I guess the most important question one can ask is - "Will I go to Heaven when I die?" Unfortunately, today many people think that they'll get to Heaven because they've lived a "good life" and they're a "good person." Basically, they believe that the good deeds they do while here on earth will outweigh the bad that they've done and warrent them access into Heaven. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
Unfortunately, people get their notion of goodness by comparing themselves to other people - what is called a "horizontal comparison." They look at others in society and say, "well at least I'm not as bad as he is because I've never committed murder." Or "I'm not as bad as she is because I've never stolen anything." They then go on to falsely believe they are good people - and they are - humanly speaking. But by God's standards - "we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.... Isaiah 64:6
Instead of comparing ourselves to other human beings we need to compare ourselves to our Righteous and Holy God. His standards are perfection. The only way we could get into Heaven by being a "good person" is by being perfect. Is anyone out there perfect?? I know I'm certainly not. God says: "For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy." Leviticus 11:44a.
The reason I start with holiness is because holiness is God's standard. Perfection is God's standard. Without holiness which is perfection, no one will get into Heaven. We all need to stop thinking we're good enough to get into Heaven and that God will just overlook our sins and let us in. I start with holiness because God tells us in Scripture, "You will not be able to serve the Lord for He is a holy God, He is a jealous God, He will not forgive your transgression or your sins." Joshua 24:19. The Bible also tells us, "Without holiness no one will see the Lord." Hebrews 12:14 and even Jesus Himself said, "Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect."
Unfortunately, because of sin we have fallen far short of God's standard. The Bible says, "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23. You may be asking, "What if I don't believe I'm really a sinner or really that bad? Well Scripture has anticipated that question as well. "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1John 1:8
So you may say, "Prove it; Can prove that I'm a sinner?" Well, let’s look at Exodus 20, God's law, His 10 commandments and see how your life stacks up. We'll take a look at just a few of the commandments:
#3 - "You shall not take the name of the Lord you God in vain." Have you ever in your whole life used God's name as a curse word? If you have that's like taking the holy name of God and throwing down on the ground and trampling it under your feet. Can you imagine finite little us doing that to the name of the infinite and holy God of the universe? God says, "I will not leave him unpunished who takes My name in vain."
#7 - "You shall not commit adultery." You may say, I've never done that, I've never cheated on my spouse. But remember, God doesn't just look at the deed, He looks at the intent of the heart. Jesus put it this way, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery;' but I say to you, that everyone who looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart." Matthew 5:27-28
#9 - "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." Essentially this means 'you shall not lie.' Have you ever told a lie in your entire life? - now don't lie. You may be saying, 'well everyone does that and sometimes you can't help it.' But remember, one day you will have to stand before God and give an account for your actions, words and thoughts. Either way, you still have broken this commandment.
So we've looked at only 3 commandments and you've probably broken at least one if not all three. Even if you broke one, you're still guilty before God and one sin, that's right, just one little white lie is enough to condemn you to hell for all eternity. "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all." Are you beginning to see your hopeless condition before a perfect, holy and righteous God?
You may now be saying "why are you telling me this and giving me all this information of hopelessness?" "This doesn't make me feel very good." "I thought God was a God of love?" The reason I start with these things my friend is this. Before we can truly appreciate the love, mercy and grace of God, we first must come to the realization of how hopeless we are before Him. We must realize that there is absolutely nothing we can do to earn our salvation. It is then and only then that we can truly come to the end of ourselves and be able to truly appreciate what it is God has done for us. If I were to just tell you, out of the blue that Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life, without first showing you your hopeless situation and need for a Savior, what would be the point. You would say, "well that's nice but I'm fine, I don't need a savior. That stuff is for real sinners." Why would someone who thinks they're a good person, need a savior? They wouldn’t. The reason we need a savior is because we are all completely helpless to earn our salvation. Eternal Life in Heaven is a gift from God and as with human gifts, they can’t be earned. If you have to pay for a gift, then it’s not really a gift is it? Instead, it becomes an obligation. Every person who has ever lived is in the same boat. Headed toward a hopeless eternity in the Lake of Fire, a place of outer darkness, where Jesus said there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Hopefully by now you've been able to see that God is holy and just, that we are all sinners and as such stand condemned already before God. Hopefully you've seen that no one is able to earn they're salvation through good works. Only God can forgive sin and only God can grant us salvation.
So don't dispair. There really is good news. In fact, not just good news - GREAT NEWS!!!
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart froom Him nothing came into being that has come into being." John 1:1-3. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14
The Gospel - The word Gospel literally means good news. And what is the good news? It is this: That because of our sinfulness, Jesus came down from His throne in Heaven, was born of a virgin and was made man. Because of our hopelessness, Jesus Christ, the Sovereign King of kings and Lord of lords, who had perfect harmony and fellowship with the Father throughout eternity, chose to condescend down to earth and be made like sinful man so that through Him sinners might be saved. The Bible says, "He who knew no sin was made sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:21. Can you just picture this?? Here is the Son of God, getting up off His throne and laying down His kingly robes to come down here, be born of a virgin in a dirty old stable and taking the form of sinful man. And He didn’t come as a royal earthly king born in a palace to rule the world. Instead He humbled Himself even further and became a servant and grew up as a carpenter.
He then lived a perfect life that we are unable to live, thereby fulfilling God's law for us by keeping all His commandments. Why is this important, because, as mentioned earlier, we are all sinners and incapable of living a perfect and holy life to please God. We needed someone to stand in our place and live a perfect life, thereby fulfilling the law of God for us. Jesus said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17.
