I am a Christian.
Jesus Christ is my Savior and Lord. I belong to Him, purchased by His precious blood on the cross. I trust in Christ and in Him alone for my eternal salvation. I have been reborn, given a new life, in the Holy Spirit. There is only one way to become a Christian and that’s by believing that Jesus is your Savior. What exactly do you need to be saved from?
You Must Be in Jesus to Get to Heaven.
Ask yourself, if you were suddenly standing before the judgment throne of God, what would happen to your soul? Would God invite you to live with Him forever in paradise, or would He sentence you to the Lake of Fire, infamously known as Hell?
I can’t imagine that anyone, in their right mind, would want to spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. Even people who say that they’d rather go to Hell because their friends will be there, deep down, would rather live in eternal bliss than eternal agony. I’m guessing that you, dear reader, would rather spend eternity in comfort and abundance, not in a pit of torture.
You would, therefore, ask God to send you to eternal paradise. What if God then asked you why you deserve to enter paradise? Perhaps you would say it’s because of your life achievements, contributions to society, good looks, wealth, athleticism, volunteer efforts, intellect, creativity, work ethic, church attendance, faithfulness to religious rituals, or a one-time commitment you made to Jesus without having thought about Him ever since. If this is the case, then you’re in for a disappointment. You are currently heading down the highway to Hell. It’s time to make a U-turn and get on the pathway to Heaven.
There is only one way by which God will let a human into Heaven. The way is Jesus. Do you belong to Jesus? Do you believe that Jesus died to save you from your sins? Has Jesus given you a new life in the Holy Spirit?
You Honestly Believe Hell Is a Real Place?
Yes. God tells us in His Word, the Bible, that He has prepared the Lake of Fire, or Hell, as a place of punishment for Satan and his demons (Matthew 25:41). Hell was never intended for humans, but when the first humans, Adam and Eve, believed the lies of Satan and ate the fruit God had forbidden them to eat, they became like Satan—destined for Hell.
Through Adam and Eve, sin entered the human race, and any human who descended from them, as in, all humans, would inherit a corrupted body and a soul bent on sinning against God. God, who is utterly perfect, cannot tolerate even the smallest amount of corruption and sin. Thus, He would have to banish all humans from His presence. All humans would end up in Hell, separated from God forever. But God didn’t create humans to live apart from Him in Hell. He created us to live with Him forever in paradise.
And, no, it’s not unfair of God to punish all humans for the sin of Adam and Eve. When the first humans ate the forbidden fruit, they did what every other human born after them would have done.
How Could God Keep Humans From Going to Hell?
God could have executed Adam and Eve on the spot, which would have ended the human race, thereby, making it impossible for future humans to enter Hell. But then, God would be without humans altogether, and that’s not what He’d intended for humankind. He intended for us to be with Him, to be loved by Him, as His children.
God’s second option was to send a Savior, a new Adam—a sinless Adam—through whom humans could be reborn without sin. That would take care of our corruption and make us fit for God’s presence again. Thankfully, that’s just what God did. He sent His own Son, Jesus, to live perfectly, as Adam had failed to live, and to take our sin upon Himself when He was crucified on the cross. Our sin died with Jesus, making it possible for humans to have a clean soul. All a human has to do to receive a clean soul is believe that Jesus is Savoir.
If we trust in Jesus to cleanse our sins, when we die and meet God face to face, He will see the righteousness of Christ in place of our sins, and He will accept us as clean. God will finalize the perfection of our souls at that time. We won’t even want to sin against Him anymore. How awesome will that be?
In the meantime, as we live on this side of life, we still mess up and sin, but we can be sure that Jesus’ blood takes away all our sins—past, present, and future (John 19:30, Hebrews 10:10).
If My Sin Is Gone, Can I Do Whatever I Want?
Just because Christ’s blood takes away our future sins doesn’t mean we should go on sinning. We should strive to be holy as God is holy. If we keep willfully sinning against God, we are hypocrites, and we will not be able to effectively proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ or carry out the work God has for us.
In the end, failing to pursue righteous living could cost us the eternal rewards that God promises to give to His children for overcoming temptations, sharing the gospel with others, shepherding God’s people, keeping watch for Christ’s second coming, and enduring suffering and persecution without complaining against Him.
Worse still, persisting in sin without feeling bad about it could mean that you haven’t actually been saved. The Bible tells us that anyone who practices sin does not belong to God (1 John 3:6). If you’ve truly been reborn, the Holy Spirit is in you and you won’t be able to practice sin (1 John 3:9). If you’re truly God’s child and you do fall into sin, He will chastise you (Hebrews 12:6).
A true believer may struggle with sin, but the danger is when we sin and there’s no struggle to get out of it. Complacency in sin means you’re practicing sin, which means, you need Jesus ASAP. Repent and believe on Jesus while there’s still time!
