THERE ARE TWO WAYS MEN COUNT UPON TO GET INTO HEAVEN!

THE VAST MAJORITY OF MANKIND COUNT ON RELIGION!

Religion is based upon religious laws; upon lists of do's and don'ts!

Luke 10:22-25 - And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted Jesus, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?  He said unto him, What is written in the Law?  How (do you understand it)?  And he answering said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.  And Jesus said unto him, You have answered rightly:  this do, and you shall live.

But there is one problem; mankind is unable to perfectly obey the Law!

Romans 3:10, 19-21 - For as many (are counting on) the works of the Law are under the curse:  for it is written, Cursed is every one that does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them....Now we know that whatever things the Law says, it says to them who are under the Law:  that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.  Therefore by the deeds of the Law, there shall no flesh be justified in His sight:  for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.  Is the Law then against the promises of God?  God forbid:  for if there had been a Law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the Law.

WHILE RELIGION CANNOT SAVE, A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD DOES!

God has provided all we need in the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus!

John 3:16-18 -  For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.  He that believes in Him is not condemned:  but he that (does not believe) is condemned already, because He has not believed in the name of the Only Begotten Son of God.

John 14:6 - Jesus said unto (Thomas), I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE:  no man comes unto the Father, but by Me.

Romans 1:16-17 - For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ:  for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the (Gentile).  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith:  as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

1 Corinthians 15:1-6 - Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also you are saved....For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures:  and that He was seen of (Peter), then of the twelve:  after that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are (have died).

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become children of God!

John 1:11-13 - (Jesus) came unto His own (Israel), and His own received Him not.  But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the (children) of God, even to those that believe on His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Romans 8:15-16 - For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.  The Spirit (Himself) bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

Galatians 3:26 - For you are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

1 John 3:1-2 - Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the (children) of God:  therefore the world knows us not, because it knew Him not.  Beloved, now are we the (children) of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be:  but we know that, when He shall appear (return for us), we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

RELIGIONS:  MEMBERS WORK IN VAIN!

RELATIONSHIP:  CHRIST'S SACRIFICE IS OUR GAIN!