Do I Have to Go to a Certain Church to Go to Heaven?

by Joseph Cameneti | Articles, Christian Living

A friend of mine told me that I won’t go to Heaven until I leave the “old-line” church. Is this true?

My study of the Word of God reveals that our church membership and affiliation has nothing to do with going to Heaven. Someone can be a member of our church and not go to Heaven, while someone else may be a member of an old-line denominational church and go to Heaven.

The Word of God declares that salvation only comes through Jesus. The following Scriptures detail this truth: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'” (John 14:6 NIV).

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
(John 3:14-18 NIV)

And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
(1 John 5:11-13 NIV)

In summation, salvation is determined solely by accepting Jesus. Church affiliation is definitely not a criterion for salvation.

Copyright © Bible Answers Foundation
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Joe Cameneti Sr. is the lead pastor of Believers Church, located in his hometown of Warren, Ohio. Pastor Joe, along with his wife Gina, pioneered Believers Church in 1983 following his graduation from Bible School.

In addition to leading a thriving local church, Pastor Joe is the host of a weekly show called "BCTV." The program is aired locally on WFMJ, the NBC affiliate, reaching thousands weekly.

Pastor Joe is a gifted communicator, skilled in the art of building bridges to unchurched America. Transparent and authentic, you'll walk away challenged and encouraged to connect with God in a deeper way.