Do You Have To Be Saved To Go To Heaven? (If So, Why?)

Do you have to be saved to go to heaven? If so. Why? I am sure if you are Christian you have come across this question several times in your Christian life.

To answer this important question of whether you need to be saved to go to heaven, we need to look at what the bible has to say and what Jesus Christ said about this subject.

Without wasting much of your precious time, let’s answer today’s question” do you have to be saved to go to heaven?” with references to bible verses in both the Old Testament and the New Testament so that you know the truth.

Is Being Saved Necessary To Go To Heaven?

The simple answer to that question is a resounding yes. Indeed, dear, you need to be saved if you are to enter heaven and escape the wrath to come 1 Thessalonians 1:10 talks about which will come to all unsaved people who die in their sins.

To understand why being saved is crucial for you to enter heaven; you first need to understand what it means to be truly saved and what you are ultimately being saved from.

Jesus Christ tells us in Luke 13:3 that unless we repent and turn away from our sins, we will likewise perish in hell fire which is tragic indeed.

Yes, repentance is necessary for salvation, as you won’t see the need to forsake your life of sin if you don’t have a repentant heart. Repentance is more than just saying you are sorry for your sins. It’s more than that.

True repentance means having a change of mind about sin and God shown by turning away from your sins and turning to God so that you may have your sins pardoned and forgiven through His son Jesus Christ who died for your sin on the cross for your salvation.

If you are truly repentant, you will be sorry for your sins and vow in your heart never to return to them or sin anymore. Anything short of that, dear is not genuine repentance at all.

What Does It Mean To Be Saved?

As I earlier said if you want to fully understand why you need to be saved to go to heaven, you need to understand what it means to be saved and what you are being saved from.

To be saved simply means having your sins forgiven by Jesus Christ after accepting Him as your personal Lord and savior. It also means obtaining salvation and eternal life Christ Jesus promises in John 3:16 to all those who believe in Him.

Being a saved person also implies that you are no longer destined for hell, as you were when you were a sinner who was under God’s wrath. Psalms 7:11 in the Old Testament tells us that God is angry with the wicked and sinners every day.

If sinners don’t repent of their sins by accepting Christ Jesus as their personal Lord and savior, they will ultimately perish in the lake of fire as Revelations 20:15 tells us for rejecting God’s love gift of salvation and eternal life through His Son.

The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death but God’s gift is eternal life through Christ Jesus. Also, Jesus Christ clearly tells us in John 3:16-18 that all sinners will perish and go to hell if they don’t believe in Him as their savior.

Since we are all born with a sinful nature, we are all spiritually dead but when we become saved we become spiritually alive in Christ and are saved from the sin penalty which is eternal death and separation from God in hell.

Salvation Means Being Saved From Death.

Therefore, if you are saved, it implies you are also saved from eternal death and punishment in hellfire. Revelations 21:8 talk about the second death, which all unbelievers and sinners who rejected salvation while on earth will experience in the lake of fire.

The second death means eternal punishment and eternal separation from God, which is the worst thing that will ever happen to anyone who rejects Jesus Christ while on earth. This, my dear friend, is what salvation is all about.

Salvation is all about being saved from this eternal death Revelations 21:8 talks about and the wrath to come 1 Thessalonians 1:10 talk about.

So, if you are saved, it means you are being rescued from eternal death, judgment, wrath to come, and punishment in hell which will come on all unsaved and unrepentant sinners when they die in their sins.

You are also no longer under wrath sin bring upon a sinner if you have this eternal salvation Jesus Christ promises to all those who place their faith in Him to have everlasting life in heaven.

By being saved, it also implies that you have escaped the great white throne judgment and wrath Revelations 20:11-15 talk about which will come on all unsaved sinners.

As you know, we will all have to give an account of how we lived our lives when we die. Therefore, if you die unrepentant in your sins without salvation, judgment and wrath await you.

On the other hand, if you get saved and die in Christ, you go straight to heaven and you will no longer have to face the judgment that your unsaved counterparts will face for rejecting Christ.

What Must You Do To Go To Heaven?

If you want to go to heaven and want to forever spend eternity with God there in everlasting joy and happiness, there are only 3 simple things you need to do to be a heavenly candidate. These are.

1. Believe In The Lord Jesus Christ.

The first thing you need to do if you want to enter heaven is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, and forgiveness of your sins and realize that apart from Him, no one can save you from sin (Acts 4:12).

It means that you need to believe what He did for you on the cross as we are told in Romans 5:6. We are also told in Ephesians 2:8,9 that we are only saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and what He did on the cross, not our good works.

By believing in Christ Jesus for your salvation, you make yourself a candidate for heaven as only He can get you there as He’s the gate you need to go through to enter heaven.

2. Repent Of Your Sins.

The second thing you need to do after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation and eternal life is to now repent and confess all your sins as well as vow never to return to them for good.

Repentance is crucial for your salvation as Jesus Christ tells us in Luke 13:3 that unless we repent we will likewise perish in hell, which will be our final eternal destiny where we will have to spend our eternity.

When you truly repent of your sins, you won’t desire to return to them anymore. Instead, you will now desire to follow after righteousness and not want anything to do with your past sinful lifestyle anymore.

3. Go And Sin No More.

After doing the above two steps, you should now be saved and on your way to heaven now as simple as that provided that you did the above steps with all your heart and truly meant it.

All that is left now is to now go and sin no more. Implying that you must not return to your former sinful lifestyle as you are now a new creation in Christ as 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us who now desires to follow after righteousness and holiness.

Yes, by God’s grace, you can live a holy life that’s free from your past sins as long as you resolve in your heart to not want anything to do with sin anymore.

Conclusion.

I hope the above post on,” do you have to be saved to go to heaven?” Has now helped you to fully understand why you need to be saved if you want heaven to be your eternal destiny when you die. In closing, if this post has been of great help to you, let me know in the comments below, and don’t forget to share before your leave. God bless.

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