What About Our Bodies? They Still Die and Decay.
God is too Holy to be around death and decay. We can’t live on the New Earth with a perfect and immortal God unless our bodies are also perfect and immortal.
When God banished Adam and Eve from the garden, they lost access to the Tree of Life, eating from which kept their bodies immortal. Because they’d failed to stay loyal to God’s Word during their time of testing, their bodies would no longer receive God’s supernatural nourishment, and they would break down and die. Such would be the fate of all human bodies. The Bible tells us the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
Unlike Adam, Jesus passed each and every single one of God’s tests. He was faithful to the point of dying on the cross. Far from paradise, nailed to a tree of death, Jesus did not give in to the temptation to get Himself down. He didn’t even accept herbs to numb the pain. Without complaint, with a heart filled with compassion for the people His death would save, with nail-pierced hands, Jesus won back the immortality Adam had lost. As proof, God raised Jesus to life three days later. Jesus was the first human (the God-man) that God raised from the dead into an immortal body.
As the rest of Romans 6:23 assures us, humans can now receive God’s gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. Anyone who trusts in what Jesus did on the cross will inherit His immortality. We, like Jesus, will be raised into a perfect body on the day of our redemption (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
Because of Jesus, humans can now be reborn with perfect souls and bodies. We can be made perfect in every way, just as God is perfect, and we can, thereby, live with God eternally. We don’t have to be cast out of His presence and sent to Hell. God made a way out of Hell for us. Jesus is the way. Notice that God did not send a savior to Satan and the fallen angels (aka, demons). Satan and the demons are bound for the fires of Hell without the hope of a Messiah. But because of Jesus, not a single human has to go to Hell. Every human has the chance to escape the eternal fires and live eternally with God. All anyone has to do is accept Jesus as Savior.
What About the People Who Died Before Jesus’ Time?
Anyone who predated Jesus and looked forward to His coming, who believed that the Messiah would arrive on the earth, as God had promised through His prophets, also belongs to God. These saints, called Old Testament Saints, will also be resurrected to eternal life with God (Daniel 12:1-2).
If God Loves Humans, Why Do Some Still Go to Hell?
God created us as humans, not robots. Humans can either choose to love God, to live by His rules (rules that are for our own good), or we can choose to reject Him and live according to our own rules. God would never force a person to choose Him because that would violate the very nature He created within us.
Think about it, do you want friends who have been pre-programmed to love you, or would you prefer to be with people who genuinely love you and choose to be in your company? Anyone in their right mind would desire the latter. In the same way, God desires genuine love and respect from humans, not empty flattery from robotic minions. A human cannot genuinely choose to love and respect God unless he also has the opportunity to reject Him.
Some humans will choose to love God and live according to His ways. Others will not. People who reject God are essentially saying they’d rather live without Him. God will respect this wish and send such humans to the only place in the universe where His presence cannot be found—the Lake of Fire.
Imagine a place so devoid of God and His love that it continually burns, day and night, and the only sounds that can be heard are weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. That is Hell. You don’t have to go there. No one does. The choice is yours.
Please note that I will not be addressing what the Bible says about election and predestination. I can only cover so much. Feel free to research those topics on your own.
If God Loves Humans, Why Is There Evil and Suffering in the World?
Bad things happen because Satan is still the “god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Jesus will come and fix that soon. Also, the world is populated by us—sinners. Creation is groaning for the day when God’s children will be resurrected and rule the earth perfectly, in accordance with God’s will (Romans 8:18-23). Sure, God could send Satan to the Lake of Fire now and give us all resurrected bodies right away, but He’s chosen not to do that. He has set the appointed times for those events. We must trust that God is good and that He’s timed the events just so for a good reason.
Are You Trying to Scare Me Into Accepting Jesus?
No. I’m just telling you the truth. Hell is real, and it’s scary. A healthy fear of Hell can motivate you to learn more about how to escape it through Jesus. Ultimately, I pray your decision to follow Christ comes from an appreciation for what He did for you on the cross, not from the fear of Hell.
How Does a Person Accept God?
A human accepts God by believing that Jesus is our only hope of reconciliation with Him. Jesus is God’s greatest gift to humans, and those who receive this gift, receive God Himself. We receive Jesus when we believe He died on the cross to remove our sin and that God raised Him from the dead three days later.
What About People Who Die Without Hearing of Jesus?
There are two categories of people who will never hear about Jesus—those who can’t physically comprehend the message of Jesus due to age or physical limitations, such as babies, and those who will never encounter information about Jesus during their lifetimes.
Many Bible passages suggest that all babies go to heaven (Deuteronomy 1:39, 2 Samuel 12:22-23, Job 3:11-19, Matthew 18:10, Luke 18:15-16, etc.). Babies are born with a sinful nature, inherited from Adam, but they are unspotted from willful sins against God until they’re able to understand the difference between good and evil.
