Going to Heaven?

I once read that good websites enable viewers to reach the most important pages in one click from anywhere else on the site.  Therefore you should now see a new "Heaven?" tab at the top of every page on this site.  Nothing, I repeat, NOTHING, is more important than your personal salvation.  No other Christian encouragement or instruction even comes close.  If you died today, are you absolutely sure that you would go to Heaven?  I am.  Let me help you also have this assurance.

I meet countless people of all denominations who think/believe they will go to Heaven.  They say something like; I'm a Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, whatever.  They tell me how they go to church.  They say how they are a good person, or the most common, that they try to be a good person and do what's right.  I assure you, none of that matters.

"If you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.  For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."  (Romans 10:9,10) 

There you have it.  All you have to do is believe that God raised Jesus from the dead, and confess the current, living lordship of Jesus Christ in your life.  You will be saved.  That, to me, is the most important passage in the Bible.  Yes, Jesus came to deliver us from death, and sickness and poverty and bondage and fear.  But most importantly, Jesus came to save us from our sins.  "For He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."  (2 Corinthians 5:21)  Jesus, the spotless son of God, was made to be sin so that we could be made the righteousness of God.

Every person has sinned (Romans 3:23).  Because of our sins we should have spent eternity in hell (Romans 6:23 and John 3:18).  But Jesus came, the perfect Lamb of God.  He sacrificed Himself to pay our penalty for our sins (John 1:29).  But if you don't believe in His death and resurrection, if you don't accept His Lordship and reality in your life, then you don't make His sacrifice personal to you.  He that believes in Jesus is not condemned, but he who doesn't believe in Jesus is condemned already (John 3:18).

You will never reach Heaven because of your works.  In fact, by design this possibility is specifically excluded by God.  (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:26-28)  When you die and stand before God, you will never be able to prove yourself based on your works.  The Bible says we all have sinned, and if you have no one to pay that death penalty for you, then you will pay it yourself.  Time doesn't forgive sins, good deeds don't erase them.  Only God can forgive them.  And only the blood of Jesus Christ can wash you clean of them (1 John 1:7 and Revelation 1:5).

I must also mention another verse - "Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish."  Luke 13:3,5).  When we accept Christ we die to sin.  How can we who are dead to sin live any longer therein?  If we love Christ we should love the light and hate the darkness.  If we love Jesus then we should keep His commandments.  We must repent of our sins and turn to serve the living God. 

I first believed in Jesus Christ as a child.  I believe I received salvation and a "Heaven Ticket."  But I didn't start serving Him until age 23.  While you may have your positive afterlife assured, and I pray that you do, you will never truly experience this life until you actively serve God.  When you begin serving God everything changes.  Yes, it takes time.  Yes, it can be hard.  But the fellowship with Him, with His Spirit, the supernatural occurrences, and the superpowered existence, only these come when you give your Earthly life to Him.  I'm glad you believe in Jesus, and I want you to experience everything He has for you, in this world and the world to come.

If you aren't positive that if you died today you would go to Heaven, I implore you to pray the following prayer out loud right now.  (Remember, "with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.")

"Dear God, I thank you for sending Jesus to the world to die on the cross and pay the penalty for my sins.  I thank you that He came to save me from my sins.  I believe that after Jesus died you raised Him from the dead.  I believe He is still with you in Heaven today, and always will be.  I confess that Jesus Christ is the new Lord of my life.  I repent of my sins.  Help me to live for You.  Show me Your ways and Your plan for my life.  I love You Lord and I thank You.  In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen." 

HALLELUJAH.  If you did that then you can be assured you will be with God forever.  You will be in a paradise of love and joy.  How do I know?  Because the Bible tells me so.  Read your Bible daily.  Start in the Gospel of John.  Find a good Bible-based church.  EFG stands ready to assist you in any way we can.  God bless you, and welcome to the family of God.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  (John 3:16)