How We Can Be Certain About Eternal Life
THE QUESTION: How good is good enough to get to Heaven?
The Bible gives us two reasons why no amount of GOOD WORKS will ever get anyone to Heaven.
1. Regardless of how good I am, I've still SINNED. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
· "Sin" means that we have missed the mark. When we lie, hate, lust, or gossip, we have fallen short of the standard God has set.
· When the Bible says "all have sinned and fall short," it means that we have all come short of God's standard of perfection. In thoughts, words, and deeds, we have not been perfect.
2. The penalty for sin is DEATH. The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)
· The Bible says that by sinning we have earned death. That means we deserve to die and be separated from God forever. BUT, since there was no way we could come to God, GOD CAME TO US!
3. Christ DIED for you. God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
· The Bible says that Christ took the penalty we deserved for sin, placed it upon Himself, and died in our place.
· Three days later, He came back to life to prove that sin and death had been conquered and that His claims to be God were true.
4. You can be saved through FAITH in Christ. For by grace [undeserved favor] you have been saved [delivered from sin's penalty] through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
· Faith means TRUST - that means depending on Christ alone to forgive you and to give you eternal life as a gift. If you've never personally trusted Christ, here's how you can do so:
If you have made that decision, eternal life is yours! Note the following verses that give you that assurance. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My voice, and believes Him who sent Me HAS ETERNAL LIFE and does not come into judgment, but HAS PASSED OUT OF DEATH INTO LIFE. (John 5:24) …to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God… (John 1:12) These things have I written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that YOU MAY KNOW that you have eternal life. (I John 5:13)
THE QUESTION: How good is good enough to get to Heaven?
The Bible gives us two reasons why no amount of GOOD WORKS will ever get anyone to Heaven.
1. Regardless of how good I am, I've still SINNED. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
· "Sin" means that we have missed the mark. When we lie, hate, lust, or gossip, we have fallen short of the standard God has set.
· When the Bible says "all have sinned and fall short," it means that we have all come short of God's standard of perfection. In thoughts, words, and deeds, we have not been perfect.
2. The penalty for sin is DEATH. The wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)
· The Bible says that by sinning we have earned death. That means we deserve to die and be separated from God forever. BUT, since there was no way we could come to God, GOD CAME TO US!
3. Christ DIED for you. God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
· The Bible says that Christ took the penalty we deserved for sin, placed it upon Himself, and died in our place.
· Three days later, He came back to life to prove that sin and death had been conquered and that His claims to be God were true.
4. You can be saved through FAITH in Christ. For by grace [undeserved favor] you have been saved [delivered from sin's penalty] through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
· Faith means TRUST - that means depending on Christ alone to forgive you and to give you eternal life as a gift. If you've never personally trusted Christ, here's how you can do so:
Tell God that you are trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior. You might pray a prayer like this (realizing that a prayer never saves anyone - it is the honest decision of the heart):
Dear God, I know I'm a sinner. I know my sin deserves to be punished. I believe Christ died for me and rose from the grave. I now trust Jesus Christ alone as my Savior. Thank you for the forgiveness of all my sins and everlasting life I now have. In Jesus' name, Amen.
If you have made that decision, eternal life is yours! Note the following verses that give you that assurance. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My voice, and believes Him who sent Me HAS ETERNAL LIFE and does not come into judgment, but HAS PASSED OUT OF DEATH INTO LIFE. (John 5:24) …to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God… (John 1:12) These things have I written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that YOU MAY KNOW that you have eternal life. (I John 5:13)
Our Vision
Developing Biblically Grounded Followers of Christ
Exalt the living God in worship
Explore the Word of God in study
Encourage the family of God in fellowship
Extend the love of God in outreach
Developing Biblically Grounded Followers of Christ
Exalt the living God in worship
Explore the Word of God in study
Encourage the family of God in fellowship
Extend the love of God in outreach