Your Life Depends On This Question
If you died right now (for example), are you 100% sure that you would go to heaven? Maybe you are 50% sure or perhaps 90% sure? Maybe, to be honest, you really don't know?
"Does it matter?" you ask. Well, given that everybody dies sometime (otherwise we'd all know people two or three hundred years old), it does matter and it is of the utmost importance.
So, if you are anything but 100% sure, or you claim to be 100% sure, but can't prove it from the Bible (it's just a feeling), you really need to read this.
First of all, in case you are thinking, "No one can know for sure that they will go to heaven; we all have to wait until we die to find out," let me assure you that you CAN know for sure.
The Bible says in the book of I John, chapter 5, verse 13 (1 John 5:13), "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life..."
This verse tells us three basic things:
1) that God wants us to know that we have eternal life (not just hope so); in other words, know that we can go to heaven when we die;
2) that the reason God gave us His Word is so we can know that we have eternal life; which means it is possible to know for sure.
3) that the things we need to know in order to know that we have eternal life are written in the Bible.
Now, let me show you some of those things that are written that you may know that you have eternal life. Keep in mind that it says "may". God never forces eternal life on anyone. He just makes it available. You have to believe what He says. The rest of the verse (1 John 5:13) says, "...and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
All You Have To Do Is AGREE WITH GOD About Four Basic Things
1. God says that all have sinned (broken one or more of God's laws).
“All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
If you’re honest with yourself, you know that you have done many wrong things. We are all sinners. Whether we have done “big” sins or “little” sins is not the issue; the issue is that we have all sinned.
Just like we have to pay a price for breaking man’s laws...
2. God says that payment must be made for our sins.
“For the wages of sin is death...” (Romans 6:23a)
A wage is what we earn for doing a job. God says that we have earned death because of our sins. But there are two deaths; the first is physical, the second is the Lake of Fire, which some people call Hell.
“And all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
Because we are sinners, we deserve to go to Hell forever to pay for our sins. After all, we've sinned against an eternal God, so the price we must pay is an eternal one. But God doesn’t want anyone to go to Hell because He loves us; but since love never forces, He devised a plan that gives us a choice.
3. God says that Jesus Christ paid for our sins.
"But God commendeth [proved, demonstrated] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
God loves us so much that He came to earth in the form of man. But because he was virgin-born, He did not inherit man’s sinful nature. Sin is hereditary. The Bible says in Romans 5:12, "...by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men..." Jesus was not born a sinner (like us) and He never sinned. This is why is qualified to pay the wages of sin for all of us.
"For he [God, the Father] hath made him [Jesus, the Son] 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 took upon Himself the blame for every sin that we would ever commit - sin that would have to be paid for by punishment in Hell forever.
When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the full price for our sin. He died physically - that’s the first death, and He suffered Hell for us - that’s the second death.
Notice this conversation between God the Father and God the Son, written around 1,400 years before the birth of Christ:
(Jesus speaking) “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (Psalm 16: 10)
About 1,400 years later, Peter uses that scripture while preaching about Jesus' crucifixion and proves that it is talking about Jesus. (see Acts 2:25-31)
They buried Jesus in a tomb, and sealed it, but He arose from the dead (scaring the guards to death, Matthew 28:1-4). He was seen by over 500 people at one time (1 Corinthians 15:1-8), and spent forty days teaching his disciples before ascending back into Heaven. (Acts 1:1-3)
He rose from the dead to show us that we could trust in Him to raise us from the dead and give us eternal life, as He promised (Titus 1:2). When Jesus was nailed to the cross, the blood that came from Him was accepted by God as payment for our sin.
Because Jesus paid the full price for sin, God can now offer us eternal life as a free gift instead of condemning us all to Hell.
“But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23b
This gift of eternal life is made possible by the payment for sin that Jesus made. It does not cost us anything to receive; but it cost Him a heavy price to purchase it. So God will only save from Hell those who accept His gift. If we reject His gift, we are on our own, and, unable to pay the eternal price and clear the record of our sins which is kept in Heaven, we will die and go to Hell. If we do nothing, by default, we will also die, and spend eternity in Hell.
4. To receive the gift of eternal life, God says we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Do you believe God’s Word? Do you hear the voice of God speaking to you in your heart through these Bible verses?
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish...” (John 10:27-28)
When a man in the Bible asked two of God’s preachers what he must do to be saved, they replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...” (Acts 16:31)
It is believing what Jesus says about Himself - who He is and what He did for us - that determines whether God saves us or not. It is our choice. Getting baptized, joining a church, trying to be good, or doing good deeds won’t get us into Heaven. God looks at such attempts to save ourselves as proof we really don’t believe what He said.
