It is said that there are two certainties of life – death and taxes.
Everyone, the rich, the poor and everyone in between will face death-the ultimate certainty. People do all kinds of things to deny the inevitable and slow down the aging process. But the irreversible fact is- that no matter what your diet, no matter how much you exercise, no matter how healthy you eat, you will still die. Death will conquer you as it has every person who has ever lived.
If you knew the moment and manner of your death in advance, would you order your life differently? Would you seek to know the truth about the afterlife – is there one? Where will it be and how can I know my destiny?
You have probably heard the saying- “If all else fails, read the owner’s manual.” Often when something new is purchased which requires assembling, we go about trying to put it together by our wisdom and understanding. When that fails, we will give in to reading the manual. The Bible is like that for us; it is our manual for life, given to us by our loving creator so that we will not have to wonder, worry or guess about Our Identity, Our Purpose or Our Destiny.
One day in the future we will have to answer answer the most important question. “Why should I let you into Heaven?”
The outline of Bible verses below tells us the Good News (GOSPEL) about Jesus plan of salvation, and the answer to the most important question.
God created us to be with Him.
John 3:16 tells us that: For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever (that includes me and you) believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Our sins separate us from God.
Romans 3:23 tells us that: Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Sin cannot be removed by good deeds.
Ephesians 2: 8-9 tells us that: Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again.
Romans 6:23 says: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Hebrews 9:28 tells us that: Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.
Mark 16:5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth,[a] who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.
Everyone who trusts in Him alone has eternal life.
Acts 3:19 says: Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.
Acts 26:20 says: I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.
Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever.
Romans 10:9 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
1 John 5:13 says: I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.
Romans 10:10 “For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Romans 10:13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
So, these verses show us the GOSPEL- the Good News about Jesus Christ!! They all confirm that we do not have to wonder about our destiny when our death moment arrives, we can KNOW! This is all great news, the best news we can ever have and as the world continues to become more and more challenging to live in. This little diagram below summarizes the verses about the plan of God’s salvation of mankind for all who will receive his free gift of forgiveness and redemption.
A couple questions we can ask ourselves to help discern whether we believe and trust the Gospel that Jesus taught are these:
- Do you know for sure that you are going to be with God in heaven when you die?
- If God were to ask you, “Why should I let you into My heaven?” What would you say?
2 Peter 3:9 says that: The Lord is not slow to keep his promise. He is not slow in the way some people understand it. Instead, he is patient with you. He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed. Instead, he wants all people to turn away from their sins.
God wants all of us to have the assurance of salvation here and now and we can if we put our trust in His Word and become a child of God.
If you are ready to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you can simply talk to God, our Father in your own words or use these words:
Father God, I believe that you sent Jesus into the world to be a sacrifice for sin, for my sin. Thank you for such a great love! I want Jesus to be my Lord and Savior; I want to receive your gift of salvation, eternal life with you. Help me to turn from my own way and follow faithfully after yours. Help me to grow in my faith as I learn more about you from the Bible.
I pray in Jesus name, Amen
If you have prayed this prayer in sincere faith, you may want to put write this date and prayer in a journal to remember your significant decision to follow Christ and trust Him as your Lord and Savior. We would love to know about your decision. Please contact us and tell us and we can further help you in your new walk with Christ.