Do you want the good news or the bad news first?
Bad news? Okay.
Romans 3:23 ~ All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
That's right, friends. If you think you can somehow get to heaven by being good and taking out the garbage without being asked, I'm sorry. It's not good enough. You've sinned, and even one tiny sin marks up your whole repertoire.
James 3:9-11 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
You might be wondering why I'm saying "you" instead of "us." Well, if you're sad about this news that you may have never heard before, our Heavenly Father is too. He loves YOU and everyone else with a love so deep and real that no other can match it. And he's not one to sit around doing nothing when something needs to be done. So, as a benefit for all the humans he created and will create, who are drowned in sin.....
John 3:16 ~ For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him might have eternal life.
That's the good news. To get to heaven, you don't have to worry about being perfect. All you have to do is believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, God's son....believe that he came to earth as a sinless man born of a virgin...and that he was crucified on the cross, taking all of our punishment on his shoulders. And believe that three days after he was buried, he rose from the grave and went back to heaven to live forever at his Father's side.
Then, pray to him and ask him to come into your heart and your life, being sincerely sorry for your sins.
That's it.
That's all you have to do.
Now if you've never heard this before, you may think I made all that up - a virgin birth?! Raised from the dead?! But here we come to some more good news. If you have prayed a prayer and become a Christian and now feel kind of lost, you have help. Help in the Holy Bible. You can read the story about how Jesus came to earth in the book of Luke, if you wish. And besides that, there is all sorts of helpful advice to help you on your adventure as a Christian.
Blessings,
Ellyn
