#1 Eternal Life in Heaven is a free gift - based on God’s grace

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  (Romans 6:23)

Heaven cannot be earned or deserved.

For by grace are you 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)

GRACE refers to what God wants to give you which you do not deserve.   This may sound amazing, but it is true - God wants you to go to Heaven, and He offers it freely to you.  But why do many people not have this gift?

#2 Man in himself does not deserve the gift of Heaven.  Why?

Man is a sinner by nature and by choice.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

Man is incapable of doing good according to God’s standards

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. (Romans 3:12)

Man cannot save himself.

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Titus 3:5)

The result of this sin is found in Fact #3

#3 There is a penalty for sin.

God is love - He doesn’t want to judge you.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

BUT God is also just - He must judge you.

Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; (Exodus 23:7a)

The judgement is death.  Both physical death and spiritual death (separation from God)

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Man’s basic needs are: forgiveness, peace with God, and eternal life.  Man tries religion, good deeds, materialism, acclaim, etc., to satisfy his needs, but these do not solve the problem of sin. BUT God has the solution!

#4 Jesus Christ is your only way to Heaven.

Who He is - the infinite God-man.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14a)

What He did - He paid the penalty of our sins, and purchased a place in Heaven for us.

But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God... (1 Peter 3:18)
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)

What must you do?

#5 Personal faith in Christ is the answer.

Faith is not merely mentally believing a fact

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (James 2:19)

Many people agree that Jesus Christ lived and died, and some even agree to the fact of His resurrection!  But, they have not turned from sin and trusted Him. Faith is turning from your sin and trusting in Jesus Christ alone for your eternal salvation!

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.  (Acts 4:12)
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (John 1:12)
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. (Acts 16:31)
Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)

NOW THE QUESTION IS...Wouldn’t you like to invite Christ into your life right now?  You can pray right now.

Prayer is simply talking to God in an open and honest way. If you would like to pray now but you would like a sample prayer, click here.

How can you know that you have eternal life?

God says you do! Don’t trust your feelings. Believe these facts in God’s Word:

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 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, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:11-13)

How do you know that you can never lose your eternal life?

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. (John 10:28-30)

 

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Site Last Updated: Wednesday, September 08, 2010