How Can I Know I’m Going To Spend Eternity In Heaven?
Many people believe that there are many ways to Heaven or that everyone will eventually get to Heaven. But, this is not what Jesus taught. In John 14:6, Jesus plainly and boldly declared, “I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life. NO ONE comes to the Father except through Me.” Some find this claim narrow and offensive. They did in Jesus’ day as well. But, it is what He taught. If we truly believe Jesus is Lord, then we cannot alter what He has said.
Here at Snow Prairie Bible Church, we sincerely desire for all people to come to a saving knowledge of Christ. We want EVERYONE to go to Heaven. What follows is what the Bible teaches about how you can KNOW (see I John 5:13) you have eternal life!
1. One must realize that one needs saved in the first place. Without this knowledge, asking someone to get saved would be quite confusing. The Bible teaches of all humanity-
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23.
2. Because all of us have sinned, we justly deserve eternal separation from God.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23
3. BUT, because God loves us, He sent His Son Jesus, to die on the cross and pay the penalty for our sins.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” – Romans 5:8
4. The only way for us to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life is by believing in Jesus Christ. Speaking in John 3, Jesus said,
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, “that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that hoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:14-18
The Apostle Paul would clarify this in Romans 3,
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” – Romans 10:9
and Ephesians 2:8-9,
“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Salvation is not something that can be earned, it is a gift, given by faith. Once you believe in Jesus, you can have peace and a relationship with Him!
“Therefore, since we have been justified (made right) by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – Romans 5:1
Also, once you have been justified by faith, you will never be condemned for your sins.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit…For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:1, 38-39
If you believe this, that you have sinned and fallen short, but that Jesus died in your place, so that through simple faith in Him, then according to the New Testament, you are a child of God.
If you’ve been uncertain up until now, why not take a moment right now to pray (There’s no formula for prayer, just talk to God just like you would any else) and tell Him that you believe that He sent His Son to dies on the cross for your sins. If you know Jesus and Paul told the truth and you told the truth, you can have confidence you have eternal life!