d.). It is absolutely impossible for a human being to work his or her way to God. All human acts are born of sin, whereas all acts of grace are born of righteousness. The sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross was the ultimate sign of grace, as God sent his only Son to die so that we may also die to our sin. The process by which a person becomes reborn in Christ is expressed as follows. First we come to God "as a sinner who recognizes his sinfulness," (Keathley n.d.). We become willing to leave beside our old life and die to it. Following that we rely "totally on Christ alone by faith alone for our salvation," (Keathley n.d.). Once we receive Christ, we receive the Grace of God.

The benefits of eternal life are boundless, innumerable, and ineffable. Many of those benefits cannot be received until the hereafter, when we are judged. Yet one of the most immediate benefits is felt simply by living with Christ. Living with Christ guarantees us eternal life. "There is no condemnation...

Once we receive Christ in our heart, we have understood that Christ died for us. That death becomes our own, as we die to sin on a spiritual level. From that point forward, we are bound to Christ rather than to sin. Our weakness becomes transformed into tremendous spiritual strength. Eternal life equals freedom and salvation, realized partially in this life and eternally in the next.
References

Copeland, M.A. (2009). Sermons from Romans: God's Gift of Eternal Life. Retrieved June 2, 2010 from http://executableoutlines.com/ro2/ro6_22.htm

"How does a person get to heaven?" Retrieved June 2, 2010 from http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/2_heaven.htm

Keathley J.H. (n.d.). God's plan of salvation. Bible.org. Retrieved June 2, 2010 from http://bible.org/article/gods-plan-salvation