The Good News

We can know for sure where we will spend eternity:

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

1 John 5:13

We are all sinners in the eyes of God because we have broken His laws. If we take an honest look at ourselves against the ten commandments, we can acknowledge the following:

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 3:23

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:10

Like any other action, sin has consequences. And the punishment for sin is not just physical death, but spiritual death – separation from God in hell for eternity:

But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Revelation 21:8

Fortunately there is good news:

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 6:23

Jesus Christ – God Himself, the Creator of the entire universe (John 1:1-3, John 20:28, Colossians 1:16) – loved you so much that He became a man, lived a perfectly sinless life, was crucified to pay for all your sins, and rose again:

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Romans 5:8-9

How are we saved from wrath? The apostle Paul and his friend Silas were once asked this same question:

And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

Acts 16:30-31

Jesus Christ Himself also promised this same thing:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

John 6:47

Salvation is a free gift by faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ and His shed blood. Like any gift we might receive, it cannot be earned or paid for. No good deeds, sacraments, religious rituals or ceremonies, membership in a church, or anything else you do can get you into heaven. In fact, the Bible reveals that God will not accept anything else:

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

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

Romans 6:11

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Romans 4:5

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Titus 3:5

One day each of our lives will reach its ending. If this is not something you have given much thought to before, please take time to consider it. There is only one path to salvation and we cannot forge our own:

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

Acts 4:12

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... He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 3:16, 18

If you have believed the gospel, you can know for sure that you are saved and have eternal life! God cannot lie and He promised us:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;

Romans 1:16a

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:15

In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:13-14

As a believer, it is important to share the gospel with others (Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Romans 3:24-26).

We are also told to study the word of God (2 Timothy 2:15), as it is our ultimate source of truth and God’s way of communicating with us.

Since the Bible has been written to many different groups of people over all time, it’s especially helpful as Christians to concentrate on the Gospel of John and Paul’s letters, which reveal the gospel of salvation to the world (John 8:26, Romans 11:13).

All Scripture referenced is from the KJV.