According to the teachings of the Bible, there is a kingdom of God on Earth where every person who is distressed over their sins can receive forgiveness. Jesus gave the authority to forgive sins to His disciples and instructed them to preach it everywhere in the world. God’s grace, which is incomprehensible to the human mind, is a gift that gives hope and purpose to life. It provides the answer to how a person can reach heaven.
In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 15, Jesus tells the parable of the prodigal son. A young man leaves his father’s home, squanders all his inheritance in the world, and wakes up to his own miserable state. While eating pig’s food, he stops to remember his father’s home, where the servants live better than he does. It is a time of searching, to which the young man was awakened through adversity.
Similarly, God still awakens human beings to question the purpose of life and to seek freedom from the distress of sins and peace for their souls, sometimes through difficult life situations. Our mind may struggle against the call, but the Bible, God’s word, reminds us:
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion” (Hebrews 3:15).
The young man found the courage to return to his father. He was dressed in clean clothes, given a ring on his finger, and a feast was arranged for him. The story portrays repentance, which is possible for every human being who feels their sins and seeks for a gracious God.
Forgiveness of all sins is in the center of the gospel message
When God gives us a sense of sin, we become distressed and ask what we should do. The Bible tells of Saul’s conversion (Acts 8-9). Saul, who knew God’s law well and thought he was doing things pleasing to God, encountered Jesus in a vision on his way and was blinded. Jesus told him to go to a house on a straight street. Saul’s sight was restored only when a believing man named Ananias went to him at Jesus’ urging, laid his hands on him, and blessed him.
God’s grace still works in the same way. In repentance, another forgiven child of God can offer the good news of forgiveness of sins, which cleanses us from our sins. The Bible encourages everyone to seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness (Matthew 6:33) to find eternal peace. Finding the kingdom of God and hearing the gospel of forgiveness is a prerequisite for being freed from sin and receiving the gift of eternal life. It gives us the answer of how to get to heaven.
It is difficult for humans to understand forgiveness of sins. Many try to pray for forgiveness from God but do not find peace. The Bible tells of how Jesus washed his disciples’ feet during their last supper, telling them to follow his example (John 13). Before ascending to heaven, Jesus, according to his promise, gave the Holy Spirit to his disciples and sent them to preach the gospel, saying,
“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven” (John 20:22-23).
With this authority, the disciples forgave sins on behalf of God and Jesus. When Jesus ascended to heaven, Peter spoke to the devout Jews about the fulfilment of the prophets’ predictions:
“I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams” (Acts 2:17).
Forgiveness for every human being is hidden in the kingdom of God, whose borders run through the hearts of believers. God has promised that everyone who seeks will find.
