Every person on this planet has an eternal destiny. In other words, we will all experience the afterlife somewhere. The only choices according to God’s Word, are heaven and hell, which are both real places.
Heaven is the place where God resides. The Bible tells us that in heaven there will be no crying, sadness, tears or heartache. Oh, we will experience much more in heaven than just lying around on clouds playing harps, as some have suggested. We will each have responsibilities and will reside in a renewed body, on what will be a new and regenerated earth. In addition, all of our loved ones who have died in Christ will be there! What a glorious reunion that will be for many of us! The saints of old from the Bible will be there, as well, including Moses, Noah, Joseph, Daniel, and Paul, and we will have an eternity to get to know them. Most importantly, we will see our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. People of all nations who have trusted in Christ will gather around the throne of God and praise Him with one voice.
Hell, on the other hand, is a place of unending torment, fear, and pain. It was designed for Satan and his demons as a place of eternal punishment. Those who reject Christ’s offer of salvation will end up here. There is no way to cross the gulf between heaven and hell and there can be no change of heart once a person finds themselves there. The outstanding feature of hell is the absence of God himself.
The Bible tells us that we are all sinners, having inherited our sin nature from Adam.
“There is none righteous, no not one.” Romans 3:10 (KJV)
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 (NIV)
Since we are sinners and cannot be in the presence of a holy God, Jesus took the payment for our sin and died on the cross for us. Because of his great love for us, God sacrificed his only son so that we might live.
“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.” John 3:16 (NIV)
Please know that being a “good person” will not allow you to gain entrance into heaven. The only way is through belief in Jesus Christ.
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” John 14:6 (NIV)
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NIV)
This gift of salvation and redemption is a gift offered to all people and it is free. It is not reserved for any one culture, race or religion. No one is excluded. But, it is up to us to receive it.
“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.” Romans 10:9 (NIV)
“For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:13 (NIV)
We know from scripture and historical record, that 3 days after Jesus was crucified on the cross, he rose from the tomb, appeared to many followers, and ascended to heaven where he sits at the right hand of God, the Father. He is waiting to return to earth one day to take all believers, living and dead, home with him.
Becoming a Christian is actually as simple as ABC.
A – Admit to God you are a sinner
B – Believe that Jesus is the son of God and that he died on the cross for your sins
C – Confess your faith in Jesus as your Savior and Lord ( tell someone )
Once you have come to Christ in repentance and faith and are a part of his family, you can be assured that you will spend eternity with God himself. Now you need to find a place in which to fellowship with other Christians where you can grow in your faith and in the knowledge of his Word.
If you have just prayed to receive Christ… welcome to the family of God!
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
Heart of the Matter 