HEAVEN
When our life on earth is over, what then?
Have you honestly considered that question?
"What then?" That's a good question. Everyone has their opinion, but we cannot all be right. You would think that there would be a final authority on this subject. Is it the church? Is it our feelings? Is it our intellect? Do the great scholars have the answer? There must be an answer somewhere.
Friend, we believe the answer is in the Bible. If you're not sure of heaven, then take a few moments and ponder the following verses.
Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
We are all sinners. We have been born of corrupted seed. Because of Adam's sin in the Garden of Eden, we have inherited the sin nature. The Bible puts it this way:
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.
Now, the problem with being a sinner rests in the answer to this question: "When a person dies and if God doesn't do anything for them, where do they eventually wind up?" If you said Hell, you are absolutely right. That's the problem with being a sinner. The Bible tells us in the first part of Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death.
There is a physical death and a spiritual death. Death in Hell
is the spiritual death, and that is the death the Bible is referring to here. That's not good news because it means that we sinners are Hell bound. Surely no one would want to go there! And God doesn't want us to go there either; so He has done something for us that we could not do for ourselves.
The second part of Romans 6:23 says, But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
There are two sides to a gift: 1) the giving side, and 2) the receiving side. It always costs the giver to purchase a gift for someone they love. If we are on the receiving side of a gift, it is free because the giver paid for it. That gift, "eternal life," is God's gift. He paid for it. It is His gift. It's free to us, but it cost Him. It cost God His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bible tells us that Jesus was born of a virgin, suffered on the cross of Calvary, took on Him the sins of the world, shed His blood, was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again from the grave. This is the price it cost God to pay for our sin debt and to purchase the gift of eternal life.
Here is another question: "If a person were to have that gift of eternal life, where would they go when they died?" The answer is Heaven. Without that gift, they would go to Hell.
If you had that gift of eternal life and you died, where would you go? If you did not have that gift and you died, where would you go?
Of course, everyone who understands this would want to have the gift. But a gift doesn't become ours until we receive it. The way to receive it is simple. The hard part has been done, that's what Christ did for us, something we cannot do for ourselves.
The Bible says in 1 John 5:11 -
And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his son. Notice that eternal life is in Christ. If you were to receive Christ, eternal life is the result. The Bible tells us in Romans 10:13 - For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Saved from what? What we deserve, death in Hell. Why not call on Jesus right now, and ask Him to include you in what He accomplished with His death, burial, and resurrection? Ask Him to take you to Heaven when you die. Pray something like this with all your heart:
"Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and that I deserve to go to Hell when I die, but I don't want to go there. I want to be in Heaven with You someday. So right now, the best I know how, I am calling on You, Jesus, and asking You to forgive me of all my sins and to save me from Hell. I take You, Jesus, as my Savior; please come into my heart and include me in the gift of eternal life. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me. Amen."
Friend, if you meant that, the Bible says that Jesus saved you and gave you eternal life. You are no longer Hell bound, but Heaven bound!
1 John 5:12-13 -
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (That's why it is so important to receive Him.) These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God (that's us);
that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
If you asked Jesus to be your Saviour, please contact the church office at 281-257-3464 so we can help you find a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church so you can have fellowship with other beleivers and grow in Christ.
If you do not fully understand what true salvation is, please contact Pastor Michael James at 281-257-3464. He will explain it to you using the Bible and will answer any questions you may have.
