"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." (Acts 16:31)
To obtain eternal life with the Lord in heaven, we must be perfect and without sin as he is.
Matthew 5:48 You shall be perfect, therefore, as your Father in heaven is perfect.
We, however, are anything but perfect. We are sinners by nature, who have committed many sins.
Psalm 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.
Romans 3:10-12 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no who does good, there is not even one.”
Should we think that we are without sin, and that based on what we are and have done we are right with God, we are self-deceived.
1 John 1:8 &10 If we say that we do not have sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.
Being sinful by nature and guilty of the sins we have committed, we are under the wrath of God and subject to eternal punishment.
Ephesians 2:3 Among whom we also formerly lived in the lusts of our sinful nature, carrying out the will of the sinful nature and its evil thoughts. And we were by nature children of wrath, even like the rest.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; both the soul of the father and the soul of the son as well are mine. The soul who sins will die.
Matthew 10:28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but who are unable to kill the soul; but rather be afraid of him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Should we think we that we can earn our way into heaven, our efforts to do so will only bring us the curse of God's punishment in hell, for we have failed to do everything his law requires of us. We have failed to be perfect.
Galatians 3:10,11 For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED ARE ALL WHO DO NOT ABIDE BY EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW IN ORDER TO DO THEM.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, because “THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH.”
Being sinners, the Lord calls out to us to repent of our sins, that is to turn from our sins to him.
Ezekiel 18:30-32 “Therefore, I will judge you, O house of Israel, each one according to his ways,” declares the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, then sin will not be a stumbling block to you. Cast away from you all your transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no delight in the death of anyone who dies,” declares the Lord God. “So repent and live!”
Repenting of our sins, we will confess them to God and plead for his merciful forgiveness. He promises that he will forgive us.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous -- he forgives our sins and purifies us from all unrighteousness.
Luke 18:13 ... “God, be merciful to me, the sinner.”
Psalm 32:1,2 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man whom the Lord does not charge with iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
God is willing to forgive our sins, because his Son, Jesus Christ, who was without sin, sacrificed himself to pay for our sins.
1 Timothy 1:15 This is a dependable declaration worthy of all acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Hebrews 7:26,27 For such a high priest was fitting for us – pleasing to God, innocent, pure, separated from sinners, exalted high than the heavens; who does not have the necessity every day, as those high priests, to offer up a sacrifice, first for his own sins, then for the sins of the people; for this he did once for all when he offered up himself.
John 1:29 On the next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and he said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Romans 4:25 He was delivered for our transgressions and was raised for our justification.
1 John 1:7 The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.
The forgiveness of our sins, that Jesus acquired for all by his sacrificial death, becomes ours through faith in him. In him we are righteous by faith and saved from condemnation in hell.
Romans 3:21,22 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, namely a righteousness from God through faith in Jesus Christ, for all who believe.
Romans 8:1 Consequently, there is no condemnation now for those in Christ Jesus.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, because we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:9 Therefore, having now been justified in his blood, by how much more shall we be saved through him from his wrath!
So what can we do to be saved? Nothing. God has saved us through Jesus, his Son. He urges us to simply believe this for our eternal salvation from hell and life everlasting in heaven.
John 6:28,29 Then they said to him, “What should we do that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the One whom he sent.”
Acts 16:30,31 And after he brought them outside, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks at the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I indeed will raise him up on the last day.
Mark 16:16 The one who believed and was baptized will be saved; but the one who did not believe will be condemned.
Romans 3:28 For we conclude a man is justified by faith without works of law.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that all who believe in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Revelations 2:10 Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.