What is Heaven?

The first words in the Bible say, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) This implies that there is a divine being who made you and everything else that exists. The mention of the  heavens includes the physical universe: the sky, the sun and moon, other planets, and other galaxies. But this verse also refers to a spiritual realm known as heaven, which is the home and throne of God.

God has made you in His image. You are more than a biological machine. You are a spiritual being, designed by a good and loving creator to live forever.
2 Corinthians 5:1 says that, although the earthly tent we live in (our physical bodies) will be destroyed in death, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven. Philippians 3:20-21 says "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." 

Heaven will be a wonderful place to live. God himself will live with us. Revelation 21:4 says "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

So how will YOU get you Heaven?

There are many opinions that may be given as an answer to this all-important question.

Some believe that everybody is going to be allowed into heaven. But that's not what the Bible (God's Word) says. Heaven is available to everybody, but going to heaven is not automatic. Revelation 21:27 "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life."

Many believe that by being a "good person" gets you into heaven. You might be a good mother to your kids. You might be a good employee to your boss. You might even perform many religious acts. But your goodness is only based on comparing yourself to another person's relative goodness. God's standard is absolute goodness. God says "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (Romans 3:10-12)

Sin keeps you from God and the eternal life in heaven. Literally, sin means that we have missed the mark and have fallen short of the target. Sin is disobedience and rebellion to God. People were made with a free will so we could choose to love or to hate, to obey or to sin. But once there was sin, we became slaves to sin.

The immediate consequences of sin are fear, shame, guilt, and broken relationships. Other, more severe consequences follow. As a result of the sin of the first man and woman, death came into the world. People not only died physically, but spiritually. The spiritual death cut us off from God and left humankind completely helpless. But the worst is yet to come. There will come a day of judgment. Revelation 21:8 says "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars-their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

Considering all this, how, then, will you get to heaven? Another similar question might be worded:

How can I be saved?  Click here to find out.