Many people believe they’ll go to heaven because they tried to live a good life, but the only way to spend eternity with God is to receive Jesus Christ’s gift of salvation. Whoever refuses the gift will be separated from the Him for all eternity.
For a person to be saved, he must first recognize that on his own, he is not good enough to deserve anything from God. His sin is rebellion that alienates him from his Creator. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t avoid sinning again because it’s his nature. However, if he turns to Christ in faith, all his sins are forgiven. He’s pronounced not guilty and is given a brand-new nature.
But if someone rejects the truth that salvation comes only through the atoning death of Jesus Christ, that person has nowhere else to turn. His good works aren’t enough to get him into heaven, because his transgressions remain unforgiven.
These words are not meant to scare you; they’re a warning about what the future holds if you reject the Lord’s offer of salvation. God has set before you a choice between eternal life and death. What will you choose?