As we started last week, we will be talking in depth about salvation. We will take our time on this subject, for there is not other subject in the Bible that is as important than this. Questions we hear often, is How do I get to heaven? Depending on what you believe, i.e. religion/ denomination, etc., answers may vary. The Bible is completely clear though on the subject. Me personally I do not consider myself any denomination, though other may look at me as Protestant/Pentecostal, I personally do not want to be labeled into a religion. I believe in relationship, not religion when it comes to Christ. I classify myself as a child of God.

John 1  (6) There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (7) The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. (8) He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. (9) That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (10) He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (13) which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Galatians 3:26  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus

 Let’s look back at the question: How do I get to heaven? That can almost be a loaded question. I will say this, if your end goal is to get to Heaven, you are actually missing the point and may be missing getting there. I know this is a tough subject and some things here might rub some people the wrong way.

Let’s start here.

Romans 3:23  for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

Romans 6:23   For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

  Every person born on this Earth has sinned. There are no ifs ands and butts.  And because we all have sinned, we all must die. Jesus Himself would be the only person that did not willingly sin, but remember, He became sin, he bore all our sins, therefore He was subject to death. (which is why He became flesh to begin with). He was supposed to die.

1^st Peter 3:18  For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

2^nd Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him

 Those last 4 verses set up the foundation of Salvation. But it will go deeper than that. There will need to be a relationship tied to that. From the very beginning God was about establishing a relationship with each and every one of us. Starting with Adam and Eve.

Genesis 1:  (27) So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (28) And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (29) And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. (30) And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

 As soon as God created man, He started talking and establishing a relationship. Yes, God did talk to the animals and tell them to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:22), but with man, God gave dominion over all the animals of the Earth. God now was establishing a relationship with man by giving man authority. At this point "how to get to Heaven” was not even in the equation. They had a direct relationship with the creator, that question was null and void. In Genesis chapter 2 we see God establishing more of the relationship by placing Adam where He wanted Adam in the Garden of Eden. Adam now had a job, that was to keep the Garden. God also was concerned for Adam in needing help, so woman is created. We cannot get much clearer on the relationship God and Adam had with each other.

In Genesis chapter 3 we will see a very distinct change in God and Man’s relationship. You know the story, Eve eats the fruit of the tree and gave to Adam also to eat. After they ate the fruit, they noticed they were naked and made clothing out of leaves.

Genesis 3: (8) And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. (9) And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? (10) And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. (11) And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

Here we see the very first sin here on Earth. Can we simply define sin as doing something God told us not to do?

Genesis 3: (22) And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: (23) therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. (24) So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

  Let us simply recap here. God created man, established a relationship with man, man sins, God separates man from Himself. Looking back at the verses we quoted at the beginning, all have sinned, and the wages of sin is death. Death not so much in physical form but death being separated from God. Adam and eve were now separated from the relationship they had with God because of their sin.