rick Warren
“If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” Romans 11:6 (ESV)
Most people think they know how to get to heaven. Ask a few random people, and you’ll likely hear answers like, “Just work really hard,” “Do more good than bad,” or, “Be nice to people.”
That may be what most people think, but it’s not right.
Here’s the truth: You don’t have a chance of getting into heaven by your own effort. You’ve never been perfect—and that means you’ll never be good enough to get into a perfect place.
The world says you have to work hard for heaven—but the Bible says you get into heaven through the exact opposite approach: “If it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace” (Romans 11:6 ESV).
This is the fundamental difference between Christianity and every other religion on Earth. You can summarize every other religion with the word “do.” Each religion has a different list of what to do, and you must obey that list to get to heaven. You have to earn your way to God.
The Bible gives an opposite plan. The Bible says you get into heaven by accepting what has already been done for you—that Jesus died on the cross 2,000 years ago for you.
Everything that needs to be done for you to get to heaven has already been done. Jesus did everything. It’s a free gift.
Your part in salvation is to confess your sins and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, acknowledging what he’s done for you. You receive God’s grace. It is God’s gift to you!
You may be given a Rolls Royce someday. You may be given a million dollars. But there’s no greater gift than God’s grace.
If you’re ready to accept the gift of God’s grace, then 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 confess that I have sinned against you, and I believe you are my Savior. Please forgive me! I trust you when you say salvation comes by grace, through faith, and not by anything I do. I want you to be Lord of my life, and I surrender my control and my will to you. Today I’m turning over every part of my life to you. I will do what you tell me to do and go where you tell me to go.
“I want to use the rest of my life to serve you instead of serving myself. I commit to walking with you, learning more about you, and trusting in your promises until I see you in heaven one day. I pray this in your name. Amen.”
If you just prayed to accept Jesus, please email me at [email protected] 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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