Every person on this planet has an eternal destiny. We will all experience the afterlife somewhere. The only choices, according to God’s Word, are heaven and hell—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. Heaven will be a place of beauty, peace, purpose and worship. We’ll have fulfilling work to do as we move about in a renewed body, on what will be a new and regenerated earth. When we die, the Bible says we are immediately in the presence of God in what some call, the first heaven. But one day, after Jesus returns, there will be a new heaven and new earth. 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— Moses, Noah, Joseph, Daniel, and Paul—and we’ll have an eternity to get to know them. Most importantly, we’ll see our Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave his life as a sacrifice for our sins. People of all nations, tongues and tribes who have trusted in Christ, will gather around the throne of God and praise Him with one voice.
Hell 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 there. 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’re all sinners, having inherited our sin nature from Adam.
“As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no not one.'” Romans 3:10 (NKJV)
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23 (NKJV)
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 to reconcile us to God. Because of his great love for us, God sacrificed his only son so that we might live with Him for eternity.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (NKJV)
Please know that being a good person will not get you into heaven. Neither will a lifetime of volunteerism or being raised by Christian parents. The only way to heaven is through making a personal decision to believe in Jesus Christ.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'” John 14:6 (NKJV)
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NKJV)
Salvation 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.
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 (NKJV)
“For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” Romans 10:13 (NKJV)
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’ll spend eternity with God. The next step is to find a place where you can fellowship with other Christians, be baptized, and grow in your faith.
If you have just prayed to receive Christ—welcome to the family of God!
“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, neither height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NKJV)
Heart of the Matter 