There is still much debate about what happens to morally accountable adults who never get the chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. I hold the position that if God reveals Himself to all humans in creation, then those who seek to know more about Him will eventually encounter Jesus. If an isolated people group desires to know more, then God will raise up a missionary to go to them, or God Himself will reveal Jesus by giving people within the group dreams and visions. If, however, a person sees evidence of God in creation but does not seek to know more about him, then that person will never encounter Jesus and will perish in unbelief. I don’t hold this position firmly, as there is much debate over the topic.
In the end, we must remember that God is just and good and that it’s His job to judge human souls. We must trust that God’s ways are perfect and He will judge perfectly. We need not criticize His decisions nor worry that He will treat anyone unjustly. It would be against God’s nature to make an unfair or inaccurate ruling about any situation—ever—and that includes the judgment of human souls.
Why Can’t God Accept Me the Way I Am?
God’s standard for entrance into Heaven is perfection. Total holiness. You are not perfect. I am not perfect. No human is perfect. Romans 3:23 tells us all humans have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. If you have sinned even once, you do not meet God’s standard to enter Heaven.
There is nothing you and I, or any other human, can do to make ourselves perfect. We cannot take away our own sins. Even if you died to pay for your sins, your death would not be enough.
Not to mention, no human has a perfect body. From conception to the grave, our bodies are riddled with blemishes and illness. Even the fittest humans are prone to weakness and death and are, thereby, unfit for God’s presence. If you want to live with our perfect and immortal God in the next life, you will need a perfect and immortal body. Humans have certainly found ways to extend our lives, but we will never be able to resurrect ourselves into perfect and immortal bodies.
Only God can resurrect and perfect our bodies, as He did with Christ’s body. Christ was the first human (the God-man) to receive a perfect and immortal body. God will give all who belong to Christ the same gift—perfect and immortal bodies. Only then, are we fit to live with God, in body and soul, forever.
Who, Then, Can Enter Heaven?
Only Jesus is perfect, in body and soul, so Jesus is the only human (the God-man) who is worthy to enter Heaven. The only way any other human can enter Heaven is by trusting in Jesus.
What’s So Special About Jesus?
Jesus is both human and God, a boast no one else can make. The debt for human sin is so big that only God can pay the price. Because Jesus is both God and human, only His death satisfies our sin debt. Only Jesus, because He is God and human, can bridge the gap between God and humans. Only Jesus, because He is God and human, is worthy to enter Heaven. Only Jesus can open the door of Heaven for those who belong to Him.
Jesus is the door (John 10:7). Jesus is the way, the only way, to salvation (Acts 4:12). “Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me” (John 14:6).
What Must I Do To Be Saved?
You can be saved for eternity, at this very moment, by simply trusting that Jesus Christ paid for all your sins when He died on the cross. Admit you’re a sinner in need of saving and believe. The minute you believe that Jesus came to Earth in the flesh, died for your sins, and was raised to life, God credits Christ’s perfection to you and gives you the Holy Spirit. Then, and only then, are you fit to be in God’s presence. Then, and only then, can the Father welcome you, as His child, to live with Him forever in paradise (John 1:12).
All I Have to Do Is Believe? It Seems Too Easy.
Yup. That really is it. God doesn’t want anyone to suffer eternal punishment (2 Peter 3:9), so He made salvation as simple as possible. Just believe. That’s all you have to do. Believe that Christ died for your sins according to the scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again on the third day according to the scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Jesus is The Son of God, The Messiah, The Savior of the World.
Believe, receive the Holy Spirit, and be saved for eternity!
What Happens If I Reject Jesus?
The greatest sin a human can commit is unbelief in Jesus. Unbelief is the only sin God will not forgive. The Bible tells us that those who reject Jesus as Savior will suffer eternal punishment and separation from God (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
I Believe That Jesus Alone Is Savior. Now What?
Keep believing that Jesus is the only way to God.
Turn away from all sin, sinful thoughts, destructive speech, the empty pleasures of this life, false religions, and self-made beliefs. Stop trusting in the systems of this world for your security and happiness. (Acts 2:38, 2 Chronicles 7:14). Trust God alone.
Listen to the Holy Spirit. God promises to send the Spirit to all who belong to Jesus (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit dwells with each believer, seals us for the day of resurrection, empowers us for ministry, and teaches us God’s ways as we follow Jesus (John 14:23-26, Ephesians 4:30).
Live as a child of God, talking to Him continually in prayer. Listen to Him by studying His Word, the Bible, daily. Worship God and pursue friendships with other believers. Try joining a church and ask about baptism.
