Am I Going To Heaven?

• 1. - Obeying God's laws and commandments.

It is impossible to get to Heaven this way. The Bible says: (see Romans 3: 19-28) "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified (vindicated) by faith without the deeds of the law." (Romans 3: 28 - KJV)

• 2. - Gifts to charity.
• 3. - Doing your best to live a good life.

These things could never save you. The Bible says: "He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy . . ." (Titus 3: 5 - NIV)

• 4. - Good works.
• 5. - Trying to obey the Golden Rule.
• 6. - Tithing, or giving money to the church.

Good works cannot save anyone. The Bible states: "For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2: 8,9 - NIV)

• 7. - Church membership.
• 8. - Regular church attendence.
• 9. - Prayers.

We cannot be saved by works, regardless of how good or well intended. God saves us by his grace (mercy). The Bible says: "And if by grace, then it is no longer by works: if it were, grace would no longer be grace." (Romans 11: 6 - NIV)

• 10. - Water baptism.
• 11. - Holy communion.

Water baptism and communion are for those who are already saved. It is not our work that saves us, but faith in Christ. The Bible says: ". . . to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." (Romans 4: 5 - NIV)

• 12. - Born of Christian parents.

This cannot save you. The Bible says: "They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God . . ." (Romans 9:8 - KJV) "But as many as received Him (Christ), to them gave He power to become the Sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name: which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1: 12,13 - KJV) "Not of blood" means "not of one's parentage." You must be born of God to be saved.

• 13. - Confirmation.
• 14. - Penances.
• 15. - Extreme unction.

These are man-made doctrines and are not taught in the Bible. God says: "They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." (Matthew 15: 9 - NIV)

---

No! None of these things can save you. You can do nothing to earn eternal life. It is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone that can save you.

"And by Him (Christ) all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 13: 39 - KJV)

The way to have eternal life is not found in what we do ourselves, but by having a perfect righteousness given to us. We receive this when we believe the Lord Jesus Christ took our sins on Himself and paid for them by His death on the cross.

"God made him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (II Corinthians 5: 21 - NIV)

You do not receive eternal life by working for it or by trying to make yourself behave. You receive eternal life by believing the record God gave of His Son. Remember, if you disagree with these statements you are calling God a liar.

"Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." (I John 5: 10, 11 - NIV)

God, in His Sovereignty, permits man's destiny to depend upon man's choice.

"He who believes in Him (God's Son - Jesus) is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." (John 3:18 - RSV)

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3: 16 - NIV)

 

After you are saved, obedience to God brings love, joy, peace and happiness into your life.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Against such things there is no law." (galatians 5: 22, 23 - NIV)

Christ died. . . . . that's history.

Christ died for me. . . . . that's salvation!

 

If you can sincerely put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, on the authority of God's Word, you can know that you are going to Heaven.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me HATH eternal life." (John 6: 47 - KJV)

Doesn't it make sense to believe on the One who came back from the dead and trust Him for the payment of your sin? Why not do it now so you can be sure of going to Heaven when you die? He loves you. Right now, why not accept the payment He has made for your sins so you can know you have eternal life?