What Precedes Heaven?

Salvation precedes heaven! Jesus has a very revealing conversation with a Jewish leader of his time named Nicodemus in John chapter 3. Here are some of His responses to questions that could be similar to those that any one of us today could be asking:

Nicodemus’ first question was more of a statement in 3:2 when he said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” I’ve heard many atheists make similar claims that they believe Jesus was undoubtedly a good teacher. In 3:3, “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

As Jesus went on to explain that becoming born again meant being spiritually transformed and renewed (3:5-8), Nicodemus in 3:9 said, “How are these things possible?”

And here’s what’s incredibly relevant to every honest ‘truth seeker’ who has yet to be 100% convinced they will in fact go to heaven after they die, when Jesus said this to him in 3:10-12, “You are the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not know nor understand these things? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, we speak only of what we [absolutely] know and testify about what we have seen; and [still] you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe and trust Me if I tell you heavenly things?”

If we want to spend eternity in heaven, we would be wise to respond to what Jesus told Nicodemus was necessary by accepting the evidence of His testimony, and become born again.