Are
you really sure of your eternal salvation? If you were
to die today, do you know for certain that you would
go to heaven? "For we shall all stand before the
judgment seat of Christ" (Romans 14:10) Our soul
is the part of us that is going to continue to live
on forever throughout all eternity. We cannot afford
to lose it into eternal punishment. "For all have
sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans
3:23)
God
does not want anyone to be lost. 1 Timothy 2:4 says
concerning God, "Who desires all men to be saved,
and to come to the knowledge of the truth". The
fact is, God gave us a chance at eternal life. "For
God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life". But is it that easy?
Just believe and we shall be saved?
"Not
everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the
kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father
in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in Your name, and cast out demons
in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name? And
then will I declare to them, I never knew you, depart
from Me, you who practice lawlessness". (Matthew
7:21-23) If we believe and call Jesus, we are still
lost if we do not do what God says.
What
must we do to be saved? This is a very important question.
The answer is clearly written in the Bible. We must
do all of God's will, so that we can go to Heaven. Before
we can be saved, we must "come to the knowledge
of the truth." Jesus says in John 8:32, "And
you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free." What is the truth that will make us free?
BELEVE
- God has shown us the way to get to heaven. Our Lord
says in Matthew 6:33, "But seek first the kingdom
of God, and His righteousness." Going to Heaven
has got to be our number one goal in this life. To achieve
that goal, we must listen to what God tells us. "And
without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing unto
him; for he that cometh to God must believe that He
is, and that He is a rewarder of them that seek after
him." (Hebrews 11:6) In order to do the will of
the Father, we must believe in God and in Christ, otherwise
we will die in our sins and be lost. Jesus says in John
8:24, "For if you do not believe that I am He,
you will die in your sins."
REPENT
- "Truly these times of ignorance God overlooked,
but now commands all men everywhere to repent."
(Acts 17:30) God wants us to repent so we can be saved.
"Unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
(Luke 13:3) We must ask for forgiveness for our sins.
CONFESS
- "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him
I will also confess before My Father who is in Heaven.
But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny
before my Father who is in Heaven." (Matthew 10:32-33)
We must not be ashamed to confess to other people that
we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. "For
whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous
and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will
be ashamed when he comes in the glory of His Father
with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38)
BE
BAPTIZED - "And now why are you waiting? Arise,
and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on
the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:16) Have you been
baptized for the purpose of having your sins washed
away? If you have not, then you still have a sin problem.
"He
who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who
does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16)
LIVE
A CHRISTIAN LIFE - "Therefore if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation: old things have passed away; behold,
all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
We have now been purified in Christ's name. We are to
endeavor to obey God. "He who says, I know Him,
and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the
truth is not in him." (1 John 2:4) We must do all
of God's will, so that we can go to Heaven. "And
having been perfected, He became the author of eternal
salvation to all them that obey Him." (Hebrews
5:9) Yes, we must obey our Lord, if we expect Him to
save us.
