Questions and Answers

How Can I Know If I Am Going To Go To Heaven?
By Adam Bartlett

There are many religions and beliefs in the world today and each of them tell you that their way will get you to heaven. Many beliefs sound good and offer answers to many questions that people have. Unfortunately a lot of these answers are not in line with what God says to be true. Unless a religion or belief expresses sole reliance on the Word of God as its authority and does not take it out of context to fit a certain doctrine they cannot be trusted. The Bible is God’s Word to man and it must remain as the ultimate authority and it must be used to validate any belief or doctrine. Regardless of what men may say God has not endorsed any other books or formulas to get to heaven other that what He says in the Bible. Let’s look at what the Bible says regarding this topic.

What the Bible says


John 3
3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. "
4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.


John 3
16 "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.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.


John 3
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

Matthew 7
21 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'
23 Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Matthew 10
32 "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
33 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.


John 15
1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.


James 1
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.


By faith we believe and accept what Jesus done for us by inviting Him into our hearts to rule our lives. Then we act on our belief and make the changes in our life according to what His word says. There are many that ‘believe’ but do not live according to that belief. Jesus said that if we do what He asks us to do then we are His disciples. This doesn’t mean we will be perfect; you will still make mistakes and sin. The difference is that with Christ in your heart you do not want to sin and you do your best to avoid sin. When we do sin, we ask for forgiveness and try not to do it again by asking for His strength in that area. Only God can and will give us the power to do this.

There are many in the world today that claims to be Christians and they cause many people to stumble because they are not living a Christian life. People who are not Christians look at them and they are discouraged and do not accept Christ because of the example they are seeing. They say within themselves, “why would I need to be saved when they doing the same things I am?” A valid question indeed and that is why it is so important for Christians to indeed be living according to the standards we should be. People who are not saved are looking for reasons and excuses to not change their lives and these professing Christians are an easy way out for them.

We must live everyday the best we can for Christ and strive to be as much like Him as we can. It is not easy and He never said it would be, in fact He said just the opposite. We should expect persecution and assaults on us because the world does not like us. If the world does like us and accept us then according to Jesus we are not living right.

If we stay in the Word and pray and seek Him for guidance and do the best we can each day then we are headed in the right direction. We will make mistakes and we will sin, but when we do pray for forgiveness and ask for strength to not fall into that same sin again. Fellowship with other Christians and not the world, yes, we have to be in this world but we do not have to be a part of it. We need to witness to the world about what we have in us that has changed us. Be in a church that believes the “whole” Bible and teaches it and does not tolerate false teachings.

Stick with the Word over what men may say. Scripture must be the final authority and not just one verse but scripture must verify scripture. Timothy gives us the answer regarding this:

2 Timothy 2
15: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16: But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.


2 Timothy 3
14: But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15: And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16: All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.


I believe that our salvation is secure as long as we stay with God and His word and live it the best we can. I do not agree with the many that believe in eternal security which says that once you are saved you can never lose it. I encourage you to read the information at the link below for a more in depth study on this topic.

http://www.bibleheadquarters.org/IsEternalSecurityScriptural1.html

http://www.bibleheadquarters.org/EternalSecurityDebatedbyScripture.html

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