How to Get to Heaven
One common misconception about heaven today is that getting into heaven is based on a sort of “test”, basically that if we are good enough people on earth, then our reward will be to be with God in Heaven when we die. Many people leave it at that, not really worrying about, going about their daily lives as always. But if we believe that there is even the slightest chance of life after death (and as Christians, of course we do), then we need to look into this more carefully.
First, we need to ask ourselves, “What is heaven, and why do I want to go there?” Jesus gave us numerous parables about what Heaven was like, and it sounds like a great place to be. (However, today our culture occasionally presents Hell as a much more fun alternative, albeit in a jokingly or off-handed way, but still…)
So what is Heaven exactly? Heaven is the eternal Kingdom of God, the dwelling place of our loving God, a place where sin and temptation do not exist, so that as His children we can see God in fully glory, without doubt or shadow, and experience pure peace and love. Because of this, we can relate to each other in perfection as well.
Therefore, if our goal is to be in Heaven after we die, we need to figure out how to get there. As Jesus was preparing to leave this earth, he told his disciples that He was preparing a place for them in Heaven, and to meet Him there. Thomas spoke up that they didn’t know where He was going, so how could they know the way? Jesus’ famous answer was that “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:1-7) But I digress, more on this later…
So somewhere along the line it became common to think that if we are good enough, we will get to Heaven. Like Jesus standing there after we die at the pearly gates, checking over the test of our lives with a red pen, marking up our mistakes and commenting on our good works. What would be the passing score? 70 or above? Scripture says that the “gate is narrow” (Matthew 7:13-14), so maybe it is more like 95?! Ouch, that’s rough. Does Jesus grade on a curve?
Luckily for us, this is not the model that God follows. But for kicks, let’s look at the reality of this model if it were the case… Because God is perfect, we need perfection to be with Him. We are not perfect. We would all score zero on the test (not so good). So, at our first sin, we would be disqualified. And that sin comes at conception as original sin, so things would get off track really fast.
So, what gives? Fortunately, God planned for this since the beginning of time and came up with a better way. The truth is, He REALLY wants us to be with Him in Heaven, because he loves us so much. So much, that He sent His own Son to earth to ultimately pay the punishment of our failings for us. Through His power, we are saved – it has nothing that do with how good (or bad) we are. We are saved through Jesus Christ. This is a gift given freely to all of us, we just have to accept it.
This is so simple, but raises all kinds of questions. So is everyone saved? Why would someone not accept it? There has to be a catch…
There is no catch, but this does require us to respond in faith, hope and love. The key is to develop a REALATIONSHIP with Jesus, one of trust, one in which we allow God to have authority over our lives. Do you want to develop a relationship with Jesus? The question may seem rhetorical, but many do not. They may be afraid of what it will cost them, or may simply not be interested.
To develop a relationship, we must first acknowledge that we are sinners, and that we need a savior. This means admitting that we can’t do it all ourselves, that we make mistakes, and we cannot do enough on our own to get perfectly right with God. This is a big deal, and coming around to this can take some prayer and soul searching. Sometimes this realization hits people like a ton of bricks. For some, this is frightening at first. But the next step is wonderful; it involves allowing Jesus to be Lord of your life, basically making a DECISION to follow Him, in Word, in Prayer and Sacrament. It can be overwhelming, but it starts with just talking to Him and learning about Him, in obedience. He will do more than meet you half way. From here, the relationship grows.
As an aside, this is essential for everyone –you may have been baptized and confirmed, but you still need this personal relationship. There are many who go to church every Sunday and go through the motions, but do not have a relationship with Jesus.
As another aside, people sometimes get confused about what it means to “have a relationship” with someone that is not physically present on earth as a human being (at least not right now). In other words, this can be “churchy talk” to some that doesn’t provide understanding. Many atheists would say that it is complete foolishness, that it is not possible, and that Christians want it “to be” so badly that we live in an altered state of psychosis. They might make eloquent arguments, but in the end they are wrong; I can say this with certainty because I KNOW Jesus.
Key is prayer, reading scripture, more prayer, keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus, and the sacraments (esp. the Eucharist). And even more prayer. God said himself that he loves to see real effort and desire (Luke 18:1-8). He moves at His own pace, do not give up. You cannot be bothersome with too much prayer!
So the original question was about getting into Heaven. It is your relationship with Jesus Christ that allows you to be in Heaven with God. When you arrive, he will already know you and welcome you. Like he said, HE is the Way!
