Know for certain that you will not go to hell when you die "I'm basically a good person, so I'll go to heaven." "OK, so I do some bad things, but I do more good things, so I'll go to heaven." "God won't send me to hell just because I don't live by the Bible. Times have changed!" "Only really bad people like child molesters and murderers go to hell." These are all common rationalizations, but the truth is that they are all lies. Satan, the ruler of the world, plants these thoughts in our heads. He, and anyone who follows his ways, is an enemy of God (1Peter 5:8). Satan is a deceiver and often disguises himself as someone good (2 Corinthians 11:14), but he has control over all the minds that do not belong to God. "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4). It is a lie to believe that God doesn't care about small sins or that hell is reserved for "bad people." All sin separates us from God, even a “little white lie.” Everyone has sinned, and no one is good enough to get to heaven on their own (Romans 3:23). Getting into heaven is not based on whether our good outweighs our bad; we will all lose out if that is the case. "And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace" (Romans 11:6). We can do nothing good to earn our way to heaven (Titus 3:5). "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it" (Matthew 7:13). Even if everyone else is living a life of sin in a culture where trusting in God is not popular, God will not excuse it. "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient" (Ephesians 2:1-2). When God created the world, it was perfect and good. Then he made Adam and Eve and gave them their own free will, so they would have a choice whether to follow and obey God. But they were tempted by Satan to disobey God, and they sinned. This separated them (and everyone that came after them, including us) from being able to have a close relationship with God. He is perfect and holy and must judge sin. As sinners, we couldn't reconcile ourselves to God on our own. So God made a way that we could be united with Him in heaven. "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). "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Jesus was born to die for our sins so that we would not have to. Three days after His death, He rose from the grave (Romans 4:25), proving Himself victorious over death. He bridged the gap between God and man so that we may have a personal relationship with Him if we only believe. "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3). Most people believe in God, even Satan does. But to receive salvation, we must turn to God, and trust in Jesus to do what He said He would do. Jesus will save us when we ask him to save us, " For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" Romans 10:13. Salvation is simply placing your trust into Jesus's hands. Now, Jesus said He would catch you, do you believe Him? Faith is a commitment you make, to fully trust Jesus, to trust the ability of those nail scared hands. 'I will jump, but hang on just in case', is not trust. There is an element of doubt in wanting to hang on. That is relying on your own strength. Now think of it this way, the bible says if you ask Jesus for forgivness, He is faithful and just to forgive you of all sins (1 John 1:9). Do you believe that?? When you ask Jesus to save your soul, is He able to do that? That is the moment of faith, it is all for Jesus to do what He said He would do, it is all on His ability, on the fact of His word to be true. "This salvation from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference" (Romans 3:22). The Bible teaches that there is no other way to salvation than through Christ. Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus is the only way of salvation because He is the only One who can pay our sin penalty (Romans 6:23). No other religion teaches the depth or seriousness of sin and its consequences. No other religion offers the infinite payment of sin that only Jesus Christ could provide. No other “religious founder” was God become man (John 1:1,14) – the only way an infinite debt could be paid. Jesus had to be God so that He could pay our debt. Jesus had to be man so He could die. Salvation is available only through faith in Jesus Christ! “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). So, back to “How can I know for sure that I will not go to Hell when I die?” The answer is this – believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). “To all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). You can receive eternal life as a FREE gift. “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). You can spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven, for He promised: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am” (John 14:3). If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior and receive forgiveness from God, here is prayer you can pray. Saying this prayer or any other prayer will not save you. It is only trusting in Jesus Christ that can provide forgiveness of sins. This prayer is simply a way to express to God your faith in Him and thank Him for providing for your forgiveness. "God, I know that I am a sinner. I know that I deserve the consequences of my sin. However, I am trusting in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I believe that His death and resurrection provided for my forgiveness. I trust in Jesus and Jesus alone as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord, for saving me and forgiving me! Amen!" Please open your Bible and read each of these verses yourself, read them over and over believing! Pastor Del Wray

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Know for certain that you have eternal life Do you know for certain that you have eternal life and that you will go to Heaven when you die? God wants you to be sure! The Bible says: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). Suppose you were standing before God right now and He asked you, “Why should I let you into Heaven?” What would you say? You may not know what to reply. What you need to know is that God loves us and has provided a way that we can know for sure where we will spend eternity. The Bible states it this way: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). We have to first understand the problem that is keeping us from Heaven. The problem is this - our sinful nature keeps us from having a relationship with God. We are sinners by nature and by choice. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We cannot save ourselves. “For by grace are you saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves – it is the gift of God. Not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We deserve death and hell. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). God is holy and just and must punish sin, yet He loves us and has provided forgiveness for our sin. Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus died for us on the cross: “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus was resurrected from the dead: “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25). So, “How can I know for sure that I will go to Heaven when I die?” The answer is this – believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). “To all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). You can receive eternal life as a FREE gift. “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). You can live a full and meaningful life right now. Jesus said: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). You can spend eternity with Jesus in Heaven, for He promised: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am” (John 14:3). Saying the sinner's prayer is simply a way of declaring to God that you are relying on Jesus Christ as your Savior. There are no "magical" words that result in salvation. It is only faith in Jesus' death and resurrection that can save us. If you understand that you are a sinner and in need of salvation through Jesus Christ, here is a sinner's prayer you can pray to God: "God, be merciful to me a SINNER" (Luke 18:13) "God, I know that I am a sinner. I know that I deserve the consequences of my sin. However, I am trusting in Jesus Christ as my Savior. I believe that His death and resurrection provided for my forgiveness. I trust in Jesus and Jesus alone as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank you Lord, for saving me and forgiving me! Amen!" Pray, believing! Pastor Del Wray