If we believe what He said, we will realize we need Him to have mercy on us and we will trust in Him enough to call on Him to save us. This is where a promise He made comes into play:
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)
Now let’s review:
Do you agree with God that you are a sinner?
Do you agree that you deserve to go to Hell to pay for your sins?
Do you really believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins and that on the third day He rose from the dead?
Do you really believe that Jesus loves you in spite of your sin, and wants to give you eternal life?
Do you really believe that He will keep His promise to save you if you call on Him trusting in Him to be your Saviour?
If you answered "yes" to all of the above questions, then since Jesus, who never sinned, was willing to pay for your sins, and suffer in your place just to offer you eternal life, with no guarantee that you would even believe in Him, are you willing to accept His offer and receive Him as your Saviour?
If you believe the Bible is God's Word and you believe "these things" which are written unto you in the Bible, and you are fully persuaded of these things, then tell Him so! Praying a prayer does not get anyone to Heaven, but trusting in what Jesus Christ said He did to save you will cause God to have mercy on you, forgive you of all your sins and give you eternal life. He’ll know you are trusting Him because He sees what’s in your heart. So make it a memorable moment that you will never forget. Call on Him right now.
If you would like to be sure you have received God’s gift of eternal life, then call upon the Lord from your heart. Here is an example of what you may want to say, if you are not sure what to say. This is not a magical prayer; your words must be from the heart or they are meaningless; so only say it if you mean it:
"Lord Jesus, Please have mercy on me, a sinner, and save me from Hell. I'm trusting You, and You alone, as my only hope for heaven. I believe you died on the cross and rose from the dead to save me. Thank you for dying for me. Now help me to live for You. Amen."
"Does it matter?" you ask. Well, given that everybody dies sometime (otherwise we'd all know people two or three hundred years old), it does matter and it is of the utmost importance.
So, if you are anything but 100% sure, or you claim to be 100% sure, but can't prove it from the Bible (it's just a feeling), you really need to read this.
First of all, in case you are thinking, "No one can know for sure that they will go to heaven; we all have to wait until we die to find out," let me assure you that you CAN know for sure.
The Bible says in the book of I John, chapter 5, verse 13 (1 John 5:13), "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life..."
This verse tells us three basic things:
1) that God wants us to know that we have eternal life (not just hope so); in other words, know that we can go to heaven when we die;
2) that the reason God gave us His Word is so we can know that we have eternal life; which means it is possible to know for sure.
3) that the things we need to know in order to know that we have eternal life are written in the Bible.
Now, let me show you some of those things that are written that you may know that you have eternal life. Keep in mind that it says "may". God never forces eternal life on anyone. He just makes it available. You have to believe what He says. The rest of the verse (1 John 5:13) says, "...and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."
All You Have To Do Is AGREE WITH GOD About Four Basic Things
1. God says that all have sinned (broken one or more of God's laws).
“All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
If you’re honest with yourself, you know that you have done many wrong things. We are all sinners. Whether we have done “big” sins or “little” sins is not the issue; the issue is that we have all sinned.
Just like we have to pay a price for breaking man’s laws...
2. God says that payment must be made for our sins.
“For the wages of sin is death...” (Romans 6:23a)
A wage is what we earn for doing a job. God says that we have earned death because of our sins. But there are two deaths; the first is physical, the second is the Lake of Fire, which some people call Hell.
“And all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
Because we are sinners, we deserve to go to Hell forever to pay for our sins. After all, we've sinned against an eternal God, so the price we must pay is an eternal one. But God doesn’t want anyone to go to Hell because He loves us; but since love never forces, He devised a plan that gives us a choice.
3. God says that Jesus Christ paid for our sins.
"But God commendeth [proved, demonstrated] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
God loves us so much that He came to earth in the form of man. But because he was virgin-born, He did not inherit man’s sinful nature. Sin is hereditary. The Bible says in Romans 5:12, "...by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men..." Jesus was not born a sinner (like us) and He never sinned. This is why is qualified to pay the wages of sin for all of us.
"For he [God, the Father] hath made him [Jesus, the Son] 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 took upon Himself the blame for every sin that we would ever commit - sin that would have to be paid for by punishment in Hell forever.
When Jesus died on the cross, He paid the full price for our sin. He died physically - that’s the first death, and He suffered Hell for us - that’s the second death.
