The Bible describes heaven as a beautiful place. It is a place no one wants to miss going to! There is the saying, Everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die to get there. This is true.

The requirement to make heaven our destination truly is death, but in reality, that requirement is death to sin. We need to become dead to sin by repentance, turning from a sinful lifestyle to a lifestyle of living our life for Jesus. The Bible says,

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:1-4

We become dead to sin by repentance, being sorrowful for past sins, and crucifying our sinful lifestyle. We must bury those sins and that old sinful lifestyle by water baptism in Jesus name, which not only buries but washes away our sins. Jesus promises the gift of His Holy Ghost when we do this. His Holy Spirit gives us the power we need in our lives to overcome sin. By the infilling of His Spirit, our lives are changed to walk a new life in Jesus.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39

The Spirit of Jesus is the power that raised Jesus' body from the grave, which will also raise us up from the grave when we are filled with His Spirit. (“quicken” means “to make alive”)

"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." - Romans 8:11

When we are filled with the Spirit of Christ, we pass from death to life. We contain within our body eternal life.

"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." - Romans 6:22-23

In the Bible, those that have repented of their sins, have been baptized in Jesus name, and are filled with His Holy Ghost, when they experience a physical death, they are said to be “asleep.”

"And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." - Acts 7:59-60

It also describes them as being “dead in Christ” as well as those that are “asleep.” The following verses describe the Rapture:

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Not everyone wants to die out to sin and live for Jesus. But this is how we will get to heaven!