You Can Know that you are going to heaven.
Can a person know that he will go to heaven when he dies? Yes he can! The Bible clearly tells us in First John 5:13 that the person who is trusting in Christ's payment for his sins can know he has eternal life. Now the real question is, can you know that you will spend eternity in heaven?
First things first….
Have you accepted Christ's payment for your sins? In order to know that you will spend eternity with God in heaven, you need to be trusting in Christ's payment for your sins.
What sins???
In the Bible, God gave us a list of rules to live by. These are commonly known as the Ten Commandments. As you read through the list below, ask yourself if you have broken any of the commandments. The Ten Commandments are found in Exodus 20:3 - 17.
-
No other gods
(v. 3)
Has God always had first place in your life? -
No idols
(v. 4)
If God has not always had first place in your life, something or someone else has. What is it? -
No profane speech
(v. 7)
This is not just profanity. This includes slandering the character of God by one’s behavior. Have you ever done this? -
Keep the Lord's day
(v. 8)
Have you always been faithful in your church attendance? -
Honor your parents
(v. 12)
Have you ever done anything to dishonor your parents or bring grief to them? -
Do not murder
(v. 13)
In Matthew 5:21 - 22 Christ interprets murder as hatred, not just killing a person. Have you ever hated someone? -
Do not commit adultery
(v. 14)
Again in Matthew 5:27 - 28 Christ interprets adultery as lusting. Have you ever experienced lust in your heart? -
Do not steal
(v. 15)
Have you ever taken anything that didn't belong to you? -
Do not lie
(v. 16)
Have you ever told a lie? -
Do not covet
(v. 17)
Coveting is wanting something someone else has. Have you ever coveted?
Every time you break one of these commandments, it is a sin. In fact, God tells us in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned.” God also says in James 2:10 that if you break one of the commandments, then you are guilty of breaking all of them. “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). So we are all guilty of disobeying God’s commandments.
This disobedience has a consequence. In Romans 6:23, God tells us that “the wages of sin” (that is the price we pay because we sin) “is death.” This death is not just a physical death, but also an eternal separation from God and suffering in hell.
What can I do?
Is there anything that you or I can do to avoid such a costly payment? No, there is no amount of good works that can be done to save our souls from eternal punishment. The Bible says in Titus 3:5 that we can be saved “not by the works of righteousness which we have done, but according to [God's] mercy.” In fact, all of “our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” or rubbish according to Isaiah 64:6. We cannot pay so great a debt with rubbish or garbage. So there is nothing that we can do to pay this debt and avoid an eternity of torment. But God is merciful and has developed a plan to pay this debt.
God's Plan
You see, God loves us. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us” (First John 4:10). He loves us so much “that while we were yet sinners, Christ [God's Son] died for us” (Romans 5:8). God “sent His Son [Jesus Christ] to be the [substitute] for our sins” (First John 4:10). God sent Jesus Christ to die in our place. They buried Jesus Christ; but, because He was perfect, He rose from the dead and proved that He had power over sin and death. The payment for our sins has been made. God offers that payment as a gift to us. “The gift of God is etermal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). As with any gift, before you or I can claim this gift, we have to accept it from the Giver.
How do I accept God's gift?
Just as a judge would ask a prisoner to reject his life of crime before releasing him, God asks you to reject your life of sin. God “commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30). Repenting is the act of completely rejecting your sin. It is agreeing with God that your sin is evil and then giving up that life of sin. But you must want to change. Like the publican in Luke 18:13, in a broken spirite you must cry out to God saying “God be merciful to me a sinner.” “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). God also tells you in Romans 10:9 that if you “confess with [your] mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in [your] heart that God hath raised Him from the dead [you will] be saved.” Just call out to God right now saying:
“Dear Lord, I know I am a sinner who deserves to go to hell. I believe that Jesus died on the cross as a substitute for me, and that He also rose from the dead. I accept His gift of this payment for my sins. Thank you, Lord, for your forgiveness of my sins. Amen.”
My friend, do not delay any longer. “Behold now is the accepted time; now is the day of salvation” (Second Corinthians 6:2).