Do you need a relationship with God to go to Heaven? (What does the Bible say?)

As a faithful Christian, I am interested in learning about God’s relationship with believers. The Bible shows God’s agape love for his children from the beginning to the end. In theology school, I was intrigued by the topic of having a personal relationship with God and how it contributed to going to Heaven. I studied the Bible keenly and even held discussions with theologians and church leaders to learn everything on this topic. Recently, I was teaching my college students about the importance of having a good relationship with God, and they seemed to have interesting questions. One student wanted to know how to build a relationship with God, while the other wanted to know whether having a relationship with God would help them to go to Heaven. Having studied every detail about going to Heaven and having a relationship with God, I had all the answers they wanted. So, do you need a relationship with God to go to Heaven?

The Bible does not specify that one has to have a God relationship with God to go to Heaven. However, Heaven is the Kingdom of God, and you cannot go there if you don’t have a good relationship with Him. John 3:16 says God gave his only Son to die for the world’s salvation, and whoever believes in His Son will have everlasting life. Everlasting life is in Heaven, and believing that Jesus Christ died for your salvation creates a good relationship between you and God. Therefore, you have to believe in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which will build your relationship with God to go to Heaven.

Join me in this article, where I will discuss having a personal relationship with God. I have answered all the possible questions on this topic, so read till the end.

What does the Bible say about having a relationship with God?

Do you need a relationship with God to go to Heaven?
What does the Bible say about having a relationship with God? Image source: Pixabay

The Bible says you have to have faith in God to have a relationship with Him. It explains in Hebrews 11:6 that if you want to draw near to God, you have to believe that he exists because without faith, you cannot please God the Father, and he will only reward those who seek Him. You cannot have a relationship with someone you don’t believe exists. You need to have faith in God and believe He is the creator of all things to have a relationship with Him.

To have faith in God, read the Scripture to learn about Him. Reading the Bible will you will experience occasions when God had a personal relationship with other people like David and Elijah, which will enable you to have faith that you can also have the same.

The Bible also says that one can only have a relationship with God and the Father through His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is the way and the truth, and no one can go to God the Father except through Him. God sent His only Son to die for the forgiveness of our sins and for our relationship with God to be redeemed.

When Jesus was on earth, he taught us how to live righteously according to the will of God. You need to learn His teachings to have a good relationship with God. Also, you need to believe that Jesus Christ died and was resurrected by God for your salvation. This will create a good relationship with God because you can only go to God the Father through the Son.

What does it mean to have a personal relationship with God?

Having a personal relationship with God means you have realized you need Him in your life, have admitted you are a sinner, and accepted to receive Jesus Christ as your savior. God has always desired to have a close relationship with us from the moment he created man. In Genesis 3:8, we learn that God was personally looking for Adam and Eve; hence, they hid from Him because they had sinned. This means God had a personal relationship with them to the point he could walk into the Garden and talk to them directly.

However, because Adam and Eve sinned against God, human beings were separated from God, but this did not stop God from wanting to build a good relationship with man. That is why He sent His only Son to die for the forgiveness of our sins and for whoever believes in him to spend eternity with God in his Kingdom, as indicated in John 3:16.

Therefore, having a personal relationship with God means you have faith in Jesus Christ as the savior. It means you believe that Jesus died and was resurrected for the redemption of man. Jesus came on earth to teach the Gospel and how a man can live righteously, die for man’s sins, and be raised from the dead to show he has defeated death and sins for a man to receive eternal life.

Romans 8:1 says that whoever is in Christ Jesus will not be condemned. Therefore, if you are in Jesus Christ, you have been saved and become accepted by God the Father, meaning you have built a personal relationship with Him.

Do you have to go to church to have a relationship with God?

The Bible does not specifically mention that one has to attend church to have a relationship with God. Going to church is not a requirement to have a relationship with God. However, it is very important since it impacts your relationship with God in many ways. First, going to church is a way of publicly showing our love for God which helps maintain our relationship with Him. The church is where you meet other Christians and publicly confess and show your faith and love for God. Matthew 10:32 records that Jesus said that those who publicly acknowledge Him, He will acknowledge them before God the Father. Attending the church enables you to acknowledge Jesus before others which will grow your relationship with God.

Also, the church is where we honor and praise God the Father to maintain our relationship with Him. David had a good personal relationship with God because he always honored and praised him before others. In Psalm 22:22, David wrote that he would honor the name of the Lord before his brethren and praise God’s name amid the assembly. He neither hid his relationship with God nor was he ashamed to show it to others. As David, you must praise and honor the Lord amid an assembly. This will enable your faith to grow in God as you help others’ faith to also grow in God.

In addition, the Lord shows his presence amid people gathered to worship Him. Matthew 18:20 says that when people are gathered in the name of the Lord, He will be in their midst. In the church, where people are gathered to worship the Lord, He may be able to bless and especially touch your hearts in extraordinary ways. His presence will be felting in the church as you worship, praise, and honor him. Therefore, attending church is not a requirement to have a relationship with God, but it is very important for growing your relationship with God on a personal level.

How do you build a relationship with God?

Do you need a relationship with God to go to Heaven?
How do you build a relationship with God? Image source: Pixabay

You can build a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is the way and the truth, and no one can go to God the Father except through Him. Also, in the next chapter, John 15:1-8, Jesus taught about the vines and the branches. He said that God is the Gardeners, Jesus is the vine, and you are the branches. The gardener cuts off the branches in the vines that don’t bear fruits. Jesus used this illustration to teach that we have to abide in Him to build a good relationship with God. God will reject those who don’t follow the teaching of Jesus Christ and don’t believe in Jesus Christ as the savior. Therefore, first believe in Jesus Christ to start building your relationship with God.

Also, confess your sins to God and seek His forgiveness to build a relationship with Him. Sins are often the barrier between your relationship with God; hence, confessing your sins to Him and asking for His forgiveness removes that barrier. In 1 John 1:9, God promises to forgive your sins if you confess them to Him. Forgiveness is what restores your damaged relationship with God. However, note that asking for forgiveness should come from your heart. God knows you in and out, and he knows when you are sincere or when you are kidding. Therefore, for God to forgive you, confess your sins sincerely. You also need to ask that He helps you so that you don’t sin the same sin again.

How long does it take to develop a relationship with God?

Developing a relationship with God does not have a timer. It will take as long as it takes for you to start believing in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for your salvation. Therefore, you can develop your relationship with God in a few seconds, but it could also take years, depending on how fast you grow your faith in Jesus Christ. Romans 10:9 says you will be saved if you declare Jesus is the Lord and believe God resurrected Him. When you receive salvation, your relationship with God starts to develop. Therefore, when you decided to believe that God gave his only Son to die for your salvation, your relationship with God starts to develop instantly.

Can you go to Heaven for having a relationship with God?

Yes, you can go to Heaven for having a relationship with God. In Matthew 7:21, Jesus said that not everyone who calls his name will go to Heaven, but those who live according to the will of God will go to Heaven. Doing according to the will of God means you have built your relationship with Him and believed in Him. It shows that you have confessed your sins to Him and asked for His forgiveness. Heaven is the Kingdom of God; hence, you need to believe in God and have a good relationship with Him to better his Kingdom.

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