“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
John 3:16-17 KJV
God loves you so much that He sent His Son to pay the penalty for your sin. (Romans 6:23) Sin separates you from a holy and righteous God. But God doesn’t want you to be separated from Him, so He made a way for you to reconcile with Him.
Acts 16:31 says, …”Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…” You ask, “Is that all there is to it? Just believe?” By believing, you are accepting God’s gift of eternal life.
Romans 10:9-10 says “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
It’s easy to get to Heaven. All you have to do is: confess and believe.
That’s the hard part. We feel we have to do something! But good works isn’t good enough to save you. Neither is your church. We can’t earn our way into Heaven. We can’t work our way into Heaven. And no one is born saved. According to John 3:18, we’re born condemned.
But the good news is, salvation is a gift from God. You don’t have to do anything to earn it. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Have you ever heard anyone say, “Religion is a crutch?” Well, it’s true. Religion is a crutch! People need something to help them get through life, whether it’s alcohol, drugs, a workaholic mentality, or a form of religion. That’s what a crutch does. It enables you to get around easier. And a religion is considered any means that you use to get to any type of god.
But Christianity is not a religion, because Jesus was not any ordinary man. Jesus was God incarnate. (John 1:1,14) He is the Savior of the world. (John 4:42) And Jesus said in John 15:5, “…without me, ye can do nothing.”
Religion is a crutch. Jesus isn’t a crutch. He’s “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6) No one gets to Heaven without placing their trust in Him.