Usually, the question is “Are you going to heaven?” But another way is to ask if you are going home, home to be with your Father? While this may sound like a trite question, it actually is one of the most important questions that can be asked. And it demands a reasoned answer. Maybe you can confidently say “Yes.” Or maybe, your answer is “I hope so.” Sadly, some may think there is no way that they are going to heaven. What we’d like you to know is that anyone can get to heaven if they are willing to do what God asks of them.
You Can Be Saved!
God wants all of us “to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2.4). He is so concerned about our salvation that He sent His Son Jesus to give His life for our sins, redeeming us by His death (John 3.16; Titus 2.14; 2 Corinthians 5.21). It is through this gracious gift that we are saved (Ephesians 2.5). Why would He be willing to do this? Because He loves us greatly (Ephesians 2.4).
God loves you, and has provided a way in which you can be saved and goto heaven! You can go home, no matter what you may have done. Are you interested? Do you want to be saved? Do you want to restore your relationship with God? He’s done His part. Are you willing to be saved?
What Must I do to be Saved?
A jailer asked Paul this question (Acts 16.30), and it’s a good place to begin understanding what God expects us to do in accepting the gift of salvation. Paul’s answer to this question is found in the next verse: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” After Paul preached “the word of the Lord” to him, the jailer was baptized into Christ.
Of course we don’t know exactly what Paul said to the jailer, but it isn’t difficult to perceive the essence of what Paul taught him. Let’s look at a passage that summarizes the teaching of the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ.
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received:that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 ESV
Notice first that Paul refers to the gospel he had preached to them, and that it is through that gospel that they are saved. He goes on to state three key aspects of the gospel: that Jesus died for our sins, that He was buried and that He was raised from the dead.
Jesus tells us what we need to do about this, both at the beginning of His teaching and at the end.
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Mark 1:14-15 ESV
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned
Mark 16:15-16 ESV
Again, notice that Jesus mentions three parts of accepting the gospel: 1) Believe; 2) Repent; and, 3) Be Baptized.
To believe is to accept as factual that Jesus is the son of God and to know that He died so that you could be saved. To repent is to acknowledge your sin, and determine you are going to change your life from serving self and sin to obedience to God (Romans 6.16-18). And to be baptized is to unite together with Jesus in His death, burial andresurrection (Romans 6.3-4). After we have submitted to Jesus in this way, we receive forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2.38).
It is vital to remember the warning Paul made about the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15.1-2; not only did they need to receive the gospel so that they could be saved, Paul says that they need to stand in it and hold fast to it; or else their belief was pointless. It’s just a reminder that God wants us to live each day as His children: to be faithful to death (Revelation 2.10).
Our Hope for You!
Our hope is that you will use this information as a beginning point for studying your Bible to make sure that these things are true; and if they are true that you will act on your belief; that you will repent and be baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins. Once you have done this, you can know that you are going to heaven!
If you would like more information or you are interested in having a Bible study, please contact us.