Kingdom Minded

What does it take to get to heaven? I recently got into huge debate with someone that vigorously and whole heartily stood by Romans 10:9 (NIV), which says If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved and she was convinced she didn't have to change her ways. Afterward I had to do some confessing and repenting for what I said to her, the word is true, so if you confess and believe you are saved. Plus it's God not me that decides who has truly been saved, but my point was that salvation is a gift that keeps on giving. 

With true salvation we grow in our faith and spiritual walk, which gives us a boldness in God, we will have a new heart, a heart to please God, and a renewed mind. When we are saved, we become a new creature in the Lord. We now have new desires, new ambitions, a new home, new gifts and a new love for God and for fellow man. God's will for Christians is to become more and more like Jesus Christ. That happens by becoming immersed into doing right by God and to live and seek His approval. When we get baptized we become immersed into water to symbolize a death, burial and resurrection. After baptism we become babies in Christ, like babies we have to learn and be taught what is God's will and how to live in it. As we read the bible more, pray more, fellowship with others who are living according to the word, we grow more and more like Jesus. 

Everyday will be an adventure to seek ways to be of service to God, which would certainly please Him. With salvation comes a hunger to seek after God and know more about Him. That hunger would cause us also to seek after the things God cares about. Those who are saved have answered God's call to be saved. (Romans 8:28) 
2 Peter 1:3, says His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Consider also 
1 Thessalonians 1:5 which says, The gospel came to us not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. 

Just getting into Heaven shouldn't be our only goal, God's plan for our salvation is to deliver us from sin. John 3:16-17, says that God's love for us is so great that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 
1 Timothy 2:4, says He wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. As stated in Romans 12:1-2, we must present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship. We need not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of our mind, that by testing we may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

Even though good works won't get you into heaven, we should look to do good, so we store up treasures in heaven, (Matthew 6:20)(Matthew 10:41) When we live sacrificially for God or serve Him by serving the body of Christ, we store up treasure in heaven. We have to be careful of our motive. Those that do go works for praise here on earth have already received their reward. So whatever you do, do it for the uplifting and glorifying of God.