WHO WILL BEI NHEAVEN
Ephesians 2:8,9, John 3:16, 14:6
Who will be in Heaven. The salvation equation is very simple. It is: by God's
grace, and our faith, plus NOTHING ELSE.
There is only ONE way to Heaven...personal faith in Jesus Christ. There is only ONE road to Heaven and that is through faith in Jesus Christ. That means that the type of church you belong to will not get you into Heaven, no amount of good works will get you into Heaven, you cannot buy your way into Heaven...the only way to Heaven is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That is God's plan as He clearly lays out in the Bible.
The church is a place where people should be able to find a personal relationship with Christ, a place of fellowship, a place to be fed spiritually, a place where people can use their talents to serve God. However, membership in a church WILL NOT get you into Heaven when you die.
There are many people who go through life doing wonderful things, helping people, living good lives. There are no amount of good works you can do in this lifetime to eliminate the sin we were all born with. Being a good person WILL NOT get you into Heaven when you die. There is only one way to get to Heaven, and that is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!!!
My friend, the message I want you to understand today is that God has made a simple way for His fallen children to be reconciled back into an everlasting relationship with Himself. Many have tried to complicate the issue of salvation. It is actually very simple. Recognize that you are a sinner. Repent, turn away from your sins and ask God to forgive you. Accept by faith Jesus Christ into your heart and surrender your life to Him.
Why Jesus? Because in God's plan, it was His sacrifice that paid for our sins. You see, Jesus already paid the price for our sins. That is why there are no amount of good works, no amount of money, nothing you can do on your own because Jesus already paid the price.
Some ask about those who accept Christ on their deathbed, and how unfair it is for them to go to Heaven after a life of sin and rebellion. First of all, in perspective, this life is but a "vapor" as the Bible calls it, in comparison with eternity. You have to remember that those who rebelled during their life and come to Christ at the end, missed the joy, peace, and blessings of this life and must have suffered greatly on the inside living apart from God during those years on earth. The important fact is that like you and me, they are sinners who accepted God's free gift of everlasting life through faith in Jesus Christ..
Many ask about if you can lose your salvation. I am not going to get into the age-old theological debate of "once saved always saved," but will share my personal convictions from years of study of the Scripture and the understanding of God I have. Part of the salvation equation is God's grace. To lose your salvation means God would have to withdraw His grace. I have never been able to get over the hurdle that God would take His grace away, and of course the question becomes, at what point would He? Nothing in the Bible says God withdraws His grace which by definition is unmerited favor.
I personally believe that if you make a sincere commitment to Christ by faith you are saved, of course, only God knows a person's heart and if they really were sincere. If you are saved and rebel, you lose the blessings, the peace, the joy this life can offer. Much like the prodigal son who never stopped being His father's son, but lost out on the blessings of living in submission to his father. He endured much pain and heartache for his rebellion. The bottom line though is if you always follow Christ, you will never have to worry about losing your salvation.
May you be richly blessed today as God quickens to your Spirit these words. For those who know Jesus, let me challenge you to share this Devotional with at least 3 people in your life who need to know Jesus as their personal Savior.
Who will be in Heaven? All of those people who have accepted by faith Jesus Christ into their hearts and lives!
In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller
If you have not made the decision to accept Christ into your heart and life by faith, the Bible says that TODAY is the day of salvation. Pray to ask God to open your heart, read the words, pray the prayer, and accept today God's gift to you of everlasting life through His son Jesus Christ.