Is Jesus Christ the only way to heaven? What must I do to be saved and have eternal life?
We believe that salvation is through believing in Jesus and Jesus alone. In John 14:6, the Bible tells us very clearly that Christ is the only way to God and eternal life, and in Romans 10:9–11, the Bible tells us how to be saved and have eternal life: Believe in our hearts that Jesus died for our sins and was raised from the grave, and confess with our mouths that He is our Lord and Savior.
The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), and in and of ourselves, we have no way to escape the punishment for sins. However, our God is a good God, and He is love (1 John 4:8, 16). And because He loves His people so much, He Himself provided a way out of hell (Matthew 5 and Mark 9) and into everlasting life (John 3:16).
So Jesus Christ came to take our place on the cross, to bear the full weight of God's wrath and punishment for all our sins on His own body, and to die our death. Only Jesus Christ, the perfect and sinless Son of God (Hebrews 4:15), can fully satisfy the righteous demands of God's holiness when paying for our sins.
Hence, it is only through our believing in Jesus and His perfect finished work that we can be saved, step boldly into the presence of our heavenly Father (Hebrews 4:16), and expect abundant life on earth (John 10:10) and a glorious future in heaven. There is no other way, and people must make that decision to accept what Jesus has done for them to be saved. (Acts 4:12)
Besides John 14:6, here are some other verses that reiterate or point to these truths:
- John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
- Acts 4:12: "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
- Romans 10:9–11: "…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.'"
- Romans 6:23 (New Living Translation): For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Colossians 1:12–14: "...giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed [us] into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."
To be saved and to receive all that Jesus has done for you, you can make Him your Lord and Savior today by praying this prayer:
"Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me and dying for me on the cross. Your precious blood washes me clean of every sin. You are my Lord and my Savior, now and forever. I believe that You rose from the dead and that You are alive today. Because of Your finished work, I am now a beloved child of God and heaven is my home. Thank You for giving me eternal life, and filling my heart with Your peace and joy. Amen."