9/11/08

In your personal opinion...

what do you understand it takes for a person to get to Heaven and have eternal life?

If it is alright with you, I would like to share with you how the Bible answers this question.

There is a word that can be used to answer that question...F.A.I.T.H.

F is for Forgiveness.

Everyone has sinned and needs the forgiveness of God.

Romans 3.23 For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.

The forgiveness of God is in Jesus alone.

Ephesians 1.7 In Him (Jesus) we have redemption through His Blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His Grace.

A is for Available.

The forgiveness of God is available for all.

John 3.16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting Life.

The forgiveness of God is available, but it is not automatic.

Matthew 7.21 Not everyone who says to Me Lord, Lord shall enter the Kingdom Of Heaven.

I is for Impossible.

According the Bible, it is impossible to get to Heaven on our own.

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.

So, how can a sinful person receive the forgiveness of God, eternal life and Heaven?

T is for Turn

If you were going down the road and someone asked to turn, what would he/she be asking you to do? The answer is to change direction.

Turn means to repent.

Turn from sin and self.

Luke 13.3 Unless you repent you will all likewise perish. (the word perish here literally means hell)

Turn to Jesus alone as your Savior and Lord.

John 14.6 I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Here is the greatest news of all.

Romans 10.9-10 If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

So, what happens if a sinful person repents of their sins and confesses Christ?

H is for Heaven

Heaven is a place where we will live with God forever.

John 14.3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that wherever I am, there you will be also.

Eternal life begins now with Jesus.

John 10.10 I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.

H can also stand for How

So, how can a sinful person receive the forgiveness of God, eternal life and Heaven?

By repenting of your sins and trusting in Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord.

Why is it that we can never...

be completely happy with our life on earth? I was just wondering about this. Why is it that there always seems to be something in the way or some difficult situation or some problem that we encounter that leads us to never be totally satisfied or fulfilled with life. Not that I was really asking myself this question, but it was something I was thinking about. Then it suddenly hit me that perhaps the reason why goes beyond the simple fact that we are not perfect and this earth is corrupt, but there is more to it than that. I came to the conclusion that perhaps the problems in our lives and the difficult situations that we always seem to encounter are also a result of the fact that God does not want us to be totally satisfied here on earth and actually we can never be satisfied with our lives here on earth for the same reason that we can never be truly happy, fulfilled and satisfied without God in our lives. Everything revolves around Him and our shortcomings and pains and sufferings here on earth really serve us a lesson that there is a much better place, a much better destiny that we are all supposed to get to, that we are all supposed to focus on, but that few people ever receive for the simple fact that they do not choose God.