How to Go to Heaven

CatholicAnswers ^ | May 12, 2015 | Jimmy Akin

[Salvation]

How to Go to Heaven

Jimmy Akin

May 12, 2015 |

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Sometimes people make it sound like the Catholic understanding of how to get to heaven is really complex.

It’s not.

While you can go into any of Christ’s teachings in a lot of very rich detail, he made sure that this one can be understood even by a child.

I can summarize it in two sentences.

The two sentences are these: To come to God and be saved, you need to repent, have faith, and be baptized. If you commit mortal sin, you need to repent, have faith, and go to confession.

That’s it. That’s all there is to it. And we can show each of these things from the Bible.

The need to repent is shown by the fact that, right at the beginning of his ministry, Jesus began preaching the gospel, saying “repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15).

The need for faith is shown when the author of the letter to the Hebrews writes that “Without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Heb. 11:6).

And the need for baptism is shown when St. Peter flatly tells us: “Baptism now saves you” (1 Peter 3:21).

So that’s what you need to do if you want to come to God and be saved: Repent, have faith, and be baptized.

If you do these things, you’ll be in a state of grace, and as long as you remain in a state of grace, you’ll go to heaven.

But we still have free will, and we can still turn our backs on God and fall from grace, to use St. Paul’s phrase (Galatians 5:4).

St. Paul is very clear about the possibility of us committing mortal sin. He tells us: “Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

To turn away from God and commit mortal sin is the opposite of repenting. So when we fall into mortal sin, we need to turn back to God—to repent again.

We also need to have faith.

And then we need to go to confession. This is something Jesus indicated just after he rose from the dead. He came to his disciples, breathed on them, and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” (John 20:22-23)

So Jesus empowered his ministers to forgive or retain sins. In order for a priest to know whether he is to forgive or retain a sin, he needs to know about the sin and whether we have repented of it. That means we need to go and tell him these things, and so we have the sacrament of confession.

So that’s what you need to do. To come to God and be saved, you need to repent, have faith, and be baptized. If you commit mortal sin, you need to repent, have faith, and go to confession.

It’s all thoroughly biblical.

[MHGinTN]

Is the life of the Holy Spirit eternal life? The Bible proclaims the believer, the faither, the ones faithing in Jesus are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. In catholic calculus does the Holy Spirit come and go based upon some measuring methodology?

[metmom]

Can you imagine what it was like living in the good ole days>

Say, 500 years ago when they thought that taking baths was bad for you?

And the cities had no sanitation or running water?

[mlizzy]

.....And I thought that Jim called for an end to the inter-Christian bashing a few days ago.

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Jim put an end to “posting” bashing type threads, but not actual bashing, I surmise.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3313905/posts

[Tax-chick]

Sounds like Jamaica. My 14-year-old daughter went on a mission trip there this time last year. Northern Europe was in a cold nap in the late middle ages, and probably wasn’t *quite* so smelly and buggy ... but you get sick more from cold than from heat.

Personally, I don’t want to live without antibiotics, anesthesia, and air conditioning, but if the Global Economic Collapse hits, the boys will be happy to live in the woods like primitive man ;-).

[af_vet_1981]

How does Mary fit in? It seems that the RCC requires a bit more than those two sentences.

The relevant question is whether one is a disciple whom Jesus loves. We are one in the Messiah and blessed Miriam/Mary is a spiritual mother.

When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.
John, Catholic chapter twenty, Protestant verses twenty six to twenty seven,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James

[metmom]

.....And I thought that Jim called for an end to the inter-Christian bashing a few days ago.

No, I don' t believe he did. He called for an end to Catholic *bashing*.

When asked about *Protestant bashing* I don't recall seeing any answer.

[daniel1212]

For completeness then, could you work the verse from John’s letter? (Pardon me if you did and I missed it.)

That was alluded to in,

There are sins of ignorance, then there are presumptuous sins which can lead to "the great transgression," (Psalms 19:13) which i think refers to apostasy. Which can correspond to the sin of death.

[af_vet_1981]

Before proceeding, did you read and comprehend the previous answer in the scriptures I posted ?

[caww]

.....“Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to Heaven.”......Pope St. Pius the X

He would therefore be presenting ..”another Gospel”.. then the Biblical Instruction from Jesus who defined the way of Salvation precisely when he said....

...”Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is “Born Again” he cannot see the kingdom of God.....”Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water ( physical birth) and the Spirit (Spiritual Birth)....Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit....For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, “through the living and enduring word of God”....

