Dear Friend,
How can I know when I leave planet earth that I am bound for heaven?
I find a lot of people don’t know the answer to this question. But the bible
has a clear answer to this question. It tells us in 1 John 5:13 that
“These things I have written to you that you might know you have eternal
life. Yes, you can know. But the question is how?
Back in 1962 I discovered the answer when I learned that it was
not through my efforts to be good enough (some people today think this is
the gateway to heaven), but sadly they are wrong, for the Bible says no one, no
matter how good he or she may be is good enough to inherit eternal life.
It was back in 1962 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin at a Fellowship of
Christian Athlete’s Conference that I learned the answer to this question, and
my life forever changed.
I used to think that if my good works outweighed my bad works, I
would slip into heaven, so I always lived my life wondering how I was doing on
this eternal life scale. Had I done enough good things to outweigh the bad
things I had done. Had I gone to church enough, prayed enough, helped people
enough. It was all about me and my accomplishments, and I thought that if I
could always keep myself was on the right side of the good works ledger,
I would be OK, but I always lived in fear I had never done enough. Little
did I know that my good works had nothing to do with my entrance into heaven.
Even if I were to be living in the 99 percent good works range, my
efforts to get into heaven would not be good enough.
You see I didn’t know how really high the good works standard to
gain eternal life was. The bible says it is perfection for, “You must be
perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Since I had never met anyone
who is perfect, I knew there must be another way.
I still remember hearing the words from the Bible, “It is by grace
that you are saved, through faith, it is not because of your works, but it is a
gift of God that no one could boast (See Ephesians 2;8-9).
It is not through by my works that I am saved, for no matter how
high or wide the pile of my good works might be, they would never be
enough to open the door to heaven. It is not through my many good works
that I am saved, but only through the good work of Christ who died for me upon
the cross that can open the door to heaven.
You have heard it said, "You must be born again” to enter
into heaven. When Nicodemus came to Jesus, he thought he had already
purchased his ticket to heaven by the spiritual prominence and his position,
for after all he was one or the spiritual leaders of the Jews. But Jesus had a
surprise for him. He said, Nick, “You must be born again”. You need a new
birth, not one that is physical, but one that is spiritual for this is the only
way you will get into heaven. It is only by trusting in me and me alone
that you will find your way to heaven.
God demonstrated his love for us while we were still
sinners. He went to the Cross, and He hung and died there for our sins. “He
bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sins and live
for righteousness; (and) by his wounds you have been healed”(1 Peter 2:24).
In the words of that wonderful old hymn Rock of Ages, we can confess
that, “Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling.”.
It is on the cross that Jesus died to take away your sins
and my sins and in so doing He provides us the way to heaven and eternal life.
Jesus took the wrap for my sins and His righteousness became mine, and so now
when God looks at me, He sees me, as perfect and complete, just like his
perfect Son. I am justified - ‘just as if I had never sinned.”
So, my friend stop trying but start trusting. The moment you start
trusting in anything but Christ alone for your salvation, you are doomed to
spend eternity apart from him. Good works can’t save you, no matter how good
they might be.
So, if you have never received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I
hope you will do it today. If you do, not only will it be the greatest decision
you will ever make, but you will know with certainty that you are headed to
heaven.
Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom
P.S. If you are not sure about anything that I have said, let me
encourage you to take the Roman Road journey, a road that many unbelievers have
traveled to find eternal life. It is called the Roman road because all of the
verses come from the book of Romans. Romans 3:10; Romans 3:23; Romans
6:23; Romans 5:8; Romans 10:9-11; and Romans 10:13.
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