What are the three ways to get to heaven? First of all, is faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ is an acknowledgment. I can't do this on my own. I can't earn heaven. I can't earn God's favor. I don't work at it hard enough and then finally God smiles on me after I've worked at it hard enough. No. Faith in Christ is an acknowledgment. I cannot make it on my own. I throw myself upon you, Christ. That's why Jesus began the sermon on the mount with the first beatitude, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. To be poor in spirit means to acknowledge my spiritual bankruptcy before God. I can't buy my way into God's presence. God is holy. God is totally separate from evil. God is totally good. I am not. Therefore I need his forgiveness and mercy. And that is what he gives me when I put my faith in him. The second way to heaven is to obey Christ. Genuine faith will be shown by genuine obedience. Since your faith will be shown by sincere obedience. So trust in Christ and obey him. That is a sign that your faith is sincere. To take offense at the cross as well as praising God for going to that cross through his son. Taking offense is all fallen short of the glory of God. If I simply come to accept Christ out of excitement, that is great, but you got to look at the cross and say, why did he go to that cross? It's because of my sin. He went to that cross. And that should be offensive. Because before you believe in Christ and accept him in your life, you think you're a pretty good person. You definitely don't think someone needed to die for you and your sin. And alongside of that is praising and thanking God for doing so. It's so easy to become so used to, oh, of course, I know what the cross. What happened there? And of course, I'm saved rather than, no, in order to get to heaven, we understand that Jesus did this for us. So I'm gonna praise and thank him for it. It's so easy to become so used to, oh, of course, I know what the cross. What happened there? And of course, I'm saved rather than, no, in order to get to heaven, we understand that Jesus did this for us. So I'm gonna praise and thank him for it. The third way to heaven is taking offense at the cross as well as praising God for going to that cross through his son. Taking offense is all fallen short of the glory of God. If I simply come to accept Christ out of excitement, that is great, but you got to look at the cross and say, why did he go to that cross? It's because of my sin. He went to that cross. And that should be offensive. Because before you believe in Christ and accept him in your life, you think you're a pretty good person. You definitely don't think someone needed to die for you and your sin. And alongside of that is praising and thanking God for doing so. It's so easy to become so used to, oh, of course, I know what the cross. What happened there? And of course, I'm saved rather than, no, in order to get to heaven, we understand that Jesus did this for us. So I'm gonna praise and thank him for it.
