Hi, this is Pastor Jonathan Shelley and I wanted to ask you the most important question
someone could be asked.
If you were to die today, are you 100% sure that you would go to heaven?
A lot of people think that they would because they're a pretty good person, they go to church,
they try to help people, but according to the Bible, those are good things, but they'll
never get us into heaven.
That's not sufficient to get us there because in Romans 3.23 the Bible says, "For all have
sinned and come short of the glory of God."
Now a sin according to the Bible would be if we break any of God's commandments, lying,
stealing, disobeying our parents, and if we were honest, we would realize that we've all
sinned.
The Bible says there's not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not.
And because we've sinned, there's a punishment for our sins.
The Bible says in Romans 6.23, "For the wages of sin is death."
So we're all going to die one day, and if I were to die today, there's one of two places
my soul could go.
It could go to heaven, or it could go to hell.
Now hell is described in the Bible as being a place of eternal punishment and torment.
It says in Revelation 20.10, "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake
of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented
day and night, forever and ever."
So hell is described as a horrible place, eternal torment.
It says there's no rest day nor night.
It's weeping and gnashing of teeth, and I don't want anyone to go there.
But unfortunately the Bible says that we all deserve to go to hell.
It says in Revelation 21 8, "But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers
and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the
lake which burned with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Now, if we were honest with ourselves, we've all at least told one lie.
And according to that verse, not only are murderers deserving of hell, but even liars.
So if I get what I deserve, the Bible says I would go to hell.
Now that's a problem because we've all sinned, we've all told a lie.
But the Bible makes it clear that God doesn't want us to go to hell.
God has provided a way for us to be saved from hell.
In order for us to understand what we have to do, we have to first understand what God
did for us.
The Bible says in Romans 5-8, "But God commended his love toward us, and that while we are
yet sinners, Christ died for us."
So the Bible says that God sent his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to this earth to take the
penalty and punishment for our sins.
Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary.
He became a man.
He lived a sinless and perfect life on this earth.
Jesus Christ, he performed a lot of wonderful miracles proving that he was the son of God.
He even said that he was the son of God, but the Jews did not believe him.
They rejected him and they delivered him to Romans to be crucified.
Now even though Jesus Christ went to the cross, he willingly went.
The Bible says that he wanted to die on the cross for our sins.
And the Bible makes it clear that Jesus Christ was without sin.
It says that he was at all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
So even though he went to the cross, it wasn't for his sins, it was for our sins.
The Bible says he who bare our sins and his own body on the tree.
So every sin you've committed, I've committed.
The whole world, past, present, and future was put upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now when he died on the cross, the Bible says that his soul actually descended into hell
for three days and three nights.
But he was not left there.
It says in Acts 2.31, he was not left there.
The Bible says that he was risen again.
And the Bible teaches that the Gospel is those three things.
The fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and rose again.
And it makes it clear that Jesus Christ paid for every single sin.
He did all that was necessary for our salvation.
But there is one thing that's required of us.
And the question is even asked in Acts chapter number 16, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
Now, a lot of people would think, "Well, I've got to go to church.
I've got to clean up my life.
I've got to turn over a new leaf."
A lot of different things that people would suggest might be necessary, but according
to the Bible, they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."
According to the Bible, it's simply by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ that someone would
be saved.
It's not by going to church, it's not repenting of your sins, it's not any good works that
you do.
It's simply putting your faith in what Jesus already did for us.
An easy way to understand what believe means is to trust.
We sometimes get confused, some people would say that they believe Jesus Christ exists,
but to help you understand what it means to believe on someone, the Bible makes it clear
that it means to trust them.
Now, you probably all believe that police officers exist, but does that mean that you
trust every single one of them?
And the same thing exists with Jesus Christ.
Many people, they go to church and they believe certain facts about the Lord Jesus Christ,
but they're not trusting His death, burial, and resurrection as the payment for their
sin, but they still believe that through their good works, through their turning from their
sin, that's what's going to get them into heaven.
And it's very clear that they're not really trusting Christ, they're still trusting in
themselves.
Now, John 3.16, it puts it all together in one verse.
The Bible says, "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."
So as soon as someone believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, they have everlasting life.
That means they could never go to hell and have it forever.
The Bible also likens everlasting life with the phrase "eternal life."
The Bible says in John 3.36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life."
That's present tense.
So as soon as someone believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, they're not only saved, but
they also have eternal life.
And in fact, in John chapter 1.12, the Bible even says that when you believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ, you become a child of God.
It says, "But as many as received Him, to them gave you power to become the sons of
God even of them that believe on His name."
