WILL HEAVEN BE YOUR ETERNAL HOME?
Are You Saved?
Consider
One of the greatest tragedies in society is for someone to be lost and not even know they are lost, and worse, never found. For years I called myself a "Christian” with absolutely no assurance I was going to heaven. In addition to this, I was helplessly lost, pursuing worldly pleasures and vain selfish ambitions. I truly believed I was a good person, but all I was doing was comparing myself to others who had done things much worse than anything I had ever done. Looking back, I was utterly lost, at the end of my rope, not wanting to go much further, heading down a dark road. I maintained the idea that when I died, God would weigh my good and my bad in some sort of heavenly balance and upon doing so, He would find me good enough and grant me access to heaven for eternity. What I didn’t know at the time is that this mindset has no basis in truth and places the entire burden of eternity on my shoulders. I thought I was a Christian by default because most people I knew identified as “Christians,” plus I had my own Bible, one that was given to me by a preacher. When I read it, I never understood it and figured the Bible was for people who are serious about their Christianity, and I just wasn’t serious enough. In fact, when I was shipped off to bootcamp to serve in the United States Navy, I was asked what my religion was so that they could emboss that designation on my dog tags. After being asked that question, I thought about it for a second. I had never been challenged concerning my “religion.” I figured, I grew up in America, and I had been to a few churches a time or two, I believed in God, and had my own Bible, therefore I must be a Christian. I told the lady I was a Christian and then she proceeded to ask me what kind. I said, “I don’t know.” With frustration on her face, and in a hurry to get to the next person, she chose the designation “prime methodist” for my dog tags. I carried this designation on my dog tags with me for my entire military service career. I still have these tags. Sadly, much like those tags, the term “Christian” is just a tag in many people’s lives. I remember thinking often, “I’ve never even been to a methodist church.” Eventually, during my time in the service, I heard the gospel for the first time and after hearing the gospel, I got saved and became a true Christian.
That same gospel message I want to share with you! I want you to be saved also, but more importantly, God wants you to be saved. The Bible says that God “…is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9). “Gospel” means good news! Friend, I may not know who you are nor what you are facing in your life, but I have some good news for you! The news I am about to share with you is the greatest news of all, but before I can share the good news, you must first understand the bad news.
Bad News
1. According to the word of God, we are ALL sinners and therefore lost.
Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”
Romans 3:10 – “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”
Ecclesiastes 7:20 – “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”
Psalms 51:5 – “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
Psalms 58:3 – “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.”
Romans 5:12 – “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 5:19 – “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Are you honest enough, in reflection to Gods Holy Word, to agree that you too are a sinner and lost? There is not a single sin that goes unnoticed by God. Even the smallest sin is worthy of Gods judgment. To say you have never sinned is a lie, which in and of itself is sin. The Bible says, “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (I John 1:8). When I was a child, I stole a polished rock from a massive bucket in a small rock store in Cripple Creek Colorado. As a child, I thought to myself, it’s just a rock, no big deal. I looked around and saw my mother on the other side of the store. When I saw no one was looking, I placed that rock in my pocket and walked out of the store. Later at a restaurant, my mom noticed some guilt on my face and asked me what was wrong. I lied and told her nothing was wrong. Eventually I began pulling that shiny rock out of my pocket, playing with it. When she saw it, she knew immediately that I had stolen the rock. She did the right thing and made me return the rock to the owner. Now, in that moment when I saw no person was looking, I was able to get away with sin here below, but God sees everything from above. Every single sin you have ever done is seen by God. The Bible says, “the eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). This sin in your life makes you a sinner before a holy and righteous God. If you can admit that you are a sinner, you can be saved!
2. According to the word of God, sin demands Gods righteous judgment.
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death…”
Acts 4:12 – “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
John 3:18 – “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
1 Peter 4:17 – “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”
Hebrews 9:27 – “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”
Romans 14:12 – “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
John 8:24 – “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”
Returning that rock to the store owner was a challenge for me as a child. I knew I wronged that store owner. I was guilty. Although it was small, and I thought it was just one bad thing to do, I learned later from the Bible that all sin, small and great, even one, makes me guilty of breaking all of Gods law; “for whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). I bore the burden of guilt on my shoulders, and it was hard to bear. I remember crying in fear knowing I had done something wrong and was caught and had to repent, seeking forgiveness. The Bible says, “…behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out (Numbers 32:23). The store owner owned that rock, and someone put a great deal of time into shining that rock. Somone collected that rock from somewhere on this earth, purchased materials to tumble it to a smooth surface, and then marked it for sale. They spent time washing it to make it shiny and appealing to someone who wanted to trade cash for it. For me, I wanted to have the rock without paying the cash; therefore, I stole it and later lied. Sin will always take you farther than you want it to go. Now I had to face the consequences of my actions. Just as I had to face that man for my actions, you too will have to face God for your actions. Listen to this verse as it describes the eternal destiny for all sinners; “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” (Rev. 21:8). God demands all sin be judged and his place of judgment is a place the Bible calls hell. Now for the GOOD NEWS!
Good News!
3. According to the word of God, Jesus Christ suffered this sin judgment for YOU!
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
John 14:6 – “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
John 3:17 – “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”
1 Peter 3:18 – “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
1 John 3:16 – “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
Isaiah 53:5 – “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
1 John 2:2 – “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Thankfully, that gentleman at the store was merciful on me. I confessed what I had done and he gladly received not only the rock, but my plea for forgiveness. That store owner had every right to punish me according to the law. I had stolen merchandise. That rock wasn’t worth a whole lot. Many would consider that a petty crime, but it was a crime nonetheless, and I was guilty of breaking the law. Thankfully, the store owner extended grace and mercy to me and let me walk away free. This reminds me of one of my favorite verses in the Bible, Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Friend, God has extended even greater grace and mercy to you concerning ALL of your sin. He loves you with an everlasting love. God sent His only son, who knew no sin, to purchase your sin dept and make you free. The Bible says; “for he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Cor. 5:21). Your job is to repent by turning to him in sincere faith believing that Christ purchased your redemption; “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21).
4. According to the word of God, YOU can be saved!
John 3:16 – “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.”
Romans 10:9-10; 13 – “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.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 – “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.”
1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
Titus 3:5 – “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;”
Acts 16:30-33 – “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
John 11:25 – “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:”
John 5:24 – “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
As far back as history records, people have been attempting every means to earn their own salvation. Religions have been formed, good deeds are exercised, and honest living is maintained, all to hopelessly earn favor with God and earn eternal life for doing so. If one is not interested in religion, they often choose rebellion. The life of rebellion is often found in those who call themselves “atheists,” “agnostics,” or “non-religious” all-together. They wind up on the rebellion road to humanism, living a life of self-worship. Jesus left his throne in heaven, humbled himself and became a man, walked this earth as God with us, lived a perfect sinless life, willingly laid down his life for the sins of the whole world, and three days later rose from the grave, all so “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). This is the good news! You do not need to bear the weight of your eternity on your shoulders; Christ suffered and died in your place, paying for your sins, and all that He requires of you is to turn to him in repentance, placing simple faith in Him and what He did for you! God says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Friend if you believe this gospel message, according to the Word of God, with your heart you “believeth unto righteousness”(Romans 10:10a). At this point, it is only natural for you to turn to God in repentance and prayer, confess your sinful condition, claim wonderful forgiveness in Jesus Christ, and settle your salvation with God; “confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:10b) He promises, “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”(Romans 10:13).
