Salvation:
How can I know
that i am going to heaven?
The gospel means "good news." Why good news? Because there is also bad news. We believe that God created the universe, including humanity. Further, we believe that He created us uniquely suited for a relationship with Him. In Genesis 3:8, Adam and Eve heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden. They knew His sound from previous contact with Him. They and their Maker were used to interacting face to face! But something changed.
Our first parents disobeyed God and death entered the world. Look around - everything we see is in a battle with decay. The paint on your house, the tired motor in your car, our bodies that creak and groan doing what were once simple tasks; these are all results of humanity's disobedience.
God calls this "sin." It means "falling short of the mark." In Romans 3:23 we are told that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." And everybody sins (Eccl 7:20). We all inherit a sinful nature. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. The fact that we have police, military forces, jails, courts and the like, is evidence that our race is broken and needs redemption. Without the restraint imposed by government, the "law of the jungle" would rule. The strong would exploit and oppress the weak even worse than they do now. When sin entered the world, death followed. From the time we are born, we are terminal. There it is - the shocking fact: fully 10 out of 10 people die! The result of sin is not merely physical death, but spiritual death. Our sin separates us from a righteous God and we are helpless to do anything about it. The wages of sin is death - eternal, conscious separation from God in Hell, the punishment for our sin. This is the bad news: humanity is broken and under the just wrath of a just God.
The good news? Before the beginning of time God chose to redeem humanity. He did this by sending His Son Jesus Christ. God, although one in essence, exists in three persons: The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Son is a title - He never had a creation. He has, like the Father and the Spirit always existed. Through Him everything has been created (Jn 1:3, 10; Heb 1:1-3). He entered this world as fully God and fully man in one person, for one purpose: to sacrifice Himself to pay for our sin. It was a once and for all action. When it was completed, He declared, "It is finished." And in accordance with the Scriptures, He rose bodily from the dead. He is Lord over all things, and is coming again to judge the living and the dead.
How do you respond? Either you believe and trust that He is who He claims to be or you do not. Sounds simple? It is in a way. But consider - God doesn't want your car, your wallet or your time (one or two days a week). He wants you, body and mind, all the time! He wants you to turn from living your way and to trust and follow Him. It doesn't matter who you are, where you are, what you have done. All have sinned - and the offer of salvation is there for all. You can do nothing to acquire it. He has done it all. How do you respond to this? "If you confess with your mouth, Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved," (Rom 10:13). And again, "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," (Jn 3:16). God will adopt you as His child; He will forgive your sins; baptize you into His family by His Holy Spirit, which He will send to live within you; make you a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) and begin changing you to be like Christ in your daily life as you seek Him (Rom 12:1-2). Your citizenship will be in heaven (Phil 3:20), and the moment you die and pass from this earth you will be with Him (2 Cor 5:8).
If I can help you further with questions regarding how you can have eternal life and a right relationship with God, contact me at: [email protected]
Our first parents disobeyed God and death entered the world. Look around - everything we see is in a battle with decay. The paint on your house, the tired motor in your car, our bodies that creak and groan doing what were once simple tasks; these are all results of humanity's disobedience.
God calls this "sin." It means "falling short of the mark." In Romans 3:23 we are told that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." And everybody sins (Eccl 7:20). We all inherit a sinful nature. We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners. The fact that we have police, military forces, jails, courts and the like, is evidence that our race is broken and needs redemption. Without the restraint imposed by government, the "law of the jungle" would rule. The strong would exploit and oppress the weak even worse than they do now. When sin entered the world, death followed. From the time we are born, we are terminal. There it is - the shocking fact: fully 10 out of 10 people die! The result of sin is not merely physical death, but spiritual death. Our sin separates us from a righteous God and we are helpless to do anything about it. The wages of sin is death - eternal, conscious separation from God in Hell, the punishment for our sin. This is the bad news: humanity is broken and under the just wrath of a just God.
The good news? Before the beginning of time God chose to redeem humanity. He did this by sending His Son Jesus Christ. God, although one in essence, exists in three persons: The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Son is a title - He never had a creation. He has, like the Father and the Spirit always existed. Through Him everything has been created (Jn 1:3, 10; Heb 1:1-3). He entered this world as fully God and fully man in one person, for one purpose: to sacrifice Himself to pay for our sin. It was a once and for all action. When it was completed, He declared, "It is finished." And in accordance with the Scriptures, He rose bodily from the dead. He is Lord over all things, and is coming again to judge the living and the dead.
How do you respond? Either you believe and trust that He is who He claims to be or you do not. Sounds simple? It is in a way. But consider - God doesn't want your car, your wallet or your time (one or two days a week). He wants you, body and mind, all the time! He wants you to turn from living your way and to trust and follow Him. It doesn't matter who you are, where you are, what you have done. All have sinned - and the offer of salvation is there for all. You can do nothing to acquire it. He has done it all. How do you respond to this? "If you confess with your mouth, Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved," (Rom 10:13). And again, "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," (Jn 3:16). God will adopt you as His child; He will forgive your sins; baptize you into His family by His Holy Spirit, which He will send to live within you; make you a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) and begin changing you to be like Christ in your daily life as you seek Him (Rom 12:1-2). Your citizenship will be in heaven (Phil 3:20), and the moment you die and pass from this earth you will be with Him (2 Cor 5:8).
If I can help you further with questions regarding how you can have eternal life and a right relationship with God, contact me at: [email protected]