How To Have Eternal Life

Step 1:   Realize Your Current State.

The first step in obtaining eternal life is to recognize what is keeping you from it.   The Bible teaches that all people have sinned against God (Romans 3:23).   Sin is anything we do that is wrong or displeases God who is perfectly holy and righteous.   Because God is holy, sin cannot be in his presence, and since all people have sinned all people are separated from him and cannot enter heaven when we die.

Furthermore, the Bible teaches in Romans 6:23a that there is a price to pay for being a sinner: that price is death.   Because God is perfect in his justice he can let no sin go unpunished.   Therefore, the penalty for sin is death, not just physically, but spiritually. Since everyone sins, everyone dies. Spiritual death is spending eternity in hell separated from God.