Q:
Now that I'm older, I think about heaven all the time, but I'm afraid I won't go there when I die. I know I haven't been perfect, so maybe God won't let me in. How can I know? Or do I have to wait until I die?
A:
Salvation isn’t a game of chance; God doesn’t want us to sit around constantly wondering if we’re going to go to heaven when we die. Instead, He wants us to know — really know — that we will go to be with Him in heaven forever. And we can know, once we understand what God has already done to make our salvation possible.
You see, you and I have a problem that can be summed up in one word: sin. God is absolutely holy and perfect, and even one sin — just one — would be enough to keep us out of heaven. That’s why we can never be saved by our own good works, no matter how hard we try. As the Bible says, “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).
But God loves us in spite of our sin, and because He loves us has provided another way for us to be saved. That way is Jesus Christ. He was without sin (for He was God in human flesh), but on the cross, all our sins were placed on Him, and He died in our place. Now God offers us salvation as a free gift — free, because Christ has already paid for it.
Accept that gift by turning to Jesus Christ and trusting Him alone for your salvation. When you do, He’ll come to live within you, and someday He’ll take you to heaven. God’s promise is for you: “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).