BiggerPockets

Christ is the only way to Heaven. Man has sinned and sinned and sinned and the only way for God to cleanse these sinners was to arrive on earth in human flesh and die on the cross in the form of Jesus Christ.

When Christ died he took the burden of sin with him. Every nasty sin no matter how big or small will always be forgiven through the shed blood of the Lamb.

So when you accept Christ as your only true Saviour and Redeemer your sins will be washed away and you will be entered in the Kingdom of God.

That means if someone accepts Jesus on their deathbed, they won't go to heaven?

Does the bible say how long you need to be a Christian before you can go to heaven? Is it a week? A month? A year? 10 years?

So that means that JScotts questions do not need to be answered since it is not just to believe that Jesus is your savior?

How about these two:

What about mentally challenged people who don't understand the concept of Jesus being a savior? Do they automatically go to hell?

What if I believed in Jesus and went to heaven, but my family didn't believe and they went to hell...in that case, I'd never see my family again...is it really heaven if I'm not allowed to see those I love?

Here is a better understanding relating to your question Jawsette. I got this from a site that has helped me out when I first got into Christianity.

"Easy believism" is a somewhat derogatory term used by opponents of the view that one needs only to believe in Jesus in order to be saved. From this they conclude that those who hold to sola fide (faith alone) are saying that no corresponding need exists for a committed life of Christian discipleship as proof of salvation, but this is not true. Those who use the term easy believism are confusing justification-the one-time act of being declared righteous by God-with sanctification-the lifelong process by which the justified believer is conformed to the image of Christ. Those who call salvation by faith "easy believism" miss the fact that true conversion will always result in sanctification and a life of good works.

Much of this debate is unnecessary and is based on a misunderstanding of the Scriptures. The Bible is clear that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. The essence of this doctrine is found in Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast." So we see that faith, given as a gift by God, is what saves us. But the next verse tells of the results of that salvation: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Rather than being saved by some easy act of our own wills, we are saved by the hand of God Almighty, by His will and for His use. We are His servants, and from the moment of salvation by faith, we embark on a journey of pre-ordained good works that are the evidence of that salvation. If there is no evidence of growth and good works, we have reason to doubt that salvation ever truly took place. "Faith without works is dead" (James 2:20), and a dead faith is not a saving faith.

Faith alone does not mean that some believers follow Christ in a life of discipleship, while others do not. The "others" here refers to a separate category of believer known as the "carnal Christian," a completely unscriptural concept. Believers in the idea of the carnal Christian say that a person may receive Christ as Savior during a time of decision or religious experience, but never manifest any evidence of a changed life. This is a false and dangerous teaching. It provides a convenient excuse for the person who does not want to follow Christ. Such a person is lulled into a false sense of security thinking he/she has eternal life. The Bible nowhere supports the idea that a true Christian can remain carnal for an entire lifetime. Rather, God's Word presents only two categories of people, Christians and non-Christians, believers and unbelievers, those who have bowed to the Lordship of Christ and those who have not (see John 3:36; Romans 6:17-18; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:18-24; Ephesians 2:1-5; 1 John 1:5-7; 2:3-4).

While the security of salvation is a biblical fact based upon the finished work of salvation by Christ, it is certainly true that some of those who seemed to have "made a decision" or "accepted Christ" may not genuinely be saved. As noted before, true salvation is not so much our accepting Christ as it is His accepting us. When we are truly saved, it is by the power of God for the purpose of God, and that purpose includes the works that are the evidence of our conversion. Those who continue to walk according to the flesh are not believers. This is why Paul exhorts us to "examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith" (2 Corinthians 13:5). The "carnal" Christian who examines himself will soon see that he/she is not in the faith.

James 2:19 says, "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe-and tremble!" The type of "belief" demons have can be compared to the intellectual assent made by those who "believe" in Jesus only in the fact that He exists. Many unbelievers say, "I believe in God," or "I believe in Jesus," or perhaps some might say, "I prayed a prayer and the preacher said I was saved." The problem is in the understanding of the word believe. With true salvation comes genuine repentance and real life change. Second Corinthians 5:17 tells us that when we are in Christ, we are a "new creation." Is it possible that the new person Christ creates is one who continues to walk in the carnality of the flesh? It is not.

