Is it possible to know for sure that when this life is over we can spend eternity in heaven? The answer is an emphatic YES! Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me.” The Bible says, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” It says we MUST be saved. What is it that we must be saved from? The Bible clearly teaches that we are all under the wrath of God; we are in danger of spending eternity in hell because of our SIN! Romans 2:5 “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when His righteous judgment will be revealed.”
John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." We must understand that we have all sinned against God, we have broken God’s moral law; broken the 10 Commandments. James 2:10 says, “If someone obeys all of God’s laws except one, that person is guilty of breaking all of them.” Because of our sin, because we have broken God’s law, we are storing up the wrath of Almighty God and it will be revealed on Judgment day. We all stand before a holy, righteous and just God guilty of sin. Let's look at God's moral law and see how well you stand. Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever taken something that wasn’t yours? Have you ever used God’s name in vain? That's blasphemy and it's very serious. The Bible says, "For the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain." If you answered yes to any of those, then by your own admittance you are a lying thief and a blasphemer of God. That’s only 3 of the 10 Commandments, I haven't covered the other 7. You're guilty and so am I. God’s standard is perfection because He is pure and holy, and we have all fallen short of His perfect standard. Because God is holy and just, He cannot be in the presence of our sin nor can He overlook our sin, God must punish sin. He tells us that the punishment for our sin is death; eternal separation from Him in hell; hell is the punishment for SIN. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death.” Ezekiel 18:20 “The soul who sins shall die.” Look back at all the times you lied, taken something that wasn’t yours, used God’s name as a cuss word or word of disgust. Ever had hatred in your heart toward another person; Jesus said that’s murder. Ever lusted in your heart after someone else; Jesus said that’s adultery. (Matthew 5:21-30) We are all guilty! If we really think about all the sin we have ever committed in our lives and we understand God’s holiness, then we would truly understand that the punishment fits our crimes. The truth is we need to be saved from God’s wrath; we need to be saved from the punishment our SIN deserves, we need to be saved from hell. In God’s great love and mercy, He did just that, He sent someone to save us, He sent us a Savior. Look back at Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death. BUT the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It’s Jesus Christ who saves us from hell; He save us from the wrath of God. Jesus said, “For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10) Ephesians 2:8-9 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.” Church attendance, water baptism, reading the Bible, giving, treating people well, following rituals and rules, being religious, or anything else we try and do will not earn us salvation. Salvation is NOT grace plus works. It’s NOT faith plus works. It’s NOT Jesus plus works. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone! Romans 3:24-26 says, "being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
Romans 5:9 says, “Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through Him!”
The sins of all mankind were placed on Jesus Christ and punished on the cross of Calvary 2,000 years ago. Isaiah 53:5 says, “But He was pierced for OUR transgressions, He was crushed for OUR iniquities; the punishment that brought US peace was on Him, and by His wounds WE are healed.” God’s righteous demand for justice was satisfied when Jesus Christ hung on the cross and uttered the words “IT IS FINISHED” before taking His last breath. His resurrection demonstrates His power over sin and death. Mankind broke God's law but Jesus Christ paid the fine with His life. God can now forgive your sins and allow you to live forever in heaven on the grounds of Jesus Christ sacrificial death on the cross and His resurrection.
Acknowledging sin or even confessing sin is not enough, you must repent of sin and put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone. Turn from and forsake (repent) all known sin in your life and follow Jesus Christ in obedience. Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you shall likewise perish." Acts 17:30-31 "God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should REPENT, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead"
What does it mean to repent of sin and trust in Christ?
It is agreeing with God that you are a sinner guilty of breaking His laws and that you deserve hell. Acknowledging that Jesus Christ took your punishment and your death on the cross. He died the death you deserve, paid the fine you could never pay, and satisfied divine justice. Jesus was raised to life in power, defeating sin and death. Tell God you are willing to turn from your sin and trust in Jesus Christ. Trust what Jesus did on the cross saves you from the wrath to come because Jesus bore the wrath of God for you. Surrender your heart, life, and will to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, then be willing to follow Him in obedience.
The moment we repent and trust in Christ is the moment we are “born again”, it's a spiritual rebirth. We have been regenerated and are new creations in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
We now have a new nature in Christ. We have passed from death to life, from darkness to light. (John 5:24)
If you have genuinely repented of your sin and put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, you can be assured of your eternal salvation in Heaven.
1 John 5:12-13 "He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." Romans 10:13 "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:28)
If you surrendered your heart and life to Jesus Christ, we want to rejoice with you. Please let us know about your decision in our comments section on the home page or the prayer request section. We want to help you and send you material as you begin your new life in Christ. God Bless You.
