Heaven Bound?

How can you be sure that after you die God will allow you into heaven?

How
good do you really have to be? The way to find out is to ask yourself if you have obeyed the Ten Commandments. Most would answer the question, "Well, I've broken one or two, but nothing too serious, like murder." Go through some of them and see how you do: Do you love God above all else? Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen anything? Have you ever hated anyone? Have you ever disobeyed your parents? (If you are not sure how to answer some of the questions above just ask your spouse, kids or parents they will have no problem helping you!)

Am I good enough?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you have failed to meet God's standard, and you have broken His Law. By the way, this is only half of the test; there are still five other questions that can be found in Exodus 20. Perhaps you think that God is good and will, therefore, overlook your crimes. But if you were guilty of crimes in a civil court and said to the Judge, "Judge, I am guilty, but I believe that you are a good man and will, therefore, overlook my crimes," the judge would probably respond by saying, "You are right about one thing; I am a good man, and it's because of my goodness that I am going to see that justice is done and that you are punished for your crimes." The very thing that many people believe will save them on Judgment day - God's goodness is the very thing that condemns them to spend eternity separated from Him in hell (Romans 6:23; Ezekiel 18:4).

Our tendency is to think that we can do enough "good things" to offset this punishment or please God into letting us into heaven. We often compare ourselves to others, thinking, "As long as I am better than them, I should be okay." But do you really think a judge should let a murderer go just because he says he will now live a "good" life or behave better than his neighbor? No, he's in debt to justice and therefore must be punished.

But there's great news!

The great news is that God loves us so much that He did what we could not do for ourselves. He paid our debt and took our punishment. God sent His son Jesus Christ, who willingly died on a cross so we can have a personal relationship with God. Putting your faith in Jesus Christ (Yeshua, The Messiah, The Anointed One) gives you the promise of eternal life, making you part of God's family forever, and free access to God through prayer (John 3:16; Psalm 2:12). This is a gift, but like any gift that someone would offer you, you have to receive it in order for it to be yours. This gift comes only from Jesus Christ, the Messiah - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6; Isaiah 53:10-12)

And a wonderful gift for you!

To receive this gift you need to humbly ask Jesus to be your Forgiver and the Leader of your life. The Bible tells us that once we receive and believe in Jesus we are then a part of His family.

"...If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)
"To all who receive Him, He gives the right to become children of God." (John 1:12)

And remember, you don't have to be perfect - just sincere. He will accept you just the way you are. You may want to pray something like this: "Dear Lord, I want to know You personally. I am willing, with your help, to turn from my sins. Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, who died in my place and rose again to be my Savior. Come into my life and lead me. Amen."

If you have received His gift and are not involved in a local body of believers, we invite you to be a part of His family here at New Canaan. If you are still investigating the claims of Jesus and the Bible, we invite you to explore with us. Ask all the questions you want. It is our joy and privilege to be a part of your spiritual walk.

 

 

 

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