Don’t You Want To Go To Heaven?
No One Can Enter Heaven Unless They Are Born Again
Many years ago I was sharing with my dad about salvation and eternal life and asked, “don’t you want to go to heaven when you die?” He snapped back, “no, I wouldn’t know anyone in heaven; all my friends are in hell.”
Like my dad, many people utilize humor to deflect biblical and spiritual conversations. Seldom, if ever, do they seriously share their feelings, beliefs, or understanding about spiritual matters. Most are just drifting along with a self-styled religious concept tailored to their lifestyle. Many have never seriously read or studied the Bible and are unaware of what it says. Some are just trusting in the idea that as long as they don’t murder, rape, or commit some heinous crime all is well between them and God. For some there is sporadic or occasional church attendance, helping the needy, charitable gifts, and acts of kindness which are often cited to offset their sins. Still, others are very religious and practice their chosen religion regularly. By the world’s standards of right and wrong, they are good decent people making their way through life. The vast majority of people are not irreligious or faithless. Most have some kind of religious belief and practice. Nevertheless, none of these things will get you into heaven when you die.
The most specific and direct words about how one gets into heaven come from the Scriptures and the words of Jesus in John 3:1-8 “you must be born again.”
Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
The path to being born again begins by realizing Jesus is the Lord God almighty but not the Lord of your life—a sobering reality. In such moments His undeniable presence fills the room as our hearts and minds are spiritually illuminated. Suddenly it is crystal clear that we are sinners standing in the presence of a Holy Lord. His presence penetrates our every thought, deed, and desire. There is nothing hidden from Him. He knows us through and through and we know it. Sorrow, shame, and brokenness flood our hearts and we are completely undone. He is the glorious Lord God almighty and we are unworthy and undeserving sinners.
It is moments like these we say, “my Lord and my God, have mercy on me. Please forgive me and come into my heart. I’m sorry! I ask you to forgive me and be Lord and Savior of my life.”
As we speak, the perfect love of God overwhelms all our sin and guilt. He loves us and oh how He loves us! He has no judgment or condemnation for us, only mercy, grace, and forgiveness. We were blind and now we see. We were lost and now we are saved. We were dead and now we are alive, a new creation has begun, We are born again. We have finally turned our hearts to Him and he has embraced us with a love we have never known. Such love, such wondrous love that God should love a sinner such as I. We will never be the same again.
God sent His Holy Spirit into the world to convince and convict us in our hearts that we are sinners and to help us grasp just how guilty we are of not obeying God. The idea of repentance is essential to being born again in that we realize the life we are currently living is not the life God has for us. All our beliefs and religious efforts fail to make us acceptable in God’s sight. We must be spiritually born again.
What God offers through the new birth is a life of mercy, grace, forgiveness, empowerment by His Spirit, and eternal life. He is offering a seat at the King’s table for all eternity. It requires an awaking of mind and heart that grieves our souls to the point we are compelled to fully and completely surrendered to His Lordship. The convicting presence and power of the Holy Spirit will pierce your heart and through grace and faith, we will turn to God in true repentance. In doing so, a new creation, a spiritually born-again person comes alive in you and you become God’s “new creation,” a born-again child of God.
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:16-17
God resists the proud-hearted person who sees no need of being born again but gives grace to those who humble themselves and turn to Him. Many have struggled with the new birth not because they don’t get it, but because they do understand and are too proud to repent. In their minds, they have reasoned things according to their unilluminated prideful thinking and argue there is no problem with what they believe.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
When we believe, we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord. All condemnation is removed. We are forgiven, born again, and receive eternal life as a gift from God. Believing is more than an intellectual acceptance that Jesus exists. James 2:19 tells us that even the devil believes Jesus is Lord and Savior. If your belief in God has not caused you to be born again, then you have not truly repented and turned your life over to the Lordship of Christ. If you don’t know if you are born again, then you are not. There are too many Pastors eager to fill the building telling their unsaved, unrepented congregations that by reciting what has been called the sinner’s prayer they are forgiven and born again. This kind of prayer without repentance may be emotional but meaningless. True repentance places us under the Lordship of our Savior and Lord.
Through the new birth we are more than forgiven we are transformed into a new spiritual creation in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 5:17:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
If you want to see heaven, you must be born again!
How to Turn to God
Perhaps at this very moment, you have realized that you need the Lord in your life. Maybe you drifted away or need to be been born again? If so, you can stop right now and begin talking to God. Ask Him to forgive you for being a sinner and the life you have been living outside of His love. Surrender your life to Him, unconditionally. Call Him Lord and make Him Lord of every thought, attitude, and action. You can say, Lord Jesus, forgive me for all my sins and come into my heart and take full control of my life. I am your child from this day forward. Change my heart and mind to be Christ-like in every way. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Savior forever.