HOW I KNOW I'M GOING TO HEAVEN

THE PROCLAMATION OF GOD'S WORD "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, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." (I John. 5:13) ". . . . I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." (II Tim. 1:12) Are you going to Heaven or Hell? Do you know the answer right now, or are you waiting to find out after you die? Unfortunately, most people do NOT know the answer and are waiting to see how things turn out. People are living as though the Bible had never been written. People are living their lives in uncertainty, not considering the fact that God has spoken very clearly about their eternal destiny. What about you? Are you going to ignore God's word, or are you willing to take a few moments to see for yourself that God says it IS possible to KNOW your eternal destiny? THE POWER OF GOD'S PRESERVATION "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." (I Pet. 1:5) "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" (Philip. 1:6) I know that I'm going to Heaven because GOD is preserving me. I'm not preserving my own Salvation. I wasn't saved by my good works (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 4:5), so I do not STAY saved by my good works. I am KEPT by the POWER OF GOD, not by my own power! God is able to keep me from falling (Jude 24), because I'm HIS child and I'm in the palm of HIS hand (Jn. 10:28-29). Ephesians 4:30 says that I have been SEALED by the Holy Spirit of God until the day of redemption! I'm not worried about losing my Salvation. I KNOW I'm going to Heaven because I'm being preserved by God's power. THE PROMISE OF ETERNAL SECURITY "I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." (Jn. 10:28) "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." (Jn. 3:16) I know I'm going to Heaven because God has PROMISED eternal security to all who BELIEVE on His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. To "believe" on Christ is to "receive" Christ, according to John 1:12. During the spring of 1979, I repented of my sins and received Jesus Christ as my Savior. I had been lost in my sins, condemned to Hell forever (Jn. 3:18, 36). Then a man told me how I could be saved from my sins and from Hell by RECEIVING the Lord Jesus Christ. I received Christ, believing that HE ALONE could save me. I trusted in Him totally, for I knew that He was my only hope. I called upon Him to save me and He did (Rom. 10:13, 9-10). He brought me into God's family as a "son of God" (Jn. 1:12; I Jn. 3:2-3). I was a child of the devil, a child of wrath (Jn. 8:44; Eph. 2:2-3), but now I'm eternally secure as a child of God. If I sin as a child of God, then my Heavenly Father will rebuke and chasten me , just as any good father would (Rev. 3:10; Heb. 12:4-8), but He will not condemn me with the world (I Cor. 11:32). God has promised His children ETERNAL SECURITY. THE POSSESSION GOD HAS GIVEN HIS SAINTS "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (Jn. 5:24) "He that hath the Son hath life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I Jn. 5:12) I know I'm going to Heaven because God has already given me ETERNAL LIFE . I'm not waiting to receive eternal life-I ALREADY HAVE it as a present possession. Read the above verses carefully and see for yourself that eternal life is IN Jesus Christ, and that you can receive eternal life RIGHT NOW by receiving Christ right now! When I received the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior, God placed His Eternal Spirit within me and gave me Eternal Life. As a child of God, I'm still waiting to see Jesus, to enter Heaven, and to receive my new glorified body, but I'm NOT waiting to be saved. My soul IS saved, and I know I'm going to Heaven because God has given me Eternal Life. THE PERFECTION OF GOD'S SAINTS "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Heb. 10:14) "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin." (Rom. 4:5-8) Have you ever heard the expression "Nobody's perfect?" That isn't true. In God's eyes, the SOULS of all His saints ARE perfect, because they have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for Salvation. Jesus shed His sinless blood to pay for my sins. He OFFERED Himself as a PAYMENT for my sin. He paid my sin debt because I couldn't. By receiving Him as my Savior, I am also receiving the fact that He has PAID for my sins and that I can now REST in His finished work, because my sins are GONE! My soul (not my flesh) has been made PERFECT through the completed Blood Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I KNOW I'm going to Heaven! What about you? Why not forsake your own self-righteousness right now and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior? Why live a life of uncertainty when you can KNOW your eternal destiny? Why not get it settled right now? Receive Christ today. Romans 10:9 says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Why not call upon the Lord to save you right now? You've seen the promises of scripture. Are you willing to CLAIM those promises by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ today? Tomorrow may be too late.

Copyright © 1994 James L. Melton

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