Do as Christ commands in His great commission, and tell everyone about Jesus. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Keep watching and praying for the blessed appearance of Christ, at which time all who are in Him will receive resurrected bodies, just as He lives in a resurrected body (1 Corinthians 15:52-54).
Favorite Resources for Studying the Bible
There are many good Bible study tools on the internet. These are just a few to get you started.
BibleGateway
Free online Bible in multiple translations. The audio Bible feature lets you listen to the Bible anywhere.
Blue Letter Bible
A great tool for studying the Bible, comparing different translations, doing an in-depth word study, and more.
E-Sword
A downloadable study tool that lets you locate Bible passages, commentaries, and dictionary entries.
Bible Hub
All kinds of searchable Bible tools.
BibleRef
Easy to understand Bible commentary.
Favorite Bible Teachers, Lecture Series, and Studies
Understanding God’s word, the Bible, does not come naturally to our human minds. Sometimes we need guidance, as did the Ethiopian eunuch who asked Philip the Evangelist to explain to him the scroll of Isaiah (Acts 8:31-32).
The best teacher and guide we have is the Holy Spirit. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit has also gifted some believers with the skill of teaching others how to study God’s word.
I’ve listed a few of my favorite Bible teachers below. The people on this list are human and, thereby, subject to human error. I don’t agree with everything they teach, but I have benefited enough from their work to recommend them. Always check any teachings you hear against the Bible, and ask God to reveal the truth to you.
Dr. Andy Woods
Free lectures on Sugarland Bible Church website and YouTube.
Dr. Ken Johnson
Free studies and live videos about the Bible and extrabiblical Dead Sea Scrolls are available on his Bible Facts website and YouTube. Johnson has also authored many fascinating books.
Verse-by-Verse Ministry International
Verse-by-verse Bible studies from the late Steven Armstrong and others on the website and YouTube.
Michael Pearl
Pearl posts instructional Bible teachings available on his YouTube channel. He has also written many books, and you can support many evangelistic ministries through his website.
Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum
Fruchtenbaum has written many books and created resources from a Messianic Jewish perspective, which are available at Ariel.org. If you are at all interested in studying Biblical prophecy, The Footsteps of the Messiah is a must-read. Several churches have posted free lectures from Fruchtenbaum on their YouTube channels. A free collection of some of his lectures can be found here.
Pastor Tim Henderson
Pastor Tim shares End Times news, passionate gospel presentations, and sermons on various websites and YouTube.
The Jerusalem Channel – Exploits TV
Biblical End Time updates from Christine Darg.
https://subsplash.com/jerusalemchannel/media
https://www.youtube.com/user/JerusalemChannel
Chosen People Ministries
A solid organization with an emphasis on ministry and evangelism to the Jewish people. Many educational resources are available through the website, including a podcast and YouTube videos.
https://www.chosenpeople.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/ChosenPeopleUSA
https://ourhopepodcast.com/
One For Israel
Another great organization that works to make Jesus known to Jews and Gentiles throughout the world. Lots of online resources and a highly informative podcast.
https://www.oneforisrael.org/
https://www.oneforisrael.org/podcast/
The “I Met Messiah” testimonies are well worth watching: https://www.oneforisrael.org/met-messiah-jewish-testimonies/
Scripture Memorization and Bible Teachings for Kids and Adults
One of the best ways to commit Bible verses to memory is through songs. I use the following resources to teach scripture to my children, and I end up learning lots too.
My Father’s World
A wonderful Christian homeschool curriculum. MFW teaches children academics while grounding them in God’s truths. Website here.
Seed Family Worship
Media and memory verse songs are available on their Seeds Family Worship website and YouTube channel.
Bible Mom
YouTube videos that teach simple object lessons and Bible memorization. It’s like having a Sunday School teacher in your home.
The Torchlighters – Heroes of the Faith
Short movies about persecuted Christians throughout history. Available on The Torhclighters website and YouTube.
RedeemTV
Free (donor-funded), ad-free Christian movies, Bible studies, animated videos, and more. Our family can’t get enough of Pilgrim’s Progress (2019 version).
https://redeemtv.com/
Vision Video
The Vision Video website and YouTube channel host educational and entertaining Christian videos for kids and adults. Our family can’t get enough of Pilgrim’s Progress.
The Torchlighters – Heroes of the Faith
Short movies about Christians who have been persecuted throughout history. Available on The Torhclighters website and YouTube.
Superbook
All kinds of Bible resources for kids. Our favorite is the Superbook TV show, full episodes available on the Superbook website and YouTube.
Slugs and Bugs
Bible-based music and videos for children.
https://slugsandbugs.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/SlugsandBugs/featured
Superbook
All kinds of Bible resources for kids. Our favorite is the Superbook TV show, full episodes available on the Superbook website and YouTube.
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