John 3:16 describes God’s gift to mankind: “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ” Romans 5:8 describes the sacrifice Jesus made for sinners: “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. "
The Bible also makes it clear that you can not be good enough to get into heaven on your own—it is not something that can be accomplished by your “works,” or actions. Ephesians 2:8-9 says: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. "
In John 3:3, the Bible explicitly states that you can not go to heaven without doing this: “Jesus answered to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. ‘"[4] X Research source
Acts 2:38 describes this command: “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of them in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ‘” The fact that baptism isn’t required for salvation was made clear in Luke 23:41, when Jesus was being killed on the cross. A thief who was being executed at the same time asked Jesus, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom. ” Although the man would not have time to be baptized, Jesus responded, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise. ”[6] X Research source
Although you may still sin sometimes after you become a born-again Christian, you should strive to always be as much like Jesus as you can be.
For instance, you might start your prayer by saying something like, “Dear God, I know I have sinned and I’m not perfect. ” Even one sin, no matter how large or small, is enough to keep you apart from God for eternity. James 2:10 says: “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. " Romans 6:23 specifies the penalty for sin, and the gift that Jesus gave sinners: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. "
For example, you might say, “Lord, please forgive me for my sins. I’m sorry that I haven’t lived up to what you expect of me. ” To repent means more than just to apologize. It means to be truly sorry for your sins and to turn away from them. 1 John 1:9 says that God will forgive you if you confess your sins and ask for His mercy: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. “[8] X Research source
For instance, you might conclude your prayer by saying, “I know that Jesus is the Son of God, and I believe that He died on the cross for my sins. Jesus, please come into my heart and help me be more like you. Amen. ” The Bible has a number of passages that clearly state that this prayer is the way to be saved, such as Romans 10:9: “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. “[9] X Research source Acts 4:12 is another verse that makes it clear that this is the only way to heaven: “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. "
