How to enter the kingdom of God

This is not a foolish question, it is a brilliant question, but at the same time we must know that there is no human formula to enter the kingdom of heaven, but all this is about grace, an undeserved gift that God gives us through the death of His Son on the cross of Calvary.

When many people think about heaven, they imagine that there must be a list of requirements, steps, or rituals that must be fulfilled in order to gain access. However, the gospel makes it very clear that salvation is not achieved by human effort, religious merit, or moral superiority. Salvation is the result of God’s love and mercy poured out through Jesus Christ. No one can earn heaven by works, because if it were by works, grace would no longer be grace.

But if we talk about entering the kingdom of heaven there is something that is proper to each believer: “Born again”. We can not say that we are Christians if we are not born again, this is the distinguishing mark of each one of us and our beloved Lord Jesus Christ spoke about the new birth:

3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 3:3-5

These words of Jesus are direct and clear. The new birth is not optional, nor is it symbolic in nature. It is a spiritual transformation that only God can perform in the heart of a person. Being born again means receiving a new life, a new nature, and a new direction. It is the work of the Holy Spirit regenerating the inner man, making him alive toward God.

Nicodemus was a teacher of the law, a man who represented the knowledge of Israel, however, he knew nothing about the new birth. This teaches us a powerful lesson: religious knowledge, position, or tradition does not guarantee spiritual life. A person may know Scripture, attend the temple, and even teach others, yet still lack the experience of being born again.

Let’s not fall into the deception of being inside the temple and being part of it and not being a born again creature and that has knowledge of it. Christianity is not inherited, nor is it obtained by belonging to a church. It is a personal encounter with Christ that results in repentance, faith, and transformation.

It is true that there are no human formulas to enter the kingdom of heaven, the truth is that if we are really Christians this means that we are born again people who have renounced sin, the world and its desires. The new birth produces a change in our way of thinking, speaking, and living. We no longer live to please ourselves, but to honor God with our lives.

This does not mean that a born again believer is perfect or never fails. Rather, it means that sin is no longer a lifestyle, but something that grieves us and leads us to repentance. The Holy Spirit works within us, guiding us, correcting us, and producing fruit that reflects the character of Christ.

God has given us the new birth through the death of His Son on the cross and thanks to it we are saved and being saved makes us have good works, worthy to show that we are new creatures. Good works do not save us, but they are the natural result of a life that has been transformed by grace.

Entering the kingdom of heaven, therefore, is not about what we can do for God, but about what God has already done for us in Christ. When we are born again, we begin a new life under His lordship, walking in faith, obedience, and hope, waiting for the fulfillment of the eternal kingdom that He has promised to those who believe.