Q: How can I be saved? Is it possible to know for certain that I am going to heaven?
A: Yes, we can know for certain that by believing in Jesus Christ and receiving his death on the cross as payment for our sins that we will go to heaven. John writes at the end of his Gospel, “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). By life, John refers to eternal life, that is, everlasting life with the Father in his Kingdom. The first step of salvation is to realize that you are a sinner who stands before God as corrupt. Romans 3:23 reads, “All have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God”. Then, as a sinner, pray that God would forgive you for all your transgressions and cleanse you with the blood of Jesus. To know Christ in this way is eternal life. Jesus prays in John 17:3, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent”.
Return to Questions
A: There is no way to be acceptable before God who is Holy. A man once ran up to Jesus (Mark 10:18) and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life – Jesus replied, “No one is good except God alone”. This is true, all of us have sinned and break the 10 commandments daily. Before God, we are corrupted and that will earn us only eternal death and separation from God. In other words, as sinners we deserve to go to hell. Romans 6:23 reads, “the wages of sin is death”. The idea of sin is not old fashioned. It is Biblical and a phenomenon which we can see in our everyday lives. Consider the way that we treat others. Do we love perfectly? Are we absolutely trustworthy in our everyday relationships with people? No. The church has gotten away from teaching about sin, but sin has not gotten away from us. It remains embedded in our souls. Christ came to save us from sin.
Q: What does it mean to be a Christian? Do I have to change the way I am living now? Can I maintain any old lifestyle?
A: We will have to let go of sinful habits and activities which pollute our mind and hearts. Things such as sexual sins and sins of dishonesty and others need to be cast out of one’s life. To a woman caught in adultery, Christ forgave her and said, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Daily repentance, confessing our sin to God and asking him to help us in our weaknesses and failures, is the heart of the Christian life. John 16:8 reads, “he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin..” This is a reference to the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ who lives in us when we believe. He will use the Word of God to instruct us in how we are supposed to live our lives. We are called to replace our sins of the flesh with spiritual behaviors such as prayer, fellowship with believers, studying the Bible, etc.
Q: Why is the Bible so hard to understand? How can I apply it to my life?
A: The Bible is loaded with history and details about God’s people, Israel. The Old Testament is about how God raises up his people from virtually being unknown to large and prominent among the nations. The New Testament is about Christ coming forth from Israel, as the Messiah, that is, the long awaited Savior which God promised long ago.
