This is a very difficult question, one that comes up constantly! Let me answer this in stages. First, God does not "send" anyone anywhere, He allows all individuals to chose their eternal destiny. This is one of the hardest concepts for people to understand. Most people expect that at the end of their life, God will appear and automatically take them to Heaven.
Secondly, people think that they are going to Heaven because they have self-evaluated themselves as being worthy. "I'm a good person, I'm not a bank robber or murder, so I deserve to go to Heaven." This is the thought process that most people go through. If we are "good" in our own eyes, where else would we go?
Thirdly, Scripture tells us that God has placed the desire to find and know Him inside of the human heart. Its a natural emptiness that we want to fill, even though sometimes we fill it with many things other than God.
Fourthly, God's righteousness must be satisfied for anyone to be in His presence, especially for an eternity. So God, being perfect, sacrificed Himself through the person of His Son Jesus for the sins of the world. All that is required to be forgiven, and seen as righteous to God, is to believe solely in Jesus and His sacrifice on our behalf. This is not easy to do, as we all want to control our own destiny.
Finally, Jesus has told us over and over again, that to follow Him and be His Disciple, it will cost us everything. This includes our will, as His will must reign supreme in our hearts. Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit MUST be loved, honored and accepted freely by your own "choice." Choose Jesus and submit to Him, and your new life in Christ, destined to be in Heaven, has just begun.
Secondly, people think that they are going to Heaven because they have self-evaluated themselves as being worthy. "I'm a good person, I'm not a bank robber or murder, so I deserve to go to Heaven." This is the thought process that most people go through. If we are "good" in our own eyes, where else would we go?
Thirdly, Scripture tells us that God has placed the desire to find and know Him inside of the human heart. Its a natural emptiness that we want to fill, even though sometimes we fill it with many things other than God.
Fourthly, God's righteousness must be satisfied for anyone to be in His presence, especially for an eternity. So God, being perfect, sacrificed Himself through the person of His Son Jesus for the sins of the world. All that is required to be forgiven, and seen as righteous to God, is to believe solely in Jesus and His sacrifice on our behalf. This is not easy to do, as we all want to control our own destiny.
Finally, Jesus has told us over and over again, that to follow Him and be His Disciple, it will cost us everything. This includes our will, as His will must reign supreme in our hearts. Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit MUST be loved, honored and accepted freely by your own "choice." Choose Jesus and submit to Him, and your new life in Christ, destined to be in Heaven, has just begun.
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