Where will you spend Eternity?
Good works are not sufficient!
Entrance requirement: The New Birth!
Eight Points of the Gospel
Biblical Truth #1.
Man is a sinner.
Biblical Truth #2.
There is a penalty for sin.
Biblical Truth #3
God loves you!
Biblical Truth #4
Jesus Christ is the Son of God!
Biblical Truth #5
Jesus Christ died for you (In your place)
Biblical Truth # 6
You must REPENT
Biblical Truth # 7
By FAITH you must receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord!
Where will you spend ETERNITY?
The Bible, God’s Word, tells us that not only can you know, but you can also choose where you will spend eternity. Either in Heaven or in Hell.
Eternity is Forever!
Most people agree that eternity is long and life is short. The Bible asks
a question, " For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for
a little time, and then vanisheth away. " (James 4:14). ). Many claim to
believe in heaven and in hell, but show very little concern in regards to
their eternal destiny. Folks are far more concerned about things of this
life rather than the next, yet they admit that eternity is endless – as the
Bible says: “for ever and ever.” (Revelation 22:5).
Just think...an eternity to be spent somewhere, either in heaven or in
the terrible torments of a place the Bible calls “the Lake of Fire.”
(Revelation 20:15)
It seems that people would agree that it makes sense to prepare for
eternity now, before it is forever too late. God says, " And as it is
appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: " (Hebrews
9:27).
Good Works are not sufficient!
You may say, "I believe in God, I go to church, and live the best I can.
What else can I do?" Now, believing in God, attending church, and
doing your best are all admirable; yet, according to the Word of God, the
Holy Bible, these deeds will not get you to heaven, neither will church
membership, baptism, or confirmation. “Not by works of righteousness which
we have done…” (Titus 3:5). However, here is the good news: God has
not left us in the dark concerning these most important matters. He has
provided answers to the questions about heaven and hell. The answer is so
very simple, yet most people either reject it, or worse, they scoff and mock
at it.
Entrance Requirements: The NEW Birth!
The Bible speaks about a religious leader named Nicodemus who came to
Jesus one night for help. Jesus told him, "You must be born again." Jesus
then expanded this biblical truth by including the entire human race when He
said “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot
see the kingdom of God. " (John 3:3).
Just like Nicodemus, you may ask, “How can a man be born when he is old?
can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?” (John
3:4). But Jesus answers, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be
born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6), reemphasizing that people must experience a spiritual rebirth in order to enter heaven “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”
(John 3:7).
The question that you must answer is, have you been born again? Have you
experienced this spiritual rebirth? This is the only one thing that will
determine your eternal destiny. So, if you really want to know how to
be born again, here is the answer from God's Word, the Bible.
Biblical Truth #1, Man is a sinner!
You must recognize that you are a sinner (we all are), and that you have
violated God's laws (we all have). The Bible says, “As it is written, There
is none righteous, no, not one,” and "For all have sinned, and come short of
the glory of God; (Romans 3: 10, 23).
Biblical Truth # 2, There is a Penalty for sin!
The Bible describes the penalty for SIN: “For the wages of sin is death…” (Ro.6:23a). This is defined as spiritual death, which is eternal separation from God in the Lake of Fire” (Revelation 20:15).
Biblical Truth # 3, God loves you!
The Bible tells us that God loves us: “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.” (John 3:16). That means God loves you!
Biblical Truth # 4 Jesus Christ is the Son of God!
Jesus Christ is the infinite, eternal, sinless Son of God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:1,14). On Christmas Day we celebrate the incarnation of the Son of God about 2000 years ago in a little town called Bethlehem.
Biblical Truth # 5, Jesus Christ died for you!
He died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins (and mine)
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us (Ro.5:8). God’s Son, Jesus Christ, died in your
place on the cross of Calvary, paid the penalty for your guilt, and offers
to you (and all of us) the free gift of Eternal Life. Then, He arose from
the dead to prove that He has power over death and the grave, and He
is NOW at the right hand of God making intercession for us. Wherefore he is
able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he
ever liveth to make intercession for them. (He. 7:25).
Does this mean that all people will automatically go to heaven, because
Christ died for the sins of the world? This is a good question that
requires a biblical answer. Let us see what the Bible has to say about this.
Read the next section for the answer.
Biblical Truth # 6, You must repent!
You must repent of your "current thinking." The Greek word for "repent"
literally means to change your mind. The Bible says that God “…now commandeth
all men every where to repent.” (Acts 17:30). Jesus said, “I tell you, Nay:
but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:3).
If you are relying on your own righteousness you need to
repent and acknowledge that you have no righteousness of your own. The Bible
says that "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." (Isaiah 64:6). If you
are living a sinful life, indulged in a worldy life style, then repent means to turn from your selfish, sinful life and turn to God and live
for Him.
Biblical Truth # 7, By faith you must receive Jesus Christ as
Savior and Lord!
You must, by faith, receive Christ as your
Savior and Lord. The Bible says:For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not
of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should
boast (Eph. 2:8-9); This verse sums it all up. Eternal life (heaven)
is offered by God’s GRACE, through FAITH. GRACE means God wants to give us
the gift of eternal life even though we do not deserve it, and this free
gift cannot be earned or deserved. By receiving Christ as Savior you become
a member of the family of God. “But as many as received him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
(John 1:12).
The moment you receive the Lord Jesus and place your complete
trust in Him, and Him alone as your Savior, God promises to forgive your
sins, save your soul, and reserve for you a home in heaven. Then, on the
authority of the Word of God, you can know where you will spend
eternity. God says “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. (1 John 5:13).
Biblical Truth # 8, You must now respond to these biblical truths!
Now, it is up to you. What will you do with Jesus? Will you reject Him, and
scoff at the free gift of eternal life? Do you realize that doing nothing is
a response? By ignoring these truths you are essentially saying that you are
wiser than God and that you do not believe His Word.
Please, I plead with you. Do not be like so many other people, who respond
by saying "No thank you, I am GOOD"! There is no one good except God. Every
person ever born has been born with the sinful Adamic Nature, and the only
way we can neutralize this sinful nature is by the New Birth.
Are you ready to be saved from eternal separation from God in the
Lake of Fire? You must make a choice. The Bible says: "For whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13). You can
settle this matter of eternal consequence right NOW. You see, you do have a
choice...
Cry out! "Lord Jesus, Save my soul! I repent and trust in Jesus as my Savior
and as my Lord!"
