jesus: the only way to heaven
"They are in peace." —Wisdom 3:3
After their deaths, the souls of some people "are in the hand of God" (Wis 3:1). These people are "the just" (Wis 3:1), "those who trust" in the Lord (Wis 3:9), "the faithful" (Wis 3:9), the "holy ones" (Wis 3:9), and "the elect" (Wis 3:9).
To be just is to avoid sin and to repair the devastating effects of sin. This is, of course, impossible except in Jesus, our Justice (see Jer 23:6; 1 Cor 1:30).
To trust in the Lord means to trust the Lord completely, to love Him with all our hearts and souls, and to live for Him alone.
To be faithful means to do what we have promised, especially our baptismal promises. In effect, it means not to sin.
To be holy means to be like God in every aspect of our conduct (1 Pt 1:15). We need Jesus to baptize us in the Spirit of holiness in order to be holy (see Mk 1:8).
Jesus is also the One to elect us, that is, choose us. He said: "It was not you who chose Me, it was I Who chose you" (Jn 15:16).
Jesus is obviously the only Way to heaven (see Jn 14:6). Only if we live and die in Jesus will we live forever. Give your life and death totally to Jesus.
Prayer: Our Father in heaven, in Jesus I will be with You forever.
Promise: "Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of Himself." —Wis 3:5
Praise: St. Martin, once a pagan and a soldier, gave his life to Christ to such an extent that he was imprisoned for his anti-war beliefs.
Reference: (To be holier, learn more about the Bible. You may wish to order our Overview of the Bible, a small series which has six audio tapes starting with AV 10A-1 or a three video tape series starting with V-10A.)
Rescript:
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Giles H. Pater, April 24, 2003
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 28, 2003