To go to heaven means to live where God lives (Psalm 103:19; 115:3) and to dwell with Him forever. But God is infinite and holy (Leviticus 11:44; 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16). He cannot compromise His perfection and live with sinful people (Psalm 5:4; Habakkuk 1:13a). People are finite and sinful (Romans 3:10–18, 23). They do not measure up to the absolute standard of God’s perfection. Who, then, can live with God (Psalm 15:1; 24:3)? How can anyone get to heaven?
The good news is that all throughout history, God has communicated in the Bible that He wants to live with man again (Exodus 25:8; 29:45; Leviticus 26:12; Jeremiah 31:1; Zechariah 2:10; Revelation 21:3), and moreover, He has revealed the way that this will happen (Romans 3:21–26).
Heaven: No Sin
The great chasm between a holy God and people is sin (Isaiah 59:2). Sin is rebellion against God’s authority as Creator of the world and the universe (Ezekiel 20:8). As Creator, He has all authority over His creation and His creatures (Psalm 113:4–6; Revelation 4:11; 5:13). As a creature created in His image commissioned by Him to govern the planet in righteousness (Genesis 1:26–28), you owe Him unending worship, thanks, and complete submission to His right as King over the cosmos (Revelation 7:11–12; 11:15). But an honest evaluation of your life will quickly show that you do not come close to a life that incessantly worships and adores your Creator (Romans 1:21). Rather than possessing qualities that God loves, you will find plenty of evidence in your life of sinful desires, thoughts, words, and deeds (Ecclesiastes 7:20; Galatians 5:19–21). In other words, sin is not simply an occasional encounter in your life; it actually consumes your life.
The Cost of Heaven
God takes sin seriously. Rebellion against absolute perfection requires the permanent removal of that rebellion and its advocates from His presence—death (Romans 6:23). This is why everyone dies; because everyone sins (Romans 5:12). Sin separates you from God and from heaven. Even so, it would be wrong for God to ignore your sin as much as it is wrong for a judge to disregard a federal crime (Proverbs 17:15; Romans 2:1–2). Furthermore, because God already expects perfect holiness from you (Micah 6:8), your good deeds cannot retrospectively atone for your past sins (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 3:20; Ephesians 2:8). His standard is righteousness, not neutrality. This is why God sent Jesus Christ into the world two thousand years ago in the ancient country of Israel. Though Jesus is equal in essence to God Himself (Isaiah 51:16; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2, 10), He took on the form of a man, and represented us in His life and His death (Philippians 2:5–8). He lived the sinless life that we couldn’t live (Isaiah 53:9; 1 Peter 2:22) and He died the death that we deserved to die (2 Corinthians 5:21). Furthermore, His life testifies to the fact that He will rule creation the way that we should have ruled it from the beginning (Genesis 1:28; Psalm 2:7–9; 110:1; Hebrews 2:4–11). He is the embodiment of everything we failed to be.
The only way for you to get to heaven and live with God forever is to abandon any other supposed way to God and to embrace the only way to Him—through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). You must firmly believe that Jesus Christ’s death is the only substitute for your own (Romans 4:24–25) and embrace Him as your only King and Savior (Romans 10:9).
Living for Christ
Your commitment in faith to Jesus necessitates a hatred of what God hates and intentional steps to turn away from sin. Repent of your pride and rebellion against God’s authority (Matthew 3:2; Acts 2:38; James 4:7), and by His grace begin living out the righteousness that He has called you to (Romans 6:11; Ephesians 2:10), not to earn your ticket to heaven, but in response to what Jesus Christ has already done for you (Romans 8:13; Galatians 6:8; James 2:22).
This is why Jesus Christ is the only way you can get to heaven.