Are You Going to Heaven?

The most important question you will ever answer is: where will you spend eternity, in heaven or in hell?  The only book that can show you the way to go to heaven is the Bible.

 

Can Anyone Really Know for Sure?

YES, the Bible was written so that people who receive Jesus Christ as their Savior can know for certain that they will go to heaven.  One of the reasons God gave us the Bible so that we could have the knowledge that our sins are forgiven and we are God's child.  The apostle John writes to us, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life."

 

What is the First Step?

Admit to God that you are a sinner.  The Bible says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  We must admit the truth, we cannot earn our way to heaven because we are sinners.

 

What is the Penalty?

God says, “For the wages of sin is death.”  (Romans 6:23).  This includes both a physical and spiritual death.  Jesus Christ warned more people about hell than anyone else in the Bible.  Jesus Christ loved you enough to suffer on the cross for you (Romans 5:8).  He paid the penalty for your sin.

 

How Can I Be Forgiven?

The only way to be saved from an eternity in hell and assured of a place in heaven is to have all your sins forgiven.  Call upon Jesus confess to Him that you are a sinner, and that you need Him to save you from your sin.  Jesus Christ, who died for you and rose again from the dead, will answer and will save you from you sin.  "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13).  By trusting in Jesus Christ and repenting of your sins, you can be forgiven (Acts 20:21).

 

Who is Jesus?

Jesus is God, the 2nd Person of the Trinity.  He became a human at the incarnation we celebrate every year at Christmas.  He grew up, lived a perfect life, and never, ever sinned.  He claimed to be the one-and-only way to God, saying, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except by Me" (John 14).

 

What did Jesus Do?

Unlike us, Jesus never sinned.  And since the wages of sin is death, Jesus did not deserve to die.  Yet He went to the cross willingly to pay the price for our sins.  God, we are told in Romans 5, "Commended (demonstrated) His love for us in that Christ died for us."  He, who "knew no sin, became sin for us, so that we might be made the righteous of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)

 

What Happened to Jesus after His Death?

His spirit went to heaven (Luke 23:46) and His body was wrapped in burial linens and put in a tomb.  On the third day, that first Easter Sunday, Jesus' spirit was reunited with His body, and He was resurrected from the dead.  His body did not decay; He was gloriously resurrected victorious over death, hell, and the grave.

 

Where is Jesus Now?

After His resurrection from the dead, Jesus ascended bodily up into heaven (Acts 1).  There He is currently making intercession for those who are His (Hebrews 7:25 and Romans 8:34).  He promises that if you believe that He is God who died for your sins, and rose from the dead, that He will save you from all your sins.  Romans 10:9-10 , "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."

 

If I trust Jesus as Savior, will He ever leave me?

No.  He promises to "never leave thee nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5).  His promises to us are sure.  He cannot lie.

 

What Should I do if I Want to trust Christ as Savior?

Tell Him that you want to submit to Him.  Pray a simple prayer such as, "Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner, unable to save myself.  I believe that you are God, that You died on the cross for my sins, and rose from the dead.  I believe your Word and Your promise to save me if I call upon your Name.  Please wash away my sins, come into my life and be my Savior and Lord."

 

What Should I do Now if I just Prayed that Prayer?

Well, first let me welcome you into the family of God!  Come to Great Hope on Sunday and let me know that you prayed and asked Jesus to be your Savior.  I will rejoice to hear of your salvation, and we will have some free information to put in your hand as you begin this new walk with Jesus.

 

Pastor Whalen