THE BIG QUESTION
Everyone knows that death brings us face to face with God. And if things aren't what they should be, the idea is frightening. Many push it out of their mind until it's too late. Surely you are wiser than that. The question?
"If you had died the minute you started to read this, do you have the assurance that you would be in heaven?"
Your response might be, "I try my best to do good to others. I try to live by the Golden Rule and I don't see why I should not go to heaven"
But the Word of God says: "All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God" (Romans 3:23). "There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10). "A man is not justified by the works of the Law" (Galatians2:16). "for if righteousness could be gained through the law (good works), Christ died for nothing!" (Galatians 2:21). The first step you should take towards getting assurance of going to heaven is to ADMIT that you are a sinner and that GOOD WORKS are not good enough to save you.
You might also say, "it is up to God to decide whether I go to heaven or not". Yes, God makes the final decision of letting anyone go to heaven, but God's decision is based on our decision to follow His plan of salvation. If you admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself by your own good works, and accept the salvation God has provided for you through His Son Jesus Christ, He has already decided for you to go to heaven. You just have to accept what He has already provided.
What must I do to be saved?
The Bible clearly specifies what we are to do to be saved.
1. Admit that you are a sinner in need of a savior because you cannot save yourself.
2. Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross on your behalf, to pay the penalty for your sins.
3. Confess all your sins. You don't have to remember them all, just sincerely pray "God, have mercy on me a sinner". This is called Repentance.
4. Decide to follow Jesus Christ for the rest of your life and accept him into your heart. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him" (Rev. 3:20).
If you are willing, please pray this prayer from your heart.
Prayer of repentance
"Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner and I cannot save myself by doing good works. I believe that you died for my sins and shed your blood to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I ask you to forgive all the sins I committed up to this moment. I open the door of my heart and invite you into my life. I accept you as my Lord and savior. I thank you for accepting me as your child and giving me a new beginning. AMEN"
If you sincerely prayed this prayer, the Word of God assures you that you have become a child of God, "To as many as received him, to them he gave the power to become a child of God." (John 1:12)
If you just made the decision to give your life to the Lord read "what next" and our follow up booklet titled "Receiving Christ"..