The Road to Heaven...

I. Recognize that God is Holy

“The holiness of God is the inaccessible center of his eternal mystery.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC], 2809.) As to the absolute holiness of God, the Scriptures are very clear: “To whom can you liken me as an equal? Says the Holy One.” (Isaiah 40:25) “Therefore, men of understanding, hearken to me: far be it from God to do wickedness; far from the Almighty to do wrong!” (Job 34:10)

Moses declared: “Who is like to you among the gods, O LORD? Who is like to you, magnificent in holiness? O terrible in renown, worker of wonders” (Exodus 15:11)

II. Acknowledge that Man is Sinful

“Sin is present in human history; any attempt to ignore it or to give this dark reality other names would be futile.” (CCC 386)

Sin separates us from God. The Bible declares “...All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) King David said, “Indeed, in guilt was I born, and in sin my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:7) and “From the womb the wicked are perverted; astray from birth have the liars gone.” (Psalm 58:4)

St. Paul stated, “You were dead in your transgressions and sins...All of us once lived among them in the desires of our flesh, following the wishes of the flesh...and were by nature children of wrath....” (Ephesians 2:1, 3)

III. Believe that Christ Alone Paid for Your Sins

“The Council of Trent emphasizes the unique character of Christ’s sacrifice as ‘the source of eternal salvation’ and teaches that ‘his most holy Passion on the wood of the cross merited justification for us.’” (CCC 617)

It is only through Christ that we can be reconciled to God. “For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures....” (1 Corinthians 15:3,4)

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ....” (Romans 5:1) “But when one does not work, yet believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.” (Romans 4:5)

IV. Repent and Trust in ChristAlone for Your Salvation

“For a Christian, believing in God cannot be separated from believing in the One he sent, his ‘beloved Son,’ in whom the Father is ‘well pleased;’ God tells us to listen to him.” (CCC 151)

“Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away.” (Acts 3:19) “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

“There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

Salvation is a personal decision and results in a personal relationship As Léon Joseph Cardinal Suenens put it, “A Christian is a changed person, a convert: he has turned away from himself, so as to adhere to Jesus of Nazareth who, for his sake, died and rose from the dead.” (A New Pentecost? p. 115)

V. Live Your Faith by Good Works

“Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance....” (Luke 3:8) “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the one, who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work.” (Philippians 2:12b-13)

“All Christians...are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity....In order to reach this perfection, the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ’s gift.... Thus the holiness of the People of God will grow in fruitful abundance....” (CCC 2013)

“I want you to insist on these points, that those who have believed in God be careful to devote themselves to good works; these are excellent and beneficial to others.” (Titus 3:8)

One manifestation of our faith is the desire to be baptized “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)

For all those who agree with the points listed above and wish to affirm their faith in Christ, we suggest the following prayer:

Our Father who is in heaven, because of the work of the Holy Spirit of God, through the Word of God, I recognize that You are holy and confess that I am a sinner, falling far short of Your righteous standard. But I believe that Your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, paid the price for my sins when He was crucified, shed His precious blood, died on the Cross, and rose again for my salvation. I do now repent of my sins and trust in Christ and His work on the Cross alone as the basis for receiving Your righteousness. Work in me by Your grace so that I may manifest my faith in doing what will glorify You. I thank You for Your gracious salvation and the assurance based on the Word of God, that I am Your child. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.