Many people have many different answers to these questions. Some say that they will go to Heaven because they were baptized as a child. Others trust that their faithful membership to a church will get them there. Many believe that they are simply "good enough" to go to Heaven (or at least too good for God to send them to hell).

Unfortunately, many people are trusting in these things and they don't understand that these will do nothing for salvation and a person who is trusting in them will still spend eternity in hell.

The Bible teaches how a person can know for sure that they will go to Heaven. It is important to understand that this is not the opinion of our church or any person. It is directly from the Bible - the only sure explanation of God's plan.

Before you read this, please stop for a moment and ask yourself if you are sure and what you are trusting in for your answer. Once you have considered this, please read what the Bible says below and be honest with yourself and God about what you have believed and what you should believe.

1) You must understand that you are a sinner. Romans 3:9 says "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" Romans 3:23 says "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" You have committed sin in your life. Jesus is the only one who has ever lived a perfect life. Romans 5:12 shows us that we inherited this sinful nature and 1 John 1:8 reminds us that we are lying if we claim that we have not sinned. Everyone has sinned.  

2) You must understand that every sinner will go to hell unless saved. Romans 6:23 shows us that "the wages of sin is death..." God is perfect and we cannot come to him in our sinful selves. Because of our sin, we will spend eternity in Hell and we deserve it. God is not sending us there. We are doing that ourselves through our sin and refusal to follow him.

3) You must understand that you cannot be "good enough" to go to Heaven on your own. Isaiah 64:6 shows us that our "righteousness" or "good works" "are as filthy rags." Ephesians 2:8, 9 reminds us that we cannot be saved by works. Imagine how awful it would be to constantly question whether you are "good enough" to go to Heaven and knowing that you have to do something to win God's favor. Fortunately, that is not the case. 

4) You must believe that Jesus Christ came to earth, led a sinless life, shed His blood as a perfect sacrifice for your sins. Remember Romans 6:23 above? There is a second half to that verse. "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." John 3:16 tells us "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8). 

5) You must accept that sacrifice, place your trust in Him and Him alone, and confess Him as your Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9, 10 says "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:13 goes on to say "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

If you understand that (1) you are a sinner, (2) you are need of a savior, (3) Jesus Christ bled and died for you on the cross and was raised from the dead and is the only way to salvation, then you too can be saved. You must now pray to God. Confess your sin to Him, tell him of your need for a savior and your understanding that you cannot do it yourself, and accept Jesus Christ as your savior and place all of your trust in him for your eternal salvation. If you do this or have done it, then you are saved and always will be. You now have need to seek discipleship to learn the many other wonderful things God teaches us in this word.

Maybe you have read this and still have questions. Please contact us immediately. We want to speak with you about this and show you what the Bible says about it. While we have focused on a few books of the Bible above, this same explanation of salvation is clear throughout scripture and we want to show that to you. You will never regret asking. All we will do is show you what the Bible says. There are many who have other ideas of salvation and they are just that: ideas. We won't give you our ideas. We will give you God's eternal truths. If you are trusting in anything other than the shed blood of Jesus Christ, you are not saved. We say that to you in love and wanting desperately for you to come to Christ as the Bible teaches.

Jesus made it very clear when he said "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) 
"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1 John 5:12) 
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8, 9)
"Ye must be born again." (John 3:7b)  

©2007 Loudonville Baptist Temple