Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

Someone once said that there are three keys to becoming successful in business: 1) location, 2) location and 3) location.  Where you are is vitally important if you want to succeed in any business endeavor.  It is even more vital in a spiritual sense.  In fact, it’s critical.  Jesus said that He is the only way to God.  The only way to spend eternity with God in heaven is through Jesus.

So how does one get into Christ?  When Jesus died on that cross, He paid the sin debt for all the world.  The Bible says, “But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).  Simply becoming a good and decent person doesn’t do the trick.  That actually comes later.  No, you get into Christ through His blood which was shed for all rather than for a select few.  The New Testament says, “He is the propitiation (the appeasing sacrifice) for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).  Regardless of what you’ve done or how long you’ve done it, Christ died for you.

But even though the price has been paid for all, not everyone will still be saved (Matthew 7:13-14).  The Bible teaches that in order to be saved and get into Christ where salvation is, one must believe the gospel of Christ, repent of their sins and be baptized (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 8:35-38).  The apostle Paul says it like this, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27).

Faith is not in baptism.  Faith is in Christ when we are baptized.  Biblical baptism is immersion in water due to the fact that the word “baptize” in the original language of the New Testament literally means immersion and we read in the Bible that people were baptized in water (cf. John 3:23; Acts 8:35-39).  Paul describes it as being “buried with Him through baptism” (Romans 6:4).  Baptism does not achieve anything of merit for us; we don’t “earn” salvation by being baptized.  Rather, it is a matter of trusting God to do what He said He would do when we do what He tells us to do.  As Paul wrote, “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised Him from the dead” (Colossians 2:12).

So we know now how to get into Christ…but how does one stay in Christ?  You stay in Christ by clinging closely to Him, and you do that by obeying Him and trusting Him.  Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).  The Bible also says, “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).  Staying in Jesus is a matter of following Jesus.  If you’ve taken your eyes off Him, refocus and follow Him again by obeying His Word and only His Word.

Are you where you need to be?  Just trying to be good won’t do it.  Finding your “own way” to Heaven won’t get you there.  Friends, great blessings are waiting for you…but you’ve got to be in Christ.