Do you know for certain that you have ETERNAL LIFE and that you will go to Heaven when you die?
God wants you to be sure.
The Bible says:
"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." - 1 John 5:13
Suppose you were standing before God right now and He asked you, "Why should I let you into My Heaven?" What do you think you would say?
You may not know what you would say, But...
You can know, because God loves you and has a purpose for your life.
The Bible says:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16
GOD'S PURPOSE IS THAT WE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.
We receive eternal life as a free gift.
"The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 6:23
We can live a full and meaningful life right now.
"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - John 10:10
We will spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven.
"I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." - John 14:3
Eternal life gives meaning to life. Yet...
Our sinful nature keeps us from fulfilling God's purpose for our lives. Thus...
OUR NEED IS TO UNDERSTAND OUR PROBLEM.
We are all sinners by nature and by choice.
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." - Romans 3:23
We cannot save ourselves.
"...not by works, so that no one can boast." - Ephesians 2:9
We deserve death and Hell.
"The wages of sin is death." - Romans 6:23
It is true that God is holy and just, and therefore must punish sin, yet He loves us and has provided forgiveness for our sin.
Jesus said:
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6
The good news is that God has provided for the forgiveness of our sins.
GOD'S PROVISION IS JESUS CHRIST.
Jesus is God and became man.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." - John 1:1, 14
Jesus died for us on the cross.
"For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit." - 1 Peter 3:18
Jesus was resurrected from the dead.
"He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." - Romans 4:25
That is good news...
but the only way Jesus can affect our lives is for us to receive Him.
The Bible says:
"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." - John 1:12
The choice is ours...
OUR RESPONSE IS TO RECEIVE JESUS.
We must repent of our sin.
"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out." - Acts 3:19
Repentance is not just feeling sorry for our sin.
"They should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds." - Acts 26:20
Repentance is turning to God through Jesus and away from our sin. It's like making a U-Turn.
As we turn...
We must place our faith in Jesus.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." - Ephesians 2:8
Faith is not just believing facts about Jesus.
"You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder." - James 2:19
Faith is trusting in Jesus.
It's like taking a trip on an airplane. You will never make the trip until you trust the plane enough to board it.
To trust totally in Jesus means...
We must surrender to Jesus as Lord.
"If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." - Romans 10:9-10
Surrendering to Jesus as Lord is not just saying we give our lives to Jesus.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord', will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven." - Matthew 7:21
Surrendering to Jesus as Lord means giving Jesus control of our lives.
To give Jesus control of our lives is like driving down the highway with another person. As long as you are driving, you are in control. If you realize you don't know the way, but the other person does, you might say, "You take the wheel and drive." Then the other person is in control and the two of you take the route he chooses.
As evidence of giving Jesus control, you will want to identify with Him. The New Testament way of identification is to confess Jesus publicly (Matthew 10:32-33) and to follow Him in baptism and church membership (Acts 2:41).
THREE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS...
Does what you have been reading make sense to you?
Is there any reason you would not be willing to receive God's gift of eternal life?
Are you willing to place your faith in Jesus right now and turn from your sin?
You need to ask the Lord Jesus to save you.
Read this prayer and see if it says what you want to say to God.
Dear God,
I know that Jesus is Your Son, and that He died on the cross and was raised from the dead. I know I have sinned and need forgiveness. I am willing to turn from my sins and receive Jesus as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for saving me. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Call on the Lord in repentance, faith, and surrender, using the above prayer or similar words of your own; and Jesus will become your Savior and Lord.
Welcome to the family of God! If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you have just made the most important decision of your life. You can be sure you are saved and have eternal life.
YOUR ASSURANCE...
You know you have eternal life because:
GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES.
You repented of your sin. (Acts 3:19)
You placed your faith in Jesus. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
You surrendered to Jesus as Lord. (Romans 10:9-10)
GOD RECORDED YOUR COMMITMENT.
"Rejoice that your names are written in Heaven." - Luke 10:20
You will need to grow as a Christian. Important ingredients to the Christian life are:
PRAYER - In order to have a relationship with God you must speak to Him.
BIBLE READING - Likewise, you must allow opportunity for God to speak to you through the Bible.
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP - Find a local church that teaches biblical doctrine and become active. (If you are not sure what a church believes you can find an accurate summary in the "World Almanac" at the library.)
