Do you have eternal life? Do you know for certain that you will live forever in heaven with God when you die?
Some say that a person cannot know such a thing, but the Bible says that you can know for sure that you will live with God in heaven when you die!
“These things have I written unto you… that ye may know that ye have eternal life…” (1 John 5.13)
Testimony of a police officer:
As an adult in my 30’s I thought about death quite often because I was a police officer in a large city, and my life was constantly in jeopardy. I once stopped a intoxicated driver who was trying to elude the police. The driver happened to be a woman. When I opened the door of her car to arrest her she tried to stab me with a 6″ knife. I managed to grab her hand and stop her when the knife was only an inch or two from plunging into my stomach. Had I died that night I know I would have gone straight to hell.
A couple of years later after receiving God’s gift of eternal life I was again working the night shift, and I chased a man on foot who was armed with an automatic rifle. When he saw me he tried to hide in the dark behind a house. As I approached him he threw down the rifle and surrendered. I’m glad he didn’t shoot and kill me, but if he had, I knew for certain that I would spend eternity in heaven with God.
If God were to ask you right now why He should let you into His heaven, what do you think your answer would be?
People answer this question many different ways, some people say they should be allowed into heaven because they are “good people” and their clean living outweighs their bad deeds, but the Bible says such thinking is wrong. “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” (Romans 3.10)
God has a standard for entering into heaven when you die, and that standard is a life of perfection. No person is good enough in the sight of God to earn their way into heaven. The Bible says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3.23)
All people are in reality enemies of God. It would be unjust for God to give unrighteous enemies a place in His holy kingdom. “… whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4.4) “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God…” (1Corinthians 6.9)
However, in spite of your sinfulness God does love you, and it is His desire that you spend eternity in heaven with Him. “[God] Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2.4)
The Bible also tells us that there are eternal consequences for our sin, consequences which the Bible refers to as death, or eternal separation from God: “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23) “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20.14-15)
The unpopular truth is, you have no hope of possessing eternal life apart from the grace of God. It is only by the grace of God that a person may receive the gift of eternal life. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2.8-9)
All people want to go to heaven when they die, but no one deserves to live in heaven, rather all people deserve eternal damnation. The Bible says, “…All men are liars.” (Psalm 116.11) “But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21.8)
But there is GOOD NEWS!
God solved your sin problem for you!
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5.8) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
You must believe in Jesus to receive God’s gift of eternal life. Biblical belief is more than simply accepting a set of facts, Biblical belief requires that you put your complete confidence in Jesus alone, and what He did to pay for your sin.
“Jesus saith… I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14.6)
God will not force you to go to Heaven. You can decide to rebel against His plan for you. You can do things your own way. You can choose not to believe the Bible, but beware:
“A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.” (Proverbs 14:16)
The Bible says that someday all people will surely stand before a holy righteous God and give an account for all of their actions.
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire,” (Revelation 20:12,15)
The Bible says this about how a person receives the gift of eternal life:
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:9-10, 13)
God wants you to be in heaven with Him. God wants you to receive His gift of eternal life. However, this gift can only be received through Jesus.
You can receive God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ right now. You can escape that great day of judgment and instead of a death sentence you may receive life with God.
If you desire to receive God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, then call on him. Ask him for this gift right now.
You can go to God in prayer right now!
HERE IS A SUGGESTED PRAYER:
“Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned against a holy God, and I do not by any measure deserve eternal life.
By faith I believe you died on a cross for me to pay the penalty I owe for my many sins, and that you rose from the grave to purchase a place in heaven for me.
Lord Jesus, forgive me of my sins and save me from the eternal judgment I deserve in the Lake of Fire.
I now place my trust in you alone for my salvation, and by faith I receive your free gift of eternal life.
Amen!”
If you just prayed this prayer, and it was an expression of the sincere desire of your heart to trust Jesus Christ alone for your eternal destiny, then you now possess God’s gift of eternal life!
This is what Jesus says to those who trust in him for their eternal life: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” (John 6:47)
If you have just placed your faith in the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, you have just received the gift of eternal life, you are now a child of God forever!
Nothing can ever change that!
Welcome to the family of God!