Did You Know?
You Can Be Absolutely Sure That You’re Going to Heaven!
How can you know that for sure?
The answer is actually found right in the Bible!
Our Problem
Let’s consider the following question, “What does God require of someone to go to heaven?” A common response worldwide is that “GOOD people go to heaven.” This response is almost universal, however there is vast disagreement on what defines a “GOOD” person. This is the reason why there are so many different religions and denominations. Each belief has their own requirements as to what someone must do to be considered GOOD!
The problem with the view that good people go to heaven is that the Bible does not teach it. Consider the following verses: Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:10 says, “As it is written, ‘There is none righteous, no, not one.” Even a quick glance at the 10 commandments shows us that we are not GOOD by God’s standard.
If you have ever told a lie, you would be considered a liar. If you have ever stolen anything, the Bible would call you a thief. If you have ever wanted something that somebody else had, the Bible calls that coveting which is being greedy and envious. If you have ever looked with lust at someone else, God views this the SAME AS committing the act of adultery. If you have ever been angry with someone or if you have ever hated anyone, God views ANGER and HATE the same as if you had physically murdered them. Now, we have only looked at five of the 10 commandments and most of us are self-admitted “lying, thieving, greedy, adulterous, murderers at heart.” Does this sound like a GOOD person to you?
Does this sound like a GOOD person to you?
So, clearly the Bible’s assessment that no one is good and that we will all fall short of the glory of God is TRUE. Since this is the case, why then do religions teach that we must be a good person when that is impossible? In fact, the Bible paints an even more bleak picture when it states in Isaiah 64:6, “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags…” Notice, he says “our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” – that is the very best we can offer God. So, if our righteousnesses - all the good things we do - look like filthy rags to God, what must our sins look like? Much, much worse, right?
The bad news gets worse. Because God’s character is perfectly “holy” and is perfectly “just,” God is a PERFECT judge who must execute PERFECT justice. That means He MUST give everybody what they deserve. The Bible is clear about the penalty God must enact on law-breakers as Romans 6:23a says, “For the wages of sin is death…” Wages are something that we earn. So, if each one of us got what we deserved or earned, we would all earn death. This speaks not only of physical death, but also of what the Bible refers to as the “second” death which is an eternity separated from God, an eternity in the Lake of Fire. So, why do religions claim the solution is to be good and to do good works? The wages of sin is not to be good or to do good works. This simply adds confusion!
The wages of sin is not to be good or to do good works.
God’s Solution
The good news for mankind is that God does not want ANYONE to go to hell. But, instead of forcing you to come up with a solution to your own problem, God has provided a solution for you. He simply wants you to trust in His solution.
He simply wants you to trust in His solution.
His solution is stated so clearly in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” You see, because the wages or penalty of sin is death, Jesus Christ died in your place, paying your sin penalty so that you would never have to. In fact, Hebrews 2:9 says it this way, “But we see Jesus…by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” In a remarkable display of convincing power, God raised Jesus from the dead to persuade US that Jesus DID successfully take care of our wages, take care of our sin penalty. When Jesus cried out from the cross, “It is finished” the Bible tells that God was satisfied with His payment. When God resurrected Jesus, He proved to us that His perfect justice for our sins had been paid.
Now, the Bible says that God is able to offer eternal life as a free gift, NOT to good people, but to sinners, ungodly people – basically, to people who recognize their need for a Savior. So, how does one receive this free gift? The Bible is clear in stating that there is ONE and ONLY ONE requirement to be saved.
The Bible is clear in stating that there is ONE and ONLY ONE requirement to be saved.
In fact, this single requirement is stated about 160 times in the New Testament alone. A person must believe, trust in, rely upon Jesus Christ and His finished work for them. Romans 4:5 says it this way, “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.” Religion teaches that we must work to be a good enough to go to heaven. However, the Bible teaches that you and I will never be a good enough person, and we must trust in the Savior and His finished work for us. Ephesians 2:8-9 also clearly says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Grace by definition is “unmerited favor” meaning that you can get something that you do not deserve. This should be good news for anyone who wants to be saved, because if we got what we deserved or earned we would get death and the Lake of Fire. Since God gave Jesus what we deserved or earned (i.e., death), He is now offering us something that we do not deserve as a free gift – eternal life salvation.
We beg of you not to wait a minute longer. Put your faith in Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for your sins and His resurrection. Forgiveness of sins is available to you, eternal life is being offered as a free gift – do not reject God’s offer of salvation through His Son. By definition, Saviors “save” – Just as a painter paints, so too a Savior saves. Will you trust Jesus Christ to save you?
Still have questions?
We are here to answer! Just contact us, and our Pastor or one of our Elders would love to talk more with you about Salvation, your walk as Christian, or any other spiritual questions you may have!