Salvation is certainly free, but at the same time, it costs us everything. We are to die to ourselves as we become more and more changed into the likeness of Christ. Where easy believism fails is in its lack of recognition that a person who has truly believed in Jesus as the Savior will have a progressively changed life. Salvation is a free gift from God to those who believe, but discipleship and obedience are the response and responsibility which will no doubt occur when one truly comes to Christ in faith.

Actually James, the question was to prove to many that belief only does not work on any level.

If you truly believe in something you will do what the belief tells you to do. And therefore you will have works which are evident through (or by) your belief. Or in other words you prove your faith by your works and you will continually walk therein unless you loose your faith (stop believing) and thereby those works will also stop.

This is also foretold of one of the churches in Revelation in that they left their first love and would be a partaker in the second death. Therefore there is no "once saved, always saved" as some would have us believe as we have more than one example in the scriptures of those who used to believe and have since been decieved.

You may have misread my intentions here as I used the "negative" approach to prove the positive.

How about these two:

What about mentally challenged people who don't understand the concept of Jesus being a savior? Do they automatically go to hell?

What if I believed in Jesus and went to heaven, but my family didn't believe and they went to hell...in that case, I'd never see my family again...is it really heaven if I'm not allowed to see those I love?

If you do get to heaven, then your "family" is the family of God. As we are spirits there, there is no family as we know it here on earth. There is no marrying, there is no male and female, there are only spirits, who at the judgement had all revialed to everyone and therefore there is no sadness because it is known that everyone chose where they are and we know how just the decision was. Until then we can mix up our emotions with justice and not understand things until all is revealed.

As far as children (or those like children due to whatever you wish to dream up) Jesus said suffer little children to come unto me for of such (innocence) is the kingdom of heaven. And if you believe God knows the hearts and therefore the intentions of what is done and therefore the innocence or guilt.

If you could get in heaven because of your good deeds,why would JESUS had to have gone to the cross,you will not go to hell because you sinned,the bible says we all have sinned,you will go for rejecting GODS free gift,his son,JESUS,SEE,HE TOOK YOUR PLACE IF YOU EXCEPT HIS OFFER BUT IF NOT YOU PAY FOR ALL YOUR SINS,KIND OF LIKE COURT,BETTER TO TAKE AN ATTORNEY THAN REPRESENT YOURSELF,sorry for caps,GOD loved you so much he sent his son to die for you as payment for sin,you will answer to GOD for everything you do,JESUS lived a perfect life which was accepted by GOD for payment of sins,thats up to you if you except it,is bible vs man made religions,thats alot of commeon since,there are man made laws you go by or suffer for,plus,there are so many religions you can make one up to best suit you,it dont work that way,plus,excepting JESUS is the best way to heaven,why would you think you caould live perfect your whole life,you cant,the devil will use religion to lead as many people away from CHRIST as he can,even in the garden,eve was decieved.if the bible is not true than no man has anyright to even say whats right or wrong,things some people do they think is fine and so on,is stealing your car wrong,why,who said,and why are they right,think about it,salvation is simple,man makes it hard,other religions say you have to earn it,fine,if they live that good,they should except JESUS,why not except him,my way is through JESUS,if thats wrong,what have i lost,other ways are thru something or anything else,what if they are wrong,high price to pay for opinion,what if your son took someoneles punishment,and it cost him his life,how would you feel,think about GODS feelings,you cant take a few verses from man religion and get anywhere,read the bible,if you believe theres a GOD in heaven,please dont reject his son,all very good questions,thanks,i dont want to be a problem,i just want you to be in heaven someday,i cant be good enough to there there on my own,so i looked to the perfect one,JESUS,you dont worked to get saved,you work because you are savd.you get get back out in sin and backslide,but,if your really saved,the LORD lives inside you,it will bother you to do certain things,but you can get numb to it,plus,the bible says,you are not your own,you were bought with a price,JESUS BLOOD,free to you but cost him his life,GOD will chastise for repeated sin,you are his child,just like with your children,spend some time alone with GOD,ask him to show you,would love to talk to you guys over phone,i cant type,you can tell,theres so much more i can say please call me [PHONE NUMBER REMOVED] or email is [EMAILREMOVED]