Which Way to Heaven?

Jim & his wife, Kelly (my daughter.)

"How do you know that Jesus is the only way to Heaven?" my son-in-law, Jim, asked my dad.  “Because I can feel him in my heart,” my dad simply replied.  It was summer and my parents were visiting from Texas on an extended vacation.  Braced for a theological answer, Jim was taken aback.  For years he had read an assortment of books and journals searching for truth, for the way to Heaven.  Knowledge filled his brain, as page after page was devoured seeking for answers to satisfy his internal longing.

Jim is smart, owns a successful business, and is able to effectively communicate with anyone willing to discuss relationships, politics or religion.  While he had invited Jesus into his heart at a much younger age, that invitation slowly faded as he raised a family and worked long hours to start his business.  As he got older, however, a hunger for truth sent him on a quest for the peace he lacked. 

By the time he came into our family, he had developed his own theology, believing there were numerous ways to get to the pearly gates; but this theory brought him no peace.  Being an avid reader, his worldly knowledge caused him to challenge many Christians with the same question, how do you know Jesus is the only way to Heaven?  The tough exterior he had built around his heart created a defensive attitude which kept him on guard when someone got ‘preachy’ or quoted Scripture to him.  “I know the Bible; I’ve read it,” he’d throw out.  He admitted that Jesus was a good man, but he had read other books which touted the validity of their religious leaders.  Being a man of integrity, he tried to live a good life, was a passionate family man, and always fought for the underdog.  So he quickly discarded arguments that presented the Bible as the only guide to Heaven thinking there must be several ways to get there. 

But Dad’s simple answer gave him pause.  No one had ever given him such a simple answer, and since Dad was a retired minister, Jim expected a lengthy theological answer.  That day became a turning point in Jim’s life.  Dad’s simple answer placed a realization in Jim’s heart that religion wasn’t the answer.  Soon after that, Jim, earnestly seeking the right answers, knelt by his bed and asked the Lord to show him if he was real.   He asked Jesus Christ’s forgiveness for his sins, and invited him into his heart.  An undeniable peace flooded his heart, and he had a knowing deep inside that Jesus is the truth he had sought.

About a year later, my Dad passed from this life into the Heavenly city.  During the time he lived on this earth, he was a humble man, a man of integrity.  At an early age the Bible became his roadmap, and he practiced what he taught.  As Dad lay dying in that hospital bed, peace emanating from his countenance, he asked each child and grandchild that gathered there to come close to him; one by one, he gave each of them words of love and encouragement.  Jim had flown in from Washington several days earlier to see Dad one last time and to thank him for the truth that had set him free.

God loves each of us individually, and wants a relationship with us.   John 3:16 states, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”  Sometimes people think that because they live a good life they will go to Heaven when they die.  But Romans 3:10 says, “As it is written, there is no one righteous, not even one.”  

Sin came into the world as a result of Adam & Eve’s sin.  They were living in the beautiful Garden of Eden which God created, but their rebellion drove them from the presence of God.  God is Holy and just, and he cannot tolerate sin.  Romans 6:23 states, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

God loved us so much that he provided a way for us to be cleansed from our sins so that we can spend eternity with him.  That way is Jesus, God's Son.  Acts 4:12 says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”  And Romans 3:22-25 clearly states, “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”

There are a few important factors we need to consider. 

1.      Recognize our need of a Savior. 

2.      Confess our sins to Jesus Christ.

3.      Ask his forgiveness for our sins. 

The above requires that we take a step of faith.  We have faith in a lot of other things:  faith that when we sit down in a chair that it will hold us up; faith that when we go to the gas station and lift the nozzle, it will actually give us gas; and faith, that no matter how hot or dry the summer, rain will eventually come again.  So, is it such a far stretch to believe that God exists; that he loves us and wants a relationship with us? 

John 1:12-13 explains that, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” 

Like Dad and Jim, I also feel Christ living in my heart.  However, I don’t base my information on feelings alone, but on the Bible which is God’s Word to us.  I can’t imagine giving up my son as a sacrifice for anyone; yet, God gave his Son to die for us so we can have eternal life.  It’s a free gift.  All we have to do is reach out to Jesus and receive it.

If you still have doubts, I would like to challenge you to read the entire book of John from the Bible.  Ask God to help you understand his Word.  I can promise that if you do this with an open mind, and follow what the Bible says, you will not be disappointed.  You will receive peace that surpasses all human understanding, great love beyond what you have ever experienced, and indescribable and lasting joy.

* Scripture quotes are taken from the NIV version of the Bible.

Jim & his twin granddaughters.

Jim's granddaughter, Paeton.

The twins, Zoe & Parker.

Jim's grandson, Jacob.

Jim & Kelly's beautiful home nestled in the foothills.

Jim, my son-in-law, and his wife, Kelly (my daughter.)