|
Am I going to Heaven? Am I "Saved"? Am I going to Heaven? Am I “Saved”? What do you feel is a good basis for being saved and going to Heaven? Keeping the 10 Commandments? Giving to charity or the church? Doing your best to lead a good life? Doing good things? Being a member of a particular church and going there regularly? Praying? Fasting? Being baptized? Taking Holy Communion / Eucharist? Confirmation? Penances? Extreme unction? Read further to find out if, according to the Bible, God’s word, you’re going to Heaven. The 10 Commandments are God’s absolute rules for living. No man has ever perfectly kept all of God’s laws. A person will never reach Heaven through his or her own efforts. The Bible says: “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in God’s sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20) Giving to charity or the church, doing one’s best, and trying to live a good life are commendable acts, but according to the Bible, they will not save anyone: “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.” (Titus 3:5) “You are saved by grace, through faith; not by your own actions, it is the gift of God: not by works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8,9) Church membership and attendance, prayers, and fasting are all good in themselves, but they are not able to justify sinners before a holy God. “We are all as unclean things, and our righteousness is like filthy rags.” Baptism and communion are designed as a response to salvation in Jesus Christ (see below), not as a means of salvation itself (Please see Acts 8:12, I Corinthians 11:2, and verses 23-32) Neither Confirmation, penances, or extreme unction are the basis for going to Heaven. God has provided only one way to salvation and Heaven. SO! What is the only way of salvation? The Bible gives a definite answer. The one and only means of spending eternity with God in Heaven is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Because we cannot save ourselves by good works, good character, personal effort, or merit of any kind, God’s son came into the world as a man (Jesus) to experience the same pain we endure. He lived a perfect life, taught us about Heaven and faith, and died as a substitute for us, paying the penalty for OUR sins. When Jesus died, He came back to life 3 days after He was buried in a tomb, to finish the work necessary for salvation. Now, all God requires of you is to receive Christ as your Lord and Savior: “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31) So when you trust in Jesus, you are saved and destined to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Jesus said, “He that hears my word, and believes on Him who sent Me (God), has everlasting life, and will not experience condemnation (Hell), but is passed form death into life (Heaven)” (John 5:24). Will you accept God’s way of salvation? The choice is yours. How do I become “Saved”? How do I trust Jesus as my Savior? If you believe that God, who exists in 3 parts (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), sent His son into the world as a man named Jesus, that Jesus lived a sinless life and died to serve the sentence of death imposed on you (a sinner), that He overcame death and the grave (because He was God), and ascended into Heaven to prepare a place for those who trust Him, then you are ready to be saved and become a Christian. All you have to do is pray a simple prayer to God, silently or out loud. Tell Him you trust Him and tell Him what you believe about His son, Jesus. It may sound something like this: “God, I know that I am a sinner. I realize I am unclean and cannot make it on my own. Thank you for dying for me to pay the penalty for my sin. Right at this moment, I want to be saved through your grace by trusting you as my Savior and Lord.” To sin means to do something that God does not want us to do. “Sin” is an action. When God created the universe and man, there was no sin in the world. The Bible gives the history of when Adam and Eve (the first two people God created) lived in a perfect garden where they only had to obey one rule. Eve broke that rule and sin was introduced into the world. Adam joined her, and there were immediate consequences with eternal ramifications for those actions. (Genesis 2:4 –3:21) Now, everyone who is born is born as a “sinner”. The penalty for sin is the shedding of blood…death. Simply stated, if you understand that Jesus was God’s son who died to pay the penalty for your sins, and have told Him so, then you are saved and are called a “Christian”. What do I do now that I am saved? If you understand that Jesus was God’s son who died to pay the penalty for your sins, and have told Him so, then you are saved and are called a “Christian”. So what you do you do in response to your salvation? You will notice a change in your life because God has sent His holy spirit into your life to teach you things you can’t understand on your own, to help you do the right thing, and to help you tell others about what you have experienced. Being a Christian means being a follower of Jesus Christ (also called a disciple). While Jesus was on earth, He taught us many things. These things (along with some history, prophecy, and more) are found in the Bible. If you don’t have a Bible, you’ll want one! It is the word of God, given to men and it has very important information regarding God, you, Heaven, death, God’s people, the future, etc. You may get one in a local Christian bookstore, or free by calling (715) 845 -2315 or writing Wausau Bible Church at 1300 Grand Ave, Wausau, WI 54403. Also, you will want to find a local church to attend. The people there can teach you a lot as well as offer support when the times get rough. In fact, God’s word says we should meet together as a church. (Hebrews 10:25) Be careful though, a lot of churches do not embrace the word of God like we are commanded to do. Weigh the beliefs of the church carefully against what the Bible says. Wausau Bible Church tries to adhere to the word of God in every aspect of teaching, worship, discipleship, and fellowship. Please see our “Doctrinal Statement”. And lastly, if you would like, we would appreciate the opportunity to hear of your decision to accept Christ and rejoice with the angels. We also want you to know that we want to make ourselves available to you and serve you as you begin your new life. You are very welcome to come to our church, to call us, or use the online contact form to communicate with us.
|