Think of it, Jesus never committed one evil deed, never spoke one bad word and never thought one wicked thought. The Bible says, "He was tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin." Hebrews 4:15. Even though that fulfilled the law, the penalty for our sins still had to be paid. So Jesus, who was completely innocent, stepped in between us and God's wrath and died a humiliating and torturous death at the hands of men, a death that He did not deserve. He went to the cross as a lamb led to a slaughter and while on the cross, He took upon Himself the very wrath of God which was meant for sinners. God punished His only Son, in our place. And God loves people so much that the Bible says, ‘It pleased Him to do so.’ Jesus got what He did not deserve so that we could escape what we do deserve - eternal punishment. He shed His blood and died as the atonement for our sin. And by His death on the cross, a way of salvation for sinners was provided.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:16-17.
He died bearing our sins. Speaking of Jesus, the Bible says, “He made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:7-8
Now that's Amazing Grace!! That's Amazing Love!! That God loved people so much that He was willing to crucify His only Son so that those who repent of their sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ will have eternal life. AMAZING!!
There is an acrostic for the GRACE we receive: Gods Riches At Christ’s Expense
But the story doesn’t end there, it gets even better. Three days after His death, Jesus rose from the grave and defeated death. He came alive from the grave to show that He had paid for our sins in full and satisfied the justice of God. “…that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures… 1Cor15:3-4. In one fell swoop He conquered sin, conquered death and conquered Satan. He returned to His throne in Heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father.
What does this mean for us? What should our response be to this? Our response, in a phrase, must be to have a repentant faith. We need to repent and to trust Jesus as Lord and Savior. Acts 17:30, "God is now declaring that all men everywhere should repent." Repent and turn to God, it says in Acts 26:20. We are to turn from our sin and ask God to forgive us through Christ. We need to trust Jesus, to believe that He died for us and that He will save us. Acts 16:31, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved."
Eternal life cannot be earned because it is a free gift to us that cost God everything. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:89. God does not want us boasting about how smart we were or how good we were to get into Heaven. Salvation is all about God and His sovereign grace. “In Him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.” Ephesians 1:11
So I urge you now to put your trust in Christ. The Bible says to “seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near,” Isaiah 55:6. So I implore you to be reconciled to God. “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2Cor 6:2
If you’ve read this and still think you’re good enough to get to Heaven of your own volition, then I do not write this to you. Even Jesus said, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Mark 2:17. If you feel you’re righteous enough to get into Heaven by another way – through your good works, or even some other man made religion, then I say, good luck. Remember this though, and it may sound exclusionary but the truth usually is: “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6. And again, “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3.
But, to those of you who have had your hearts pricked and are able to acknowledge your need for Jesus to be your Savior and are ready to submit to Him as Lord of your life, the eternal rewards are beyond your imagination. “But, as it is written, what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1Cor2:9
If you’ve read this and have never repented of your sins and accepted Jesus Christ and your Lord and Savior, then I truly believe that you are not here by accident. This has been a divinely appointed time set by God for you to hear His Gospel message. Today is the day of salvation. “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13.
So where do you go from here?? I’d say follow these steps:
1) Get yourself a Bible and read it every day. I suggest starting in the Gospel of John. Two good translations I highly recommend are the New American Standard Version (NASB) and the English Standard Version (ESV)
The Apostle Paul tells us, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” 2Timothy 3:16
2) Get yourself under the faithful preaching and teaching ministry of a church where Jesus Christ is preached and honored, and be baptized. Also, be sure your church uses the Bible as its final authority.
3) Pray to God every day. For examples follow some of the prayers of saints offered in Scripture. For a good book on prayer, I would recommend a book by E.M.Bounds, The Necessity of Prayer and any other of his books on prayer.
The following was borrowed from the website: www.gospeloutreach.net
Suggestions for Christian Growth:
Spiritual growth results from trusting Jesus Christ. "The righteous man shall live by faith" (Galatians 3:11). A life of faith will enable you to trust God increasingly with every detail of your life, and to practice the following:
Go to God in prayer daily. (John 15:7)
Read God's Word daily (Acts 17:11); begin with the Gospel of John.
Obey God moment by moment. (John 14:21)
Witness for Christ by your life and words. (Matthew 4:19; John 15:8)
Trust God for every detail of your life. (1 Peter 5:7)
Holy Spirit -- allow Him to control and empower your daily life and witness. (Galatians 5:16-17; Acts 1:8)
God's Word instructs us not to forsake "the assembling of ourselves together." (Hebrews 10:25) Several logs burn brightly together; but put one aside on the cold hearth and the fire goes out. So it is with your relationship with other Christians.
If you do not belong to a church, do not wait to be invited. Take the initiative; call the pastor of a nearby church where Christ is honored and His Word is preached. Start this week, and make plans to attend regularly.
In the course of your new life in Jesus Christ, you will continually struggle with sin. Sometimes you will, in a moment of weakness, succumb to temptation and sin. Please do not lose hope or be discouraged. Know that you are not alone and that other Christians go through these struggles. The Apostle Paul faced the same thing in his walk with Christ. Of his life he said,
"For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?" (Romans 7:18-24)
But Paul does not leave it there. He goes on to say,
"Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin."
While you will always struggle with sin until the day the Lord comes to take you home to heaven, do not lose heart. If you turn to the Lord in repentance and confess your sins, He will forgive you and make you clean again. 1 John 1:9 says,
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
As a new child of God you can be assured of salvation. Salvation is not a "maybe" or an "I hope to be". It is a sure thing that is based on the promises of God's Word. The Apostle John said:
"And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1 John 5:11-13)
Also as a new child of God you can share the same assurance that the Apostle Paul had:
"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)
Being once dead in sin, now raised by God's mere mercy, to newness of life.
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