Knowing God and Eternal Life

The Lord knew that the years we spend in this lifetime are nothing compared with the eternity we'll spend after it. So, the question each of us must answer is: "Where will I spend eternity?"

The Bible is very clear - you can know that you're on your way to heaven. You can make a conscious decision in this life that will guarantee you eternal life. The only other option is truly unthinkable: an eternity of condemnation apart from any hope of forgiveness.

Take a look at what the Bible says about how you can know for sure you're on your way to heaven. Consider these three things:

  • Your current spiritual condition
  • How God has provided a solution
  • How you can personally apply God's solution.

Your current spiritual condition

The Bible is very clear about this issue. Every human being who has ever been born (except for Jesus Christ) has been born with a spiritual problem: SIN.

The Bible says it this way:

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
Romans 3:23

This means that every person in the world has failed to measure up to God's standard of perfection. The Bible calls each specific failure sin. Sin is anything in our lives that is contrary to the perfect character of God - and that includes our attitudes as well as our actions.

Have you ever had a bad attitude, been just a little selfish, told a small lie? The Bible is clear, such things are contrary to God's perfect character. In other words, they are sins.

If you want to be sure you're on your way to heaven, you must agree with this fact: you have sinned. Once you arrive at that conclusion, there is another thing you need to realize. It is simple and straightforward, though not especially pleasant.

The Bible explains it like this:

"For the wages of sin are death ..."
Romans 6:23

In other words, there is a penalty to be paid for sin. Just as we expect to get what we deserve when we work for someone (our wages), we can to expect to get what we deserve for our sins. The wage paid for our sins is physical death.

Now, if physical death was the ultimate penalty, we wouldn't have anything to worry about. We could just eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die! But the Bible clearly states that physical death is not the end of our existence.

"... it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment."
Hebrews 9:27

There are two appointments which each of us will keep. The first one is with death. The second one is with God. Both are absolutely certain; none of us will miss either of them.

The question each of us must face, then, is: "On what basis will we be judged?"

In the last book of the Bible, we find a detailed description of the final judgment.

"... and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works."
Revelation 20:12

God has a record of everything that every human being has ever done. Each person standing in this judgment will be judged on the basis of those things, what the Bible calls their works.

Now here's the problem. This judgment is on the basis of all the things you've ever done, including your sins. That means you will be judged for your sins - for your failure to measure up to God's standards. There are no scales to weigh your good against your bad. The fact that there is any bad at all means you're in big trouble. Every person who stands before this judgment will fall short.

The Bible is clear:

"... and they were ... cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."
Revelation 20:13, 14

If you stand before God in judgment for your works, which include sin, you will be condemned for all of eternity. There is nothing you can do on your own to change this situation. It is already too late. Once you accept this truth, you must face this question: Is there any hope at all?

God's Solution

God knew that mankind would need a solution to the problem of sin. So He provided a solution in a way no one would ever have expected. God Himself decided to become a man, a perfect and sinless man, and pay the penalty for mankind's sins. Then He freely offered this payment to all who would accept it.

The Bible explains it like this:

"... the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 6:23

God's gift to us is similar to the gifts we give each other in at least at couple of ways:

  • A gift must be paid for by the person giving it.
  • The person to whom the gift is given must accept it, otherwise the gift is of no value to him or her.

The Bible explains that God paid for the gift of eternal life Himself. He did this by having His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, die in our place for our sins. He paid the penalty for our sins and the price for our eternal life.

The Bible says it this way:

"For Christ has also once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God ..."
I Peter 3:18

In other words, Jesus Christ took our place and paid our penalty so that we can have eternal life. In light of this truth, the next question you need to answer is: Do you want to accept God's gift?

Remember, a gift is of no value to you if you don't accept it. You may be asking, then, How do I accept God's gift? When you receive any gift, you do it by accepting the package it comes in. God's gift of eternal life comes in a very special package - the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here's how the Bible explains it:

"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."
I John 5:11, 12

You receive God's gift of eternal life, then, by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. This is God's solution to your spiritual problem. The obvious question, then, is: "How do I accept Christ as Saviour?"

Personally Applying God's Solution

We receive Christ as Savior by admitting and accepting the truth about Him, and then calling upon Him in prayer to save us.

The Bible puts it like this:

"... if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved ... For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Romans 10:9, 13

If you believe what the Bible says about these things - that you need a Savior because of your sins; that Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again - then you can have eternal life and forgiveness of sin by accepting Christ as your Savior right now.

Simply tell the Lord in your own words that you believe these things, and ask Christ to be your personal Lord and Savior. Be assured He will do just that.

If you would like to learn more about what you have just read, please email us at tbcpastor@charter.net or give us a call at 508-752-6731. We welcome the opportunity to talk with you about what God has done for you, and the joy he can bring to your life.


With Love,
~The TBCfamily