Dr. Shelton Smith - President and Editor Donate If you should die right now, do you know for sure that you would go to Heaven? Think carefully on this soul-searching question: If your answer is anything other than, "Yes I'm absolutely certain that my sins are forgiven and that Heaven will be my home," then this important message is just for you. The Bible teaches that you need to know and believe these things to settle this matter of your eternal destination: You must accept that you are a sinner. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). No one is exempt from this indictment. Everyone has sinned. Romans 5:12 says, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." No one is perfect and no one can live up to God's perfect standard. We are sinners by nature. You must accept that as a sinner you owe a penalty. "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a). Because of our sin we owe a debt. This debt is a spiritual death or separation from God in the lake of fire known as Hell. Hell is not a figment of someone's imagination or only a figurative term. Hell is very real. It is a literal burning place. It's not a place where you go because your friends will be there and you want to have a good time. It is a dark, lonely, seething, burning place, and it never ends. It continues to burn for all time. The worst part is, there is nothing you or I can do on our own to avoid it. Outside of Jesus, it is our final destination. If you are depending on your church membership to get you to Heaven, beware; it's not enough. If you pray a lot hoping to get to Heaven, don't depend on that; it's not enough either. Even if you give a lot of money to a church, it's not enough to gain Heaven. Many people think if they are good enough, they will be able to slip in through the gate when no one is looking or find a hole in the gate somewhere. Please, my friend, don't depend on something so shaky. It can't happen that way. There is only one way to get to Heaven. How? You must accept that Jesus Christ has already paid our sin debt. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Christ was not a sinner, and the Bible teaches that God took all of our sin and placed it on Christ. While Christ was bearing all our sins in His own body, God punished Him in our place to pay the debt we owe. This is not something God promised to do. It is something He has already done. "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). It is a fact: Jesus Christ has already paid your sin debt. You must accept by faith what Jesus Christ did for you. "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). In this verse, the world is divided into two groups: those who are believing and those who are not believing on the Son. Those who believe have everlasting life, and those who don't believe shall not see life. The word "believe" means to trust, to depend on, to rely on. To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ means that you accept the fact that you are a sinner, that as a sinner you owe the sin penalty, and that Jesus Christ died on the cross, was buried, and arose again on the third day to pay the debt you owe. But it means going one step further: it means that you will completely trust Christ to get you to Heaven, that you will place the matter of your salvation in His hands and depend on Him alone for everlasting life. The moment you do this, God promises you are not condemned but have everlasting life and that you will never perish in Hell. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). Now, if you will trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour, pray this simple prayer from your heart: "Dear Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and I deserve to pay my own sin debt, but I do believe that You died for me to pay the debt that I owe. Today, the best I know how, I trust You as my Saviour. I will depend on You from this moment on for my salvation. Amen." If you have accepted Christ as your Saviour, please contact us today and let us know of your decision. We would love to rejoice with you, and send you some literature on how to live the Christian life. Visit Us 224 Bridge Avenue Murfreesboro, TN 37129 Call Us T: 1-800.247.9673 Monday - Friday 8am - 4pm Central Time F: 615-278-1309 © Sword of the Lord Ministries