The most important decision you will ever make concerns your present and eternal destiny. In speaking to a very
religious man named Nicodemus, Jesus told him directly, "... Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Allow me to direct that statement to you by way of a question... have you been born again?
If your life were to end today? Are you 100% certain that you would go to Heaven?
If you are not certain about the answer to that question, then please listen to what God says in His Word. The Bible teaches that you need to understand and believe four things in order to have a home in Heaven:
1. We have sinned against God
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Romans 3:10-12)
The Bible tells us that we all have sinned. Sin is breaking God's law. The reason we sin is because of our sinful nature. We are born sinners. What this is saying is that no matter how hard we try, we will never become good enough to merit heaven.
2. There is a penalty for sin
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12)
The Bible tells us that sin passed upon all of us because of Adam's sin. God told Adam that the penalty for sin was death. If we violate a law as a citizen, we must pay the penalty determined by its laws and judges. For Adam and Eve, the penalty for sin was death. When Adam sinned he began a process of dying physically. We inherited that sin from Adam and Eve.
However, there was another death, a second death associated with sin. It was separation from God in Hell. Read what the Bible says, "But the fearful, and 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) The second death is what we refer to as Hell. Hell is eternal death, eternal separation from God. Jesus said it was a place of fire and torment.
If you are a sinner, or guilty of even one sin; you must pay that awful payment for sin - death. However, there is a
way out, a way to have your sins removed from your record.
3. Jesus Paid For Your Sin on the Cross
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23).
Take a good look at that verse. The wages, the payment for sin is death... BUT! But what? "The gift of God is eternal life..."
You see, sin is earned; eternal life is not. Eternal life is a gift. A gift is something someone gives you because they love you.
Who loved you enough to give you eternal life? Jesus did!
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begottenSon, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
For many, religion and good works are their method of obtaining eternal life. Neither the Bible, nor Jesus, said that. Eternal life is a free gift out of a heart of love. Jesus paid for your penalty of sin by dying on the cross and dying in your place. Your sin was paid for by the Son of God.
That is truly a wonderful promise, but how do we know it is true? How do we know that Jesus is the only way to Heaven? Because Jesus did something only God could do. He proved it by rising from the dead according to the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul declared, "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). No other religion can claim such a thing. Only Christ Jesus rose from the dead!
4. You Must Believe On the Lord Jesus to Save You
"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." (Romans 10:9-10)
You must make a decision concerning Christ. You must believe on Him to save you. You must "confess" or agree with God concerning His Son. Agree that He is the Christ, the only way to Heaven. You must believe in your heart that He rose from the dead. The term "believeth" means more than acknowledge, it means to place your faith and trust in Jesus to save you from your sin. Church cannot do it; religion cannot take away your sin; only complete faith in what Jesus did.
When you are ready to take that step of faith... you must call on Jesus to save you. "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13) You can do that right now by bowing your head and taking Jesus as your Savior.
If you will receive that gift of eternal life through faith ... then right now, in simple faith, pray this prayer, asking the Lord to forgive you of your sin and save you:
"Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner. I know that Jesus died on the cross for me. I believe He arose from the dead and has the power to forgive my sins. Please forgive me of my sin, come into my heart and save me. In Jesus' name. Amen."
God bless you! It's wonderful to know that Jesus is your Savior, your sin is forgiven and Heaven is your home. If you prayed the above prayer and really meant it, we would be thrilled if you would let us know about your decision. Give us a call, or e-mail us at pastorstevefbc@outlook.com