So as soon as someone believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, they become a child of God.
The Bible says in Galatians that we're all children of God by faith.
As being God's child, God would still punish me if I break His commandments.
The Bible does not teach that being saved is a license to sin, but rather it's the
fact that we will be punished severely on this earth for our sins.
If I lie, if I steal, if I cheat, God will make sure I get punished on this earth.
But I could never lose my eternal life, and I could never change the fact that I'm God's
child.
Just like your children could never stop being your children, the same exists with God.
So it's important to understand that when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have
eternal life, that we have all our sins paid for, and that we become a child of God.
The Bible says in Romans 6.23 where we started, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift
of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
The Bible makes it clear that God wants to offer you eternal life freely, and it's a
gift.
If you can understand that in an earthly example, if I were to offer you this Bible today and
say you had to give me $100, that would not be a gift.
Most people would understand you would be paying for it, therefore it's not free.
Additionally, if I said, "Hey, I want to give you my Bible as a free gift today, but you
got to wash my car first," that's not a gift either because you would be working for it.
The same is with salvation.
God does not offer salvation to you that needs to be paid for or worked for.
You must simply receive it by faith.
There's one last point that I wanted to cover with you so you could know for sure you have
eternal life.
Because the Bible says in 1 John 5 verse 13, "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."
So according to the Bible, we can actually know for sure we have eternal life.
It says in verse 10, "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself.
He that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record
that God gave of his Son."
So according to the Bible, there's only two people in this world.
There's people who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation, and there's people
who are trusting something else.
Those who are trusting Christ will go to heaven when they die, and those that are trusting
in themselves will go to hell.
Now the Bible further elaborates on the record, it says, "And this is the record that God
hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son."
So salvation's only through God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
There's not another way to heaven.
Jesus Christ said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.
The whole man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
So eternal life can only be received through the Lord Jesus Christ.
But the Bible also says that he hath given to us, telling us that salvation is a gift.
If you think you have to be a good person, you have to go to church, you have to turn
over a new leaf, you're not believing that salvation is a gift, you're still trusting
in yourself, you're trying to pay for it, and you're denying the record that God gave
of his Son.
Additionally, the Bible says that the gift is eternal life.
If you think you could lose your salvation, or you think you have to maintain good works
in order to keep it, you're ultimately not trusting in the finished work of Christ, you're
still trusting in yourselves.
And the Bible makes it clear that you would not be saved.
In order to be saved, you must put all of your faith in what Jesus already did for you.
So let me ask you a few quick questions.
Do you believe that you're a sinner?
Yeah, we've all sinned.
The Bible makes it clear because we've sinned, we would actually deserve to go to hell if
we did not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bible teaches that God doesn't want you to go there.
The Bible says that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, was buried, and rose
again.
If you want to put all your faith and trust in that to save you, the Bible says that God
will give you eternal life in that moment.
So it's not trusting in yourself, it's not trusting in your good works in the future,
it's solely trusting in what Christ already did for us.
And the Bible makes it clear how someone can believe in Jesus Christ.
It says in Romans 10 verse 9, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
thou shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt
be saved."
So the Bible makes it clear if you believe the Gospel, you would pray and tell God that's
what you believe, and you could know you're saved, not because you said a special prayer,
but because you believed it in your heart.
If I prayed and asked God to save me, but I didn't believe it, it would never save me,
even if I prayed a thousand times.
The Bible makes it clear even if I prayed and asked him to save me and I was trusting
in myself or thinking I had to be a good person, I also would not be saved.
And lastly, if I thought I could lose my salvation, ultimately I'd never put all my faith in what
Jesus Christ already did for me and I would still not be saved.
So if you'd say today I want to put all my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, let me help
you word a simple prayer.
You can just repeat my words, but it's not the words that matter.
It's simply putting your faith in Jesus Christ.
Let's pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, I know that I'm a sinner and I deserve to go to hell, but I believe
that your son Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins, was buried and rose again.
Please save me and give me eternal life.
I'm only trusting in your son, the Lord Jesus Christ, not in my own works.
In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Now, if you said that prayer and you meant it in your heart, the Bible says you can know
for sure you're saved because you put your faith in what Jesus already did for you.
And as soon as you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible says you have eternal life
in that moment, meaning it would be impossible for you to ever go to hell, no matter what
sin you commit in the future, because the Bible says that Jesus Christ has paid for
all of our sin.
That's the good news, that's what the Bible declares.
And if you just trusted Christ for the first time, I would recommend that you get a King
James Bible and you find a Bible-believing church to get plugged into.
If you have any questions, you can always call us or contact us.
God bless you and have a great day.