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.

[Elsie]

..if he wanted to "reform" the church, he should have done it from within...ask for councils, approach leaders who were in charge

POOF!

The COUNTER Reformation happened in a vacuum!

[caww]

.....”Tim Staples, Director of Apologetics and Evangelization, will respond to your commentary at the following link”......

If Tim wishes to respond then he can do so on the thread...meanwhile what say YOU in response???

[caww]

.....”Tim Staples, Director of Apologetics and Evangelization, will respond to your commentary at the following link”......

If Tim wishes to respond then he can do so on the thread...meanwhile what say YOU in response???

[Elsie]

Mother Mary!!

Please HELP me!!

I need your son's attention!!!

And that's exactly why they reject the Catholic church and decide on "do it yourself" religions .

[Elsie]

She acted in a Christian manner that most of the prot posse is incapable of.

Come on, verga!

MAn up and tell us WHO fits into your judgmental category here!

[kinsman redeemer]

He “made a call.”

It was the one I quoted, not the one you “thought.”

[Elsie]

It depends on what time of night I’m posting, how far along the thread is already; how active the thread has been; how fast I can read.

You’d have counted more 11; but I had a dental appointment this morning at 9:30

[mlizzy]

It should be obvious to you that I feel Tim can answer your question better than I could.

[avenir]

“This particular topic is more important than any other we might discuss, including the dissolution of the USA. Anyone getting the gospel wrong is in grave eternal danger.”

Nice to find some agreement on this point. Perhaps that’s why some influence exists to shut it all down? I’ve run into the “shutdown” most of my Christian life. Most people, in general, do not want to be disturbed by the Gospel as it is DEATH to life as they know it (which they think is going just fine at the moment, thank you!).

Men intuitively know—per Romans—that God exists, but are suppressing that knowledge. Bring in eternal truths and they reflexively recoil. We’ve all been there, on both sides. “Polite conversation” is a gambit man uses to hide from God in everyday life.

There’s shut a great group of folks here on FR! I learn so much from all of you.

[Elsie]

Data since signup date:

You’ve posted a total of 49 threads and 136,294 replies.

I’ve also played 48,407 games of FREEcell; winning 48,374 of them.

[roamer_1]

Got the stake, got the wood, got the marshmallows....

Bring it, Guzman.

We've got the steak, the charcoal, and the BBQ sauce...

Got potluck? I don't think so...

[kinsman redeemer]

You’ve posted a total of 49 threads and 136,294 replies since October 3, 1998.

Mine says I've posted a total of 52 threads and 5,657 replies since March 18, 1998.

I win 7-percent of my MS Solitaire games.

[Mad Dawg]

Surely we can find a way to cooperate ....

[caww]

You stated....”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”.....

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It is written.....” if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. For ‘sin shall no longer be your master’, because you are not under the law, but ‘under grace’...we died to the law ‘through the body of Christ’, that we might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, ‘in order that we might bear fruit for God’.......For those who are ‘led by the Spirit of God’ are the children of God.

It is also written...Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?.... that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, and whatever else is ‘contrary to sound teaching’....For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written:... “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.....Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.

Why, then, was the law given at all?... It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. (Jesus Christ)..... if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law, for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.....But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

There are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception....But.... if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.....Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because the righteous will live by faith....So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be...” justified by faith”....

There is therefore NOW no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.....

(Gal 5:18...Romans 6:14...Romans 7:4...Romans 8:14...1 Timothy 1:9...Titus 1:10.... Gal 3:10...Gal 5:18..Gal 3;11...Romans 8;1)

[MHGinTN]

Yes, I'm very familiar with the material. Do you see to whom the passage is directed and the context in which it is framed? ... I just did a drag and paste and the font is readable as black not light blue. But you're the only catholic for whom I would do that. ;o)

[Biggirl]

My understanding of what he said.

[HossB86]

How does the Rosary incorporate Mary into prayer?

Hoss

[kinsman redeemer]

That’s remarkable.

[caww]

...”Jesus Christ is living His life through us....?”...

Yes....The Spirit of Christ is free to express the character of Christ in each Christian, and that unto the glory of God.... The Holy Spirit must not be imprisoned in church structures, encased in book-interpretations, .. The Spirit of the living Christ is present ‘in’ the Christian, existing as ‘the identity of the Christian’, and ‘functioning to express Himself through the Christian’.

Jesus Himself explained......”On that day you will realize that I am ‘in’ my Father, and you are ‘in’ me, and I am ‘in’ you.... that He would give another Helper, the Spirit of truth, and His disciples would KNOW that they were in Him, and He was in them......

‘The mystery of the gospel IS “Christ ‘in’ you, the hope of glory” ... He asked the Corinthians,... “Do you not recognize that Jesus Christ is ‘in’ you?” unless you are not a Christian.....

The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, dwells in the Christian and bears ‘witness with our spirit that we are children of God’ .... The ‘essential reality’ that constitutes being a Christian is the indwelling presence of the Spirit of Christ.... “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him”.

As it’s written....I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me .... not merely as a deposit called eternal life, but Christ lives in us as ‘the personified and living function of the dynamic of divine life’..... If, according to Paul, I am no longer living, and Christ is “living in me,” then we begin to understand that Christ is living in us....we are different than we were previously.

Thus, we are set apart to function as God intended, expressing His Holy character “in spirit and soul and body” expressed in Christian ‘behavior’ by “the fruit of the Spirit”

(John 14:20...Col. 1:27..II Cor. 13:5...Rom. 8:9...John 14:17; Rom. 8:9-11; I Cor. 6:19; II Tim. 1:14; James 4:5...I Thess. 5:23..Gal 5:22,23)

[Just mythoughts]

It is written.....” if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. For ‘sin shall no longer be your master’, because you are not under the law, but ‘under grace’...we died to the law ‘through the body of Christ’, that we might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, ‘in order that we might bear fruit for God’.......For those who are ‘led by the Spirit of God’ are the children of God. It is also written...Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?.... that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, and whatever else is ‘contrary to sound teaching’....For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written:... “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.....Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. Why, then, was the law given at all?... It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. (Jesus Christ)..... if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law, for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.....But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. There are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception....But.... if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.....Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because the righteous will live by faith....So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be...” justified by faith”.... There is therefore NOW no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit..... (Gal 5:18...Romans 6:14...Romans 7:4...Romans 8:14...1 Timothy 1:9...Titus 1:10.... Gal 3:10...Gal 5:18..Gal 3;11...Romans 8;1)

And yet the 'law' is our schoolmaster. There is no 'grace' or Holy Spirit in those that have other gods. That law is still in effect.

Furthermore, the law fulfilled, in the sense we are no longer under was blood sacrifices for remission of sin. Christ became one and for all time our blood sacrifice.

Christ became our Sabbath, (means rest) and it is not one day a week we rest in Him, but everyday.

Thou shall not kill, (premeditated homicide) or steal, or covet, or lie etc., are still in effect.... The Holy Spirit is not within those that live this style.

Thus as you note 'sin shall no longer be your master'.... because a believer in Christ is not going to be making it a practice of breaking His commandments.

But it is not the 'keeping' of the commandments that 'saves'. Christ became our one and for all time blood sacrifice. IF one does not keep the first commandment they are NOT in Christ.