THE GOOD NEWS

Can you say for certain that you will go to heaven, should you die tonight? What would you say to God, should he ask you why he should allow you into heaven?

That you have tried to live a 'good' life, that you did not drink, smoke, lie, swear too much? That you gave what you can afford to the church or local charity? That you tried to be a good husband/father/wife/mother? That you went to church regularly?

Guess what? I have good news for you! God is not interested in any of the above! God is interested in your heart only. Have you accepted the gift (Ephesians 2:8-9) of Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour (John 3:16)? If so, you've done all you need to ever do to be certain that you will one day be in heaven! (Romans 6:23b). You are a child of God. John writes in John 1:12 "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name"

Does this sound too easy? Let's have a look at what the Bible says.

1. Man, being a descendant of Adam, is by nature a sinful man (Romans 3:23). And someone who is not perfect cannot enter into heaven (James 2:10 and Matthew 5:48).
2. God is a righteous God who must punish sin. And the wages of sin is death (Ezekiel 18:4 and Romans 6:23a). By our nature, we are therefore condemned to death.
3. However, God is also a God of love (1 John 4:8). He does not want to punish us. So, how does He resolve this conflict? He sent His only Son, who was totally God but also totally man (albeit without sin), to earth so that He could be punished for our sins! That's right! God sacrificed His only Son so that we could live (Isaiah 53:6).
4. This sacrifice was God's gift to mankind - it cannot be earned or re-paid in any way. All the good deeds we do should be done out of gratitude for the gift of everlasting life we have already received. Remember Jesus said on the cross (John 19:30): 'Is has been finished' (completely complete). It literally means just that. That everything that He came to do (die for our sins) has been done, nothing else remains. He has done everything that needed to be done.
5. How do we receive this gift? By faith (Acts 16:31a). By believing that Jesus did everything already to ensure that we will be saved.

Firstly it requires you to surrender control of your life to God and to accept what Jesus did for you on the cross. He promises you that he will answer you (Revelation 3:20).

Secondly, you must repent of your sins. This means that you will allow the Holy Spirit to change you and the things that you use to do and that you will follow Him as He leads you (Romans 12:2)

By praying to God right there and now. It need not be a fancy prayer but it must come from your heart. Example:

God I am a sinner and accept today that my soul will be lost forever. Please Lord Jesus, come into my life right now and make me a new creation in your image. I believe that You paid for my life with Your Precious blood. Please forgive me my sins. Let Your Spirit change me and guide me from what I used to be to what You want me to be. I accept your sacrifice as a free gift that I am unworthy of. Save me Jesus and give me eternal life. Thank You. Amen.

Allow the Lord to minister to you. You are now a newborn baby in Christ. You need to grow spiritually. You do this by:

1. Reading the Bible - it is Jesus' word (John 1:1,14). Ask the Lord to reveal his will to you through His word. He is faithful.
2. Spend time in prayer - It is a good idea to set aside a special time every day when you can ask God to lead you in your daily walk. But you can pray anywhere, anytime and as often as you like! God, through His Spirit, is right beside you every step of the way.

And, if you should sin, don't wait until bedtime to ask forgiveness, ask God right there and then to forgive you and to give you the strength to resist temptation. The devil will haunt you the whole day through with feelings of guilt - he wants you to not ask for forgiveness.

3. Joining a church that teaches you the pure, unadulterated Word of God. Ask the Spirit to guide you and lead you to a church where this is true and to open your spiritual eyes and ears to false teachings.
4. Fellowship with fellow Christians - your friends from your old life may disappear and/or cast doubt on the reality of your saving. By joining in fellowship with other believers, you will be strengthened and you will grow in faith. Allow them to minister to you, as you will also, one day, minister to others.
5. Witnessing to others. One of the most useful ways of growing spiritually is by telling others what has happened in your life and what the Lord has done for you (Matthew 10:32:33). Not only are you planting the seed in other people's life, you are constantly reminding yourself of the wonders that took place in your life. This will help you overcome the occasional 'downs' you will experience in your life. See also Why should I witness to others?

Be assured your spiritual life will have its ups and downs. Some days you will feel close to God and, sometimes, God will seem very far away. Rest assured, God is always there. You will probably find that you have neglected any one (or more) if the above points when you experience a low. Ask God to guide you through it and to show you where you went wrong.