Are you sure about where you’ll spend eternity?
There’s a saying, “The only thing you can be sure about in life is death and taxes.” Taxes are temporary, but what happens after death? Are you sure about where you’ll spend eternity? Do you have an intimate relationship with God the Father, your creator?
Many people believe that nothing happens after death, that they are reincarnated, or they are not sure. Hebrews 9:27 says, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many.” Romans 14:12 says, “So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”
We will all face judgment one day when we stand before God, either at our death or at the coming of Christ. God is not Allah, God is not Budda, God is not one of many gods, God is not our own mind or self. He is the Lord God Jehovah, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. He is a holy, perfect, and righteous God, who can not look at sin.
There is only one way to heaven, and it is through the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
Sin
Sin first occurred in heaven when a beautiful angel named Lucifer became jealous of God and rebelled against Him, wanting to take His place. He and the angels who rebelled with him were cast out of heaven. (Luke 10:18)
He then was called Satan, and when God created the first perfect man and woman, Adam and Eve, satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden to eat the fruit God had told them not to eat. Eve ate it, then gave it to her husband, and he ate too. This is when sin entered the world.
Because God created and loved mankind, He made a way for salvation through a future seed, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God. (Genesis chapter 3)
No one can live a perfect life apart from God, because of our inherited sin nature from Adam. Romans 6:23 says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
The Message version of this verse says, “ But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.
There is great news!
Jesus was the sinless Lamb of God and the perfect sacrifice for our sins. (John 1:29-34) He was born in the form of a baby, both man and God, and when he was grown, his incredible ministry lasted about three years here on earth. His enemies hated him, and made false accusations against him, and had him arrested. (Matthew 27:1)
He willingly died on the cross over 2,000 years ago, then rose again and ascended into heaven. God accepted His sacrifice for all of our sins – past, present, and future. Jesus is coming again soon.
God loves you and me, and wants an intimate relationship with us! He sent His only son Jesus to earth to lay down his life for us, so we could be saved. All who believe in Jesus will be saved and will spend eternity with God in heaven! (Acts 10:34-43)
Our decision about accepting Jesus’ loving, selfless sacrifice on the cross determines our eternal destiny. Those who receive Him will enjoy eternal, joyful fellowship with God. There will be no more death, sorrow, tears, or pain like we’ve had on earth. We will be free! (Revelation 21:4).
Those who reject Him will spend eternity in hell, and will suffer torment. (Revelation 21:8) Heaven and hell are very real places. It’s your decision. This is not “politically correct,” but it’s truth!
God wants you to choose life in Him. (Deuteronomy 30:19) He’s not a cruel, angry God who’s just waiting to punish and zap you, and send you into hell. He’s the one who made you!
It is satan who wants to keep you from a close relationship with God, and wants to destroy your life and deceive you. His time is short, and he is trying to hurt and lie to as many of God’s children as he can, to keep them from their destiny in Christ. He hates you as much as he hates God.
God loves us so much, and cares about every detail of our lives. (1 John 4:16) Won’t you invite Jesus to be your Lord, and Savior today? God is calling out to you today, because you are His beloved child. Your sins and my sins have separated us from God, but through Christ we can be restored to God again.
Here are five easy steps to give you an assurance of your salvation in Christ, using the acronym CARES:
C. Confess that you have sinned, and that you need peace with God through believing in the Lord Jesus. (1 Corinthians 6:23) The Message version Bible says in Psalm 32:5, “Then I let it all out; I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God.” Suddenly the pressure was gone— my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.”
A. Ask God to forgive you of all your sins, and make Jesus Lord and Savior of your life. Proverbs 28:13 (NKJV) says, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”
Matthew 21:22 says, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.”
R. Relationships are vital. God is my very Best Friend Forever. I tell Him everything, and I listen to Him…I love just hanging out with Jesus!
God wants to speak to your heart, too. He also wants to bring others into your life to encourage you, to help you in your daily Christian walk. Whenever you struggle with doubt, unbelief, or sinning, they will come along and help pick you back up – and God will carry you when they are not strong enough!
I encourage you to read God’s word every day (2 Timothy 2:15), worship God (Exodus 34:14), and find a Bible-teaching church, where you can be accountable to godly leaders, and can develop friendships with other Christians. (Hebrews 10:25)
Also, find out what your spiritual gifts are, and begin to use them. Many churches and some Christian websites have tests to help you determine your spiritual gifts. God has put gifts inside of you that He wants to use for His glory and to further His kingdom. God has a great plan and specific purpose for your life!
E. Exercise your faith. Stay in God’s word! Usually as soon as someone receives Jesus Christ as savior, the enemy satan does everything he can to convince them that they are not really saved – or as soon as they sin again, he tries to whisper in their ear that they have lost their salvation. Satan is a liar, whose job is to kill, steal, and destroy. (John 10:10)
Ephesians 1:13 (The Message) says when we become saved, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit and will get everything God has planned for us, eternal and glorious life.
When the enemy comes against you with his lies that you are not saved, use the weapon of the Word of God against him. He can’t defeat it. It is the weapon Jesus used when satan tempted him in the wilderness.
Matthew 4:3-4 (The Message) says, “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
Satan is also defeated by the blood of Jesus, the word of our testimony, and our dying to self each day. (Revelation 12:11) He is no match for God! Satan is a defeated foe.
S. Stay faithful to the end. All of us sin every day. But God will forgive us when we mess up. All we have to do is repent quickly, staying broken and humble before Him – dying to self through the power of Jesus.
Psalm 51: 17 (NKJV) says, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and contrite heart – These, O God, You will not despise.”
Hebrews 12:1 (The Message) says, “Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.”
If you have any questions, I’d love to answer them if I can. I’d also love to hear if you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. I will praise God with you, and the Bible says that when one sinner is saved, the angels in heaven have a party in heaven with God!
Luke 15:10 (The Message) says, “Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? And when she finds it you can be sure she’ll call her friends and neighbors: ‘Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!’ Count on it—that’s the kind of party God’s angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God.”
Thanks for stopping by today. May this be the beginning of your new, abundant life in Christ. He doesn’t assure you a perfect, pain-free life when you get saved – but God does promise you His loving, merciful, forgiving presence through everything in life – and joyful eternity with Him!
