...Or Anywhere Else!

Have you ever slowed down long enough to think about the big questions of life?  "What happens when I die? Where will I spend eternity?"  The single most important question that you will ever answer is this - "If I were to die today, would I spend eternity in Heaven with God?" Your relationship to Jesus Christ is central to the answer to that question.

The Bible tells us in 1 John 5:12, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life... "  The simple truth is God wants you to know where you're going! It is not hidden from us and there is nothing mysterious about it. God has laid out the truth about eternity and a possible relationship with Him in very clear terms.

First, you must understand your need for a personal Saviour. The Word of God is very clear that we all have a huge problem called "sin." Romans 3:10, 23 "There is none righteous, no, not one." "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.  "These verses simply mean that none of us are perfect. I know we like to think of ourselves as being pretty good people. But honestly, we all know we have done wrong things and made wrong choices. Now the question is: Are you willing to admit that to God?

See, the problem is that sin, including ours, has a high price tag. Romans 6:23a tells us, "For the wages of sin is death..." In other words, the price for our sin is eternal death, separated from God in a place called Hell - not a good thing! Death is certain and eternity is certain. Because of our sin, none of us can make it into Heaven on our own. There can never be enough "good works" to outweigh our sin. Again the Bible speaks: Ephesians 2:8-9 " 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."

Now, here's the good news - God sent help! The rest of Romans 6:23 goes on to tell us, "...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Again in Romans 5:8 God says, "But God commendeth (demonstrated) his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!" This leads us to the second step.

You must believe that Jesus Christ wants to be your Saviour! Jesus Christ came to earth as God in the flesh, lived a perfect life, and then voluntarily died on the cross because He loves you. On that cross, He literally paid for all of your sins. He took all your blame! He punished Himself for your wrong-doings. What a great gift!

John 3:16 says, "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." God, in His awesome love, came to earth to make a way for you to be forgiven of your sins and be given eternal life!

Finally, you must place your full trust in Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." In verse ten of that same chapter God says, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." He says it's as simple as believing and receiving! If you've never asked Jesus Christ to be your personal Saviour, you can do that right now!

You may be asking, "Well, how do I begin to talk to God?" It first begins in your heart. Do you recognize that you are a sinner before God? Are you willing to admit that to Him? If so, why not bow your head and talk to God? Ask God to forgive you and make you His child. You can stop right now and sincerely pray something like this:

"Lord Jesus, I believe that You are God, that You died for my sin, and that You rose again from the dead. I know that I am a sinner and cannot save myself. I ask You now to be my personal Saviour. I'm placing my full trust in You alone, and I now accept Your gift of eternal life. Thank you for keeping Your promise! Amen."

If you prayed that prayer from your heart just now, I want to assure you from the Bible, that God will do exactly what He said He would do! 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." If you meant business with God, He has heard your prayer and forgiven your sin. That's His promise!