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I can
do all
things
through
Christ
who
strengthens
me.
Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)
A Challenge for You
If you were to die tonight, do you know FOR SURE that you'd go to heaven? If you're not sure, and you'd like to be, keep reading...
"I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me"
(Jn. 14:6, KJV)
The Bible says that in order to go to Heaven, one must be born again by the Spirit of God through receiving the Lord Jesus by faith alone.
(John 3:3-7; Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV - paraphrased)
You can do this right now, in front of your screen!
First, you must recognize you are a sinner. (In Romans 3:23, the Bible says "for ALL have sinned and come short of the glory of God.") (emphasis mine)
Accepting that I was a sinner wasn't a problem for me. I mean, how many of you truly believe that you've never done anything wrong in your life? When you're dealing with a perfect God, you'll always be a sinner in comparison...
Second, you must reject any notion that you can be "good enough" to get to heaven on your own merits. (You'll find that in the Bible, Galatians 2:16 states "for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.")Now this was probably one of the toughest things for me to accept. I was raised Catholic, and always believed that it's what you do throughout your life which will dictate whether or not you go to heaven.
I think overall that society's opinion about how to get to heaven (providing that there is a belief in heaven), is firmly rooted in works. We live in a world where you're judged based on what you do... you're rewarded based on what you do... you're liked or disliked based on what you do, and so on...
Because I believed all along that the Bible was God's Word, I responded positively to encouragement given to me by caring friends and read the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I was asked by them to really read them and not skip over parts. To be honest, that's really the key. You can't skip over parts of the Bible and expect it to make much sense. But, I digress...
Third, you must accept the fact that Jesus is God and that His death, burial, and resurrection is sufficient to redeem you from your sin. (The Bible states in Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.")
That's a pretty awesome thing, isn't it? Over 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ died for YOU. Before you, your parents, your grandparents, your great-great-great, etc. parents were born, Christ died so that your sins could be forgiven once and for all so that you could each go to heaven if you accepted His sacrifice and what it meant.
I've spoken with friends and family about this and I will admit that it's hard for them to accept this as truth. I'll also admit that my responses to their disagreements haven't always been rooted in love (as they should be) because it's hard for me to accept that their eyes aren't seeing, or maybe can't see, the truth from God's point-of view, but their own.
I've found in the Bible, in 1 Corinthians 1:18, that "...for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." To me, that means that on one side of the line that so many have drawn in the sand about what and Who they believe in, are those who have an understanding and acceptance of God's Word about salvation through Jesus Christ, BUT just on the other side (where many of my family and friends are who are without a relationship with Christ) there are many who see the Gospel as "foolishness," or not meant for them. It's so very, very difficult for me to accept this, but if God said it, then I know it must be true...for God is incapable of lying.
You may be thinking that Christ died for the forgiveness of sins, but that isn't what is going to get you to heaven... it's what you do to try and make up for the mistakes you've made, are making, and will make...
But, let me ask you... if that's true - if Christ's sacrifice of Himself on the cross for the forgiveness of sins isn't what will ensure your being forgiven for being a sinner so that you can go to heaven, then why did He die? Why would He allow Himself to be a sacrifice if it wasn't going to affect us? Why is the entire New Testament dedicated to bringing each one of us into a relationship with Jesus so that our sins will be forgiven? Why does the Bible go on and on about salvation through Christ if it doesn't mean that we each have to accept Him as our Savior so that we can enter into the kingdom of God?
What would be the purpose? It just doesn't make sense... Why would the Son of God come to earth if he was only destined to die in horrific pain for no other reason than to make a great story about a really nice man? I hope that you will think long and hard about that...
Fourth, you must accept Jesus' death as your payment to God for all your sins - past, present, and future. (Hebrews 10:12-14 in the Bible tells us, "But this Man (Jesus), after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.")(emphsis mine)As I've been saying all along, it's the acceptance of Christ's sacrifice for your sins that will put your feet onto the road to heaven. Jesus willingly paid the ultimate price for our sins so that we could go to heaven - He gave His life for each one of us so that we would be able to go to heaven. Without accepting His sacrifice as the only way to go to heaven, you are condemning yourself to hell because of your own disbelief.
You can receive Him right now - why don't you ask Jesus to come into your heart... to forgive your sins... to cleanse you... to make you right before God? (In the Bible, Romans 10:9 explains it this way, "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.")There's so much more to say, but I can only pray that you will make one of the very best decisions of your life right now. No matter what you may have done in your past, you CAN be forgiven, and you WILL be forgiven if you are truly sincere in your prayer.
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
(1 Cor. 16-13)
If you just accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, please let me know. I'd love to share in your joy! If you still have questions and would like answers...if you'd like to hear more about what Christ's sacrifice really means to you, you can sign my guestbook and include your questions (you have the option of leaving a private message for me), you can e-mail my pastor, Pastor Larry, by clicking on the e-mail icon below, or you can use some (or all) of the Special Links here at my website to find out more about Jesus.
1 Corinthians 8:6, "...for us there is one God, the Father, of whom
are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom are all things, and through whom we live."
God bless you! ~Carey
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***All Scripture verses are from the New King James Bible version unless otherwise noted***