Notice this conversation between God the Father and God the Son, written around 1,400 years before the birth of Christ:
(Jesus speaking) “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (Psalm 16: 10)
About 1,400 years later, Peter uses that scripture while preaching about Jesus' crucifixion and proves that it is talking about Jesus. (see Acts 2:25-31)
They buried Jesus in a tomb, and sealed it, but He arose from the dead (scaring the guards to death, Matthew 28:1-4). He was seen by over 500 people at one time (1 Corinthians 15:1-8), and spent forty days teaching his disciples before ascending back into Heaven. (Acts 1:1-3)
He rose from the dead to show us that we could trust in Him to raise us from the dead and give us eternal life, as He promised (Titus 1:2). When Jesus was nailed to the cross, the blood that came from Him was accepted by God as payment for our sin.
Because Jesus paid the full price for sin, God can now offer us eternal life as a free gift instead of condemning us all to Hell.
“But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23b
This gift of eternal life is made possible by the payment for sin that Jesus made. It does not cost us anything to receive; but it cost Him a heavy price to purchase it. So God will only save from Hell those who accept His gift. If we reject His gift, we are on our own, and, unable to pay the eternal price and clear the record of our sins which is kept in Heaven, we will die and go to Hell. If we do nothing, by default, we will also die, and spend eternity in Hell.
4. To receive the gift of eternal life, God says we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Do you believe God’s Word? Do you hear the voice of God speaking to you in your heart through these Bible verses?
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish...” (John 10:27-28)
When a man in the Bible asked two of God’s preachers what he must do to be saved, they replied, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved...” (Acts 16:31)
It is believing what Jesus says about Himself - who He is and what He did for us - that determines whether God saves us or not. It is our choice. Getting baptized, joining a church, trying to be good, or doing good deeds won’t get us into Heaven. God looks at such attempts to save ourselves as proof we really don’t believe what He said.
If we believe what He said, we will realize we need Him to have mercy on us and we will trust in Him enough to call on Him to save us. This is where a promise He made comes into play:
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)
Now let’s review:
Do you agree with God that you are a sinner?
Do you agree that you deserve to go to Hell to pay for your sins?
Do you really believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins and that on the third day He rose from the dead?
Do you really believe that Jesus loves you in spite of your sin, and wants to give you eternal life?
Do you really believe that He will keep His promise to save you if you call on Him trusting in Him to be your Saviour?
If you answered "yes" to all of the above questions, then since Jesus, who never sinned, was willing to pay for your sins, and suffer in your place just to offer you eternal life, with no guarantee that you would even believe in Him, are you willing to accept His offer and receive Him as your Saviour?
If you believe the Bible is God's Word and you believe "these things" which are written unto you in the Bible, and you are fully persuaded of these things, then tell Him so! Praying a prayer does not get anyone to Heaven, but trusting in what Jesus Christ said He did to save you will cause God to have mercy on you, forgive you of all your sins and give you eternal life. He’ll know you are trusting Him because He sees what’s in your heart. So make it a memorable moment that you will never forget. Call on Him right now.
If you would like to be sure you have received God’s gift of eternal life, then call upon the Lord from your heart. Here is an example of what you may want to say, if you are not sure what to say. This is not a magical prayer; your words must be from the heart or they are meaningless; so only say it if you mean it:
"Lord Jesus, Please have mercy on me, a sinner, and save me from Hell. I'm trusting You, and You alone, as my only hope for heaven. I believe you died on the cross and rose from the dead to save me. Thank you for dying for me. Now help me to live for You. Amen."
If you meant what you prayed with all your heart, God knows it; and He made a promise. But His promise is conditional. He did the hard part - He suffered what we ought to suffer for eternity. He requires that we believe Him. So, only if you really believe what He tells us in His Word regarding Who He is, how He became flesh, died and rose from the dead for us will the promise be in effect for you. So, did you ask Him to save you because you trust His promise? Then the Word of God, Who cannot lie, is the basis for your knowledge that you have eternal life! There is no better guarantee! That's how you can know that you have eternal life!
If reading the above article helped you to know for sure, based on God's Word that you have eternal life and will go to heaven when you die, we would like to know so we can rejoice with you.
Please fill out the reply form below and we will send you a personal response and additional information to help you to get to know God and His Word better.
If reading the above article helped you to know for sure, based on God's Word that you have eternal life and will go to heaven when you die, we would like to know so we can rejoice with you.
Please fill out the reply form below and we will send you a personal response and additional information to help you to get to know God and His Word better.