What is the minimum amount of action required to get in to heaven? Follow the Ten Commandments.
This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. (2 Jo 1:6 NKJV)
Some friends say that you need to be attending church regularly, praying, repenting, and being seen to "make an effort" to practice the Christian teachings every day, in every decision, etc.
Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. (Matthew 6:1 NKJV)
But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. (Matthew 23:5 NKJV)
Whereas others say that all you need to do is accept Christ as your saviour, and believe that the way to heaven is through him, whether or not you choose to then live your life in a "Christian manner" after that. This is a true saying but is not understood. So here it is:
God is breath(John 4:24), and we are his temple. The son of the breath is the word. The breath blew across the waters, and the breath expanded the universe. The breath by itself judges nothing, for authority has been given to the word. Yet their are two types of breath. The breath of truth and the breath of error (1 John 4:6). And the deciding factor is whether ort not a person can hear what the word is saying.
Now each person has their own sea of information. And from that sea comes knowledge and wisdom also many other things. Now if one is truly loving you then they will be immersed into your sea, or baptized into your water, or last, or born again, or have sold all their thoughts and are listening to the beggar. But once you start listening to their sea, no other thing in creation is allowed to be as important as the word that is being sown, for otherwise your mind becomes on the thorny ground, or the stony ground, or the wayside. Only the mind on the good ground can hear what is being said. And can hear the fullness of the waters. "But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”" (Luke 9:62 NKJV)
Once you start to harvest the truth from the one that is next to you, nothing I mean nothing can be more important the word "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple." (Luke 14:26 NKJV). So I say to you Only if you learn to listen will you be saved "so that ‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.’”" (Mark 4:12 NKJV)
For many are guilty of failing in the first commandment. Learn the lesson from the rich man. He came to Jesus and asked what do I need to do for ever lasting life? The response from Jesus "You know the commandments". But what do the people fail at understanding? The first three! Continuously the people loved the things of the world and worshiped the things instead of the word. You must drink from no other sea besides me! Why? Because I am Jealous and will take it out on your whole family! Yet to those that love me I will show mercy to thousands.
Many desire to be the teacher and be the fountain of knowledge, yet his followers have been called to listen and this is why. "And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together." (John 4:36 NKJV). I want this to be clear to you. The one who listens receives the wages of life! "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”" (John 4:14).
Prayers will not be answered if you do not understand faith. It is not a faith that since Jesus died you are saved! He did die. True. You can now be saved because he died. True. Because he taught us how to die. Trust that God will fulfill the Opposite Equal Reaction. The Centurion he had faith and his story has nothing to do with the death of Jesus. No he believed the word. For the Word made all things, why do you think that if the word made all things and you also have the words in you, that now the word can not make things?
If you want to see the word move a cup on the kitchen table, when the need comes say "that cup needs put in the sink" and it will move. Another person will come and pick up the cup and will put it into the sink for you, all by the power of the word. It works, God works many miracles through me.
Are the former being too strict on themselves?
These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. (Colossians 2:23 NKJV)
Are the latter looking for an "easy way out" in allowing them to lead a life of sin? Yes.
Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. (1 John 3:9 NKJV)
Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin (1 Peter 4:1 NKJV)
Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41 NKJV)
When you are asking the questions your life is hidden.
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3 NKJV)
See why their is no more sin? "His seed remains in him" He hears the words.