How to Know You are
Going to Heaven

I. Man’s Problem...

    “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure...

“Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind...” 
                                                -King Solomon, from Ecclesiastes 2:10-11(NIV) -The Bible

   These sad words were written by one who would seem to be one of the least likely men on earth to have such a hopeless outlook on life. King Solomon, ruler in Israel about 1000 years before Christ, was one of the wisest and wealthiest men that has ever lived. Yet, when he sought to find happiness and contentment through the pleasures and possessions this world has to offer, he was desperately disappointed.

   As one observes these writings of King Solomon, the society in which we live, or for that matter, the entire course of human history, it is evident that most people lead empty, unfulfilled lives. They sense that they are missing something and spend their entire lives attempting to satisfy this feeling of incompleteness through wealth, popularity, possessions, illicit sex, a career, or any other venture which seems to offer fulfillment and satisfaction. When these pursuits fail to produce any lasting happiness, and they always do, one is left confused and depressed with seemingly nowhere to turn as he continues his search for contentment and peace of mind.

   At this point, one may turn to religion; but, sadly, he, like many others, may not go to a church that teaches the Bible accurately and, depending on the person, he may either be led astray by the false teaching or "turned off" to church altogether by the same. 
   When one's attempt to find help by seeking out God is initially met with disappointment, things can seem completely hopeless, and some may then rely on alcohol or drugs to cope with the terrible sense of having nowhere else to turn.  While alcohol and drugs do provide a short relief from the pain, it is quickly evident that they do nothing to relieve one’s problems. Instead, they only serve to make them worse, fast. Realizing this, one may turn to other forms of escape such as television, movies, collecting, music, sports, or reading. Some take to the road and travel, hoping that they will find whatever it is they are looking for just around the next bend. Whatever one chooses, it may help him forget his sorrow for a time, but the distraction is short-lived, and the nagging void in his life remains.

   Days turn into months and months into years, and the emptiness of one's life becomes increasingly apparent as he grows older. Friends and family which he once could count on change, move, or pass away; hobbies which once occupied his spare time lose their novelty, and goals which he has pursued all his life, having been achieved, leave him unfulfilled. For some, escaping from the futility and sorrow of life becomes more important than life itself, and, along with over one million others every year, they commit suicide (World Health Organization statistic for the year 2000).

   Every man is born with this inner restlessness, and the search for the "meaning of life" is universal. The root problem behind this terrible sense of emptiness in the heart of man goes all the way back to when the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, sinned against God. Because of their fateful decision, everyone is born into this world with a sinful nature. This sinful nature (the inner tendency to disobey God), along with the acts of sin we commit every day, prevents us from having the relationship with God we were created to have.

  But your iniquities (sins) have separated you from your God...
                                                                                           Isaiah 59:2 (NIV)

...for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
                                                                                            Romans 3:23 (KJV)

II. God's Solution...

  All life ultimately comes from God, and one's spiritual life consists of a personal relationship with Him. Just as physical death is the separation of a man's spirit from his body, spiritual death is the separation of one's spirit from God because of sin. 

  Without a relationship with God, man is incomplete, and no experience or possession this world has to offer will satisfy the emptiness he feels inside. He feels this emptiness because he is spiritually dead, separated from God by his sin. Worst of all, if nothing is done about this sin, he is doomed to spend all of eternity separated from God in hell - created by God to be a place of eternal punishment and confinement for satan and the other angels (now referred to as demons) who followed him in his rebellion.

  Any happiness man may enjoy outside of God's love will be short-lived and hollow, and all of one's greatest achievements will be meaningless if he is not at peace with Him. It is because of this terrible situation that mankind is in that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to become a Man and to take the penalty for our sins upon Himself...

   For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God.
                                                                                                    I Peter 3:18 (KJV)

          When man's religion strays from the truth, one of the most common false teachings that occurs is that man can and must get to Heaven by "living a good life" and/or by following some list of religious rules and rituals.  If man was capable of "earning" his way to Heaven, however, there would have been no reason for Christ to die for our sins!

       I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!
                                                                                                 Galatians 2:21 (NIV)

   Because Jesus has paid the penalty for our sin, however, God is now able to offer complete and permanent forgiveness as well as an eternal home in Heaven. All that He requires is that you go to Him in prayer and...

1. Admit your sinfulness and your need for His forgiveness.                          
2. Acknowledge that Jesus paid the penalty for all of your sin on the cross.
3. Ask, with a repentant heart*, for God's forgiveness and for Him to come into your life and take control.
             
       *(a heart that is willing to turn from sin with the strength God promises to provide)

   If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
                                                                                                       I John 1:9 (KJV)

   For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
                                                                                             Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)

   He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
                                                                                               Proverbs 28:13 (KJV)

   If you accept God's offer, He promises you the joy of knowing your sins are forgiven and the assurance of being able to look forward to spending the rest of forever in Heaven and on a newly-created earth where there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain

  And I saw a new Heaven and a new earth: for the first Heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great Voice out of Heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
   And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
                                                                                            Revelation 21:1-5 (KJV)

III. Your Decision

   God does not want anyone to face the penalty for their sin, but desires that all of us would accept His free offer of forgiveness so that we can live under His guidance and blessing here on earth and spend eternity with Him in Heaven.

   If we choose not to accept His offer, we choose to spend a miserable existence here on earth - trying to find fulfillment in things that promise much but will never satisfy.  If we choose not to accept His offer, we choose to spend all of eternity separated from God in hell as we pay the penalty for our sin ourselves - The decision is up to us.

   And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
   And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat upon it, from whose Face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne; and books were opened: and another book was opened, which is The Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.
  And the sea gave up the dead that were in it; and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, even the lake of fire.  And if any was not found written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the lake of fire.
                                                                                      Revelation 20:10-15 (KJV)

  God loves you and spared no expense to provide a way for you to escape the unimaginable terror of being separated from Him in that place for all eternity...

   For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
                                                                                                   John 3:16 (KJV)

  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
                                                                                                    John 3:36 (KJV)

   As mentioned, this is not God’s will for anyone...

  The Lord... is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
                                                                                                    II Peter 3:9 (KJV)

  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
                                                                                                 Romans 6:23 (KJV)

   God never intended for us to live outside of His love and protection, and life can never be complete without a relationship with Him. It is vital that you accept the gift of forgiveness that Jesus died on the cross to provide before it is forever too late. I hope that you have or will soon have this assurance of forgiveness and eternal life, it's only a prayer away...   

  For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.
                                                                                                 Romans 10:13 (KJV)

   If you make this decision, please contact me as I would like to pray for you and send you some material that will help you grow in your relationship with God.  If you are still unsure how to be certain your sins are forgiven or have any other questions, you can reach me at the e-mail address below and I will try to help you find the answers from God's Word.

mail@Godhastheanswer.com