To answer the question, let us consult the words of Jesus. He said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.  14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few” (Matthew 7:13-14). The words of Jesus make it clear that the majority of people will be lost. He himself said that few would be willing to walk the path that leads to glory. This fact spoken by Jesus is a far cry from what we are hearing in the religious world around us. Listen again as Jesus speaks: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus is the one and only way, the one and only truth, and the one and only life. There is no other way to heaven! Muhammad or Buddha will not lead a person to eternal life in heaven. Martin Luther, John Calvin, Joseph Smith or the Pope is not the way to heaven either. We cannot get there unless we are willing to follow Jesus Christ.  “Whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:38-39).

Are you following Jesus? Are you allowing His words to be your roadmap through this life? (Psalm 119:105). Those who would teach you that we are all going to heaven by different ways did not find that teaching in the Scriptures. Get on the only road to heaven and do not look back!

We are on a journey to our final destination in eternity. Many are trying to take the “shortest route” to heaven when they, like this Nevada couple, do not realize that it is not the “safe route.”

As we make this journey and punch in our desired destination to heaven, please allow me to share with you G.od’s  P.lan of S.alvation, which is not the “shortest route” but the “safest route”:

Faith:

The Hebrew writer states, “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” (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is essential in obtaining the salvation that God offers through His Son, Jesus Christ, who said, “unless you believe that I am He you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). The Son of God left the glory of heaven and came to this earth and lived as a man. He was rejected by His own people and put to death on the cross. Three days later He rose from the dead and appeared to over 500 people. This is what the apostle Paul says is the good news. “Now I would remind you brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). To reach our final destination we must have faith in this gospel! However, our directions do not end here. This is where many choose to take the “shortest route” to heaven and sadly, it will not lead them to their desired destination. God still has more directions for us.

Repentance:

Repentance is defined as “to change one’s mind.” When we choose to make heaven our destination we turn around and go in a new direction. We change from evil to righteousness. John the Baptist preached repentance: “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:1-2). Jesus preached repentance: “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’ (Matthew 4:17). The apostle Peter preached repentance: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:39). It is clear from the Scriptures that we are commanded to repent. Sin has separated us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2) and G.od’s P.lan of S.alvation requires that we repent.

The next direction is:

Confession:

Confession is a necessary direction to reach our final destination. Jesus said, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).  If we do not confess Him before men He will deny us before God. Paul tells us that, “with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10). We confess with our mouth something that we believe. This direction is one that is often misunderstood. Some churches teach that the sinner must confess all of their intimate sins to a priest. This is not the confession we read  about in the New Testament. Some churches tell the sinner to confess, “I accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.” That is not found in the Bible. What then is the confession that is made unto salvation? Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). The Ethiopian eunuch confessed before his baptism: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37). This great confession affirms that the person referred to as Jesus in the Scriptures, who was born in Bethlehem and later died on the cross of Calvary is the only hope for sinful man. Confession by itself does not cause us to reach our destination. There is still one more direction that we must pay attention to.

Baptism:

Three times in the book of Acts the question or its equivalent is asked, “What must I do to be saved?” On the day of Pentecost during Peter’s sermon the people asked, “Brothers, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). On the road to Damascus, Paul asked, “What shall I do, Lord?” (Acts 22:10). Then, the jailer asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30).  The answer in every case involved baptism. Peter told the people to be baptized for the remission of sins and about 3,000 people were baptized (Acts 2:38,41). Saul was commanded to “rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16). The jailer and his family were baptized at once after Paul and Silas spoke the word of the Lord to them (Acts 16:31-33). Baptism is a burial in water. Paul said we have been “buried with Him in baptism” (Colossians 2:12). Sprinkling or pouring water over someone’s head is not the baptism that is found in the Bible.  Baptism is clearly taught in the New Testament that it is essential to reaching our final destination. Jesus said, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Baptism is an essential direction in G.od’s P.lan of S.alvation.

G.od’s P.lan of S.alvation includes:

• Faith in Jesus Christ
• Repenting of sins
• Confessing Christ with the mouth
• Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ to receive forgiveness of sins

Leaving any of these directions out will result in a very dangerous turn away from the final destination of heaven.