Many churchgoers will be disheartened to learn that ministry work doesn’t reserve them a place in heaven. Good deeds mean nothing to God unless they are the outgrowth of a relationship with Him. It doesn’t matter how many acts of kindness or service a person has performed—only those who have received Jesus Christ will enter heaven.

The definition of believe often confuses church members who lack genuine faith. They believe in God, Jesus, and heaven. But there’s a difference between giving intellectual assent to an idea and spiritually acknowledging Christ as Savior. What we see in the Bible is that when someone truly comes to faith in Jesus, he or she changes. It’s impossible to remain the same after realizing one’s desperate need for Him. (See John 4:39.)

A desire for salvation begins with the recognition that we’ve sinned against God and there is no hope of salvation apart from Jesus. When we trust in His sacrifice for the payment of our sin debt, God promises to respond. If you desire to be in heaven with Him for eternity, ask yourself, Have I been saved? If not, now is the time.