What is it, when does it begin, and most importantly, how does one obtain it? Eternal life is what Jesus promised to those who accept Him as their personal Savior and Lord. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." This passage is found in the Bible in John 3:16. It is God's promise to live forever with Him in heaven. It begins immediately for those who accept Christ as their Savior and Lord. Jesus said, "I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly." This verse is found in John 10:10. Eternal life actually begins on earth. The benefits of accepting Christ are not just in some distant place we call heaven. It begins in the here and now! It does mean that when we leave this life and world that we will spend eternity in heaven with God. The opposite is also true. Those who do not receive Jesus as their Savior and Lord will spend eternity separated from God in a place called hell. Eternal life is obtained through a step of faith. You can remember how to have it by using the letters in the word "FAITH."
Forgiveness
is something we all want. Sometimes we try to earn each
other's forgiveness by giving gifts - like roses. We cannot
have eternal life and heaven without God's forgiveness. The
Bible says,
"In him
(meaning
Jesus)
we have redemption (meaning to be set free from the harm of sin)
through his blood,
(Jesus
became our sacrifice when he died on the cross)
the forgiveness of sins
(meaning
our sins are wiped out)." (Ephesians 1:7a)
Forgiveness
is available. God does not pick and choose who He will make
forgiveness available for. It is available for all!
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
The "whoever" means literally anybody and everybody. But,
God's forgiveness is not automatic. Jesus said,
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord.' will enter the kingdom
of heaven."
(Matthew 7:21a) Something must take place in the life of a
person to receive God's forgiveness and eternal life.
It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven. This does not mean that God is hateful and uncaring. In John 3:16 quoted above, we see that God loves us so much that He sacrificed his only Son so that we could experience His forgiveness and eternal life. But God is a just God when it comes to dealing with sin. In fact, James 2:13 says, "For judgment comes without mercy." God declares judgment on sin. Who is sinful? Everyone! Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." God is perfect in every way and we are not. It is that simple. So the question is, how can a sinful person enter heaven, where God allows no sin? That brings us to T.
Driving
down the wrong road too long can lead to problems - even disaster.
Sometimes we get advice to turn or change direction - but we don't
listen. Turn means to repent. God is asking you to
repent, to turn from sin and selfish desires. Jesus said,
"But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
This
means all of those who don't repent, or turn from sin, will spend
eternity separated from God. It is not enough just to turn
from something. We must turn to someone - that someone is
Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us,
"Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was
buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the
Scriptures."
Jesus
did this to take care of our sin problem. But, there is
something we must do. The Bible says,
"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe
in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Saved from what? Your sin and the result of it - separation
from God.
Heaven
is eternal life. Eternal life begins in the here and now.
Jesus said,
"I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly."
It is also life in the hereafter. Jesus said,
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take
you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
After
God raised Jesus from the dead He received Him in heaven. That
is where Jesus has been since He was resurrected. For those
who leave this world by death, and have received Jesus as Savior and
Lord, He receives them into heaven too - and they will stay there
for all eternity! How can a person have God's forgiveness,
heaven, and eternal life, and Jesus as their personal Savior and
Lord?
It is through a step of faith.
It is possible by forsaking all and trusting Christ Jesus. Jesus died for you. Will you receive Him as your Savior and Lord? You can do so by praying the following prayer and meaning it with all of your heart. "Dear Jesus, I believe that you died on the cross for my sins and that you rose from the grave. I now ask you to forgive me of my sins and to save my soul. Amen."
If you
prayed this prayer and meant it...
Welcome to the Family of God!
You will
want to let your new family know about your decision.
Remember, Jesus was not ashamed to die for you and He doesn't want
you to be ashamed of your relationship with Him. Contact us at
First Baptist Church and let us know about your decision - we really
want to know! We also want to help you on your new spiritual
journey to grow as a disciple of Christ. If you did not pray
this prayer but want to know more about God and his love for you, we
invite you to enroll in one of our Bible study classes that meet
every Sunday morning at 9:45. In these Bible study groups you
will find people who have committed their life to Christ and some
who may not have made this decision yet. Remember, God loves
you and at
First Baptist Church we do too!
Give us a chance and we will show you!