Are you going to heaven?

How might I be saved?

Is there a heaven?

Is there a God?

Is there an afterlife?

What is the meaning of it all? Why am I here?

What is my purpose?

Am I going to heaven?

Are any of these questions familiar? How many times has one of more of these questions drifted through your mind? There are answers, good answers. There is a way to know you are going to heaven and there is a guarantee, but first let me pass on some biblical wisdom that will eliminate any false notions, or worldly foolishness.

Ways you will not get to heaven…

“I go to church every Sunday.”

Nope, this is not a way to get to heaven. Many people go to church, religiously, and still will not get to heaven. Actually, many people who think that they are Christian are not going to heaven. Matthew 7:21-23, states, "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'”

I remember old Mr. Green outside of church one Sunday boasting from his heart to the pastor, “I am proud to be a Baptist.” As I walked by, I mimicked Mr. Green stating, “I am proud to be a Christian." I did not mean any disrespect and neither men took it as disrespect. The point was that it is wrong for Christians to become fixated on their denomination (a division or sect of the Christian faith). I can guarantee that some people will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ and say, "I am a Baptist" or "I am a Presbyterian" or whatever the denomination, but they will be told by the Lord Jesus Christ, “…away with you for I never knew you.” Being a member of a church or denomination will not save you.

In the 2001 Census, Nearly 80% of Americans state that they are Christian. The problem is in the definition. There are many reasons why someone claims to be a Christian, see if you have used any of these.

I go to church.

My grandfather was a preacher.

I was born in the church.

My family is Christian. I read the Bible.

I was baptized as a baby.

I go to church on holidays.

I pray.

I am a good person.

I do not drink or smoke.

I lead a good life.

I do nice things for others.

I volunteer at the shelter.

I give money to charity.

I give money to the church.

I had a vision from God.

My parents were Christian.

I am a member of a church.

I am a pastor or minister.

I am ordained.

I am Baptist.

I am Catholic.

I am Presbyterian.

I am Lutheran.

I am…whatever.

I am an American.

I have had a hard life.

If you said any of those things, you may not be a Christian. There are many reasons to think that you are saved but there is only one right answer and it is not in the above list. The truth is, nothing that you can do will get you a place in heaven, except one thing, and I will get to that further down.

I have talked with thousands of people in my many years of ministry work and I could fill a volume with reasons why someone thinks they are going to heaven, but the Bible is very specific about who is going and who is not going to heaven. In Matthew 25:41 we see a great multitude of people who thought they were going to heaven, Christians, and it surprised a lot of them when Jesus Christ separated them into two groups and then told one group, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” All of these people thought they made it, but they did not. Being a Christian means to be in a close relationship with God through Jesus Christ, prayer, fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ and serving God by serving our fellow Man.

There is an outward affect to being a Christian, it is called bearing fruit. The effect of the cause. However, if you do good things and be kind to others, lead a good life, that is not enough either. Matthew 6:1 Be careful not to do your `acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. Nothing you own can save you. Nothing you do can save you. No club you can belong to can save you. So, what is the answer then? What can save you?

The answer is in the book of Acts 16:30-31 “He then brought them out and asked, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' They replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household.'” The gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ is that by believing in Jesus Christ you are saved. Jesus said in John 3:15-18, “…that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

Jesus Christ came to save the world from sin through his death on the cross and his resurrection. John 3:36, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." Does it get any clearer than this? Look at the verse in Acts 4:12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

That is the final word. God says through His Word that Jesus Christ is His only begotten son and that there is only way to be saved and to guarantee your place in heaven. This is by believing in Jesus Christ and making him the Lord and Savior of your heart, your life. Jesus said in John 3:3, “In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’” He then explained what being Born-Again means, verse 5 and 6, “Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.’” That is the answer to the question of whether or not you are going to heaven.

Now the question is, do you choose to believe? Do you choose to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior and to begin your eternal relationship with God, the Holy Father, through His son, Jesus Christ?

If you are then click here to go to the next step…

Take the first step to your new eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Hold on a second their amigo...I have some more questions first.

What God wants you to know...

God wants you to know that He loves you.

God wants you to get to know Him.
God wants all people to be saved and to be with Him.
God wants you to know that salvation is a free gift to all who choose to receive it.
God wants you to know that He feels your pain, He knows your heart, and He is there for you if you ask Him to be there for you.
God accepts you to come to Him from right where you are, in all of your imperfection and in all of your doubt.
God wants you to know that you do not need money, status, special clothes, the right words, or fancy speaking to come to Him, just lift your voice to Him in prayer and ask Him to make Himself real to you.

“Forgiveness always follows a person’s repentence. There is no forgivenesss if a person does not repent first and choose to stop what they are doing. That’s like saying a person in the pool is capable of being dry.” – Rhettman A. Mullis, Jr.

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