8. Question: Why do Christians believe that they are the only ones who are going to heaven?

Answer: The Bible states that Jesus Himself said: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Some persons argue that Jesus was not saying in John 14:6 that He was the only way to heaven, but if one would look at the preceding words of Jesus in John 14:1-5, one would clearly see He had been speaking to His disciples about heaven and therefore He was referring again to heaven in John 14:6. In addition, there are other verses in the Bible that clearly indicate that only those who surrender to Jesus as Savior and Lord God will enter heaven. Jesus plainly spoke in John 5:23: "All should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him."

Other relevant passages:

John 17:3: Jesus was praying to the Father when He said: "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

John 8:19,24,58: Jesus was speaking to unbelieving Jewish leaders when He warned them: "You neither know Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known my Father also. If you do not believe that I Am He (the true God, Father God in the flesh of man) you will die in your sins. Before Abraham was born, I AM."

Acts 4:10-12: The apostle Peter was preaching to thousands of people in Jerusalem by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit when he confirmed this important truth: "...By the Name of Jesus Christ...this is the Stone which was rejected by you builders...nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

John 3:16,18: Jesus said: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. He who believes in Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe (in Jesus as Savior and Lord God) is condemned already because he has not believed in the Name of the only begotten Son of God."

Please know that Jesus said that "whoever believes in Him" will receive eternal life in heaven. "Whoever" includes all persons of all religions, races, ages, income levels, etc. In other words, whoever includes anyone and everyone who chooses to surrender to Jesus as Savior and Lord God.

All a person must do is believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for all of their past and future sins, that Jesus is God and the only way to heaven, be willing to surrender to Jesus as God by turning from sin to obey Him by the power of His Spirit and then be willing to ask Jesus to forgive them forever and take control of their life. If a person truely means this prayer, Jesus will enter their heart, forgive them forever and empower the person to obey Him. The new believer meets Jesus when he or she says the prayer of surrender and will continue the relationship with Jesus every day throughout life. A new believer may choose to remain a member of a non-Christian church (usually in order to help others come to surrender to Jesus as Savior and Lord God and help others understand the gospel of grace) but the new believer will continue to believe the gospel of grace and the other truths from the Word of God (and oppose the false teachings of man, such as salvation by good works, as referenced in Ephesians 2:8-9).

Therefore, Christians believe that anyone of any religion, those of no religion, those of every race, ANYONE and EVERYONE can go to heaven IF they choose to surrender to Jesus as Savior and Lord God.