When one is “born again”, God, by the Holy Spirit, replaces their heart of stone with a heart of flesh that is, He removes the old human spirit they were born with, which is at enmity with God, and replaces it with a new human spirit which is from God and in harmony with God. The “born again” person loves the word of God and eagerly receives and believes it and therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” ..... believers will not experience the second death because they are born again of imperishable seed (a new human spirit), whereas the unbelievers are still of their original, perishable seed (old human spirit) and will die a second death......

The True Gospel Message as Jesus presented is clear...you must be “Born Again”...which has nothing to do with man offering communion before an un-resurrected Christ figure.

John 3:5,6..1 Peter 1:23...Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26 ....John 3:1-8...Romans 8:1...1 John 4:6

[kinsman redeemer]

.....And I thought that Jim called for an end to the inter-Christian bashing a few days ago.

No!

He said,
"Notice: The daily sport of posting Catholic bashing threads on FR stops today. Thanks."

[Just mythoughts]

We are no longer under the law, which has been explained many times on the threads previously.....The commandments were given to us to reveal we are sinners...without the law how would we know if we were sinning.

IF we are no longer under the law, then there is no such thing called sin. Sin is the transgression of the law. So, any 'god' or Jesus, will suffice, because "Thou shalt have no other gods before me...." no longer applies in your claim.

If Jesus Christ is living and dwelling in our hearts, we cannot help but have good works in our lives for it is He living His life through us..... doing good for others, helping those less fortunate than ourselves. Letting our light shine before men, so they will glorify our Father which is in heaven.

Jesus Christ is living His life through us....? He is life, symbolic of that 'tree of life' in the Garden of Eden, without Him there is no life.

If we rely and are in Jesus Christ, we will have corresponding works. But our works will not save us, because we are saved by grace.

By this logic everybody is saved. How does one demonstrate they 'rely and are in Jesus Christ'? Not to all the people, but to the Heavenly Father? The only record that counts is the record The Creator keeps... only He knows the purity of each individual heart. The best any of us can do is test the fruit and study to show ourselves approved. Grace is unmerited favor, we cannot earn grace. However, The Creator did send an instruction Book that Christ did warn ...

This 'born again' doctrine misses the instruction Christ gave. Souls have a choice to take this flesh journey. All souls come from above, and those souls that willingly take this flesh journey have passed the first test to 'see' the kingdom of God. Those son of God, back in Genesis 6 and are described in Jude as well as other places refused to take this flesh journey. They have already been sentenced like the devil to death. All other souls will not have that 'Judgment Day' until after that 'day of the LORD' that Ezekiel describe in his last chapters.

Of course our works are not salvation, but IF one is truly saved they will indeed have works. And keep His commandments...

All souls return to the Maker that sent them, the good the bad the 'ugly'. Just as was demonstrated in the parable of the rich man... but the overcomers were separated by a 'gulf' from those that did their own thing. Interesting that Abraham was used to demonstrate an overcomer Christian.

[mlizzy]

Tim Staples, Director of Apologetics and Evangelization, will respond to your commentary at the following link: http://www.catholic.com/blog/tim-staples/born-again-the-bible-way

[Iscool]

Sacred or apostolic tradition consists of the teachings that the apostles passed on orally through their preaching. These teachings largely (perhaps entirely) overlap with those contained in Scripture, but the mode of their transmission is different

The apostles did NOT pass on any oral traditions to anyone after the scriptures were written...This is proven by the fact that none exist...

Catholic traditions do not overlap the scriptures...Catholic tradition contradict clear scripture as has been shown a gazillion times...

[ImaGraftedBranch]

“..suddenly we’re lectured on how some sin isn’t as bad as others. So what’s with that?”

I wasn’t lecturing at all. I showed how Protestants and Catholics both have agreed, by pointing to scripture, that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, stated unambiguously that some sins are greater than others.

You are, of course, free to disagree with Jesus.

I choose not to.

[metmom]

It was the general plural *you* which is a short coming of English.

You yourself didn’t lecture me. Others have done it though.

Sorry for not being more specific.

[Iscool]

Is there some sin that is more detestable than others? Sure there is. Just as one poster eluded to cursing a golf shot as opposed to say...homosexual behavior or divorce/remarriage or murder of an innocent.

Example: A pastor of a church counsels a young person, then grooms that young person for a period of time with the intent to sexually abuse the child. I believe scripture supports that this person, a spiritual leader in the church has committed sins that G_d has deemed as having a higher penalty than say, stealing an energy drink from a store.

Why would you say that???

Gal_5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

God clearly equates the sin of envy and drunkenness with murder...Is that not clear to you???

[Biggirl]

Yet he did make that call.

[avenir]

Me, too. Proverbs it such an awesome book!

[kinsman redeemer]

That’s a remarkable perspective.

[Elsie]

.....That's the mistake that Luther made....he revolted.

Like Galileo did?