The Bible tells us in 1 John 5:13, "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…."

The simple truth is that God desires that you would have assurance of where you are going!  There are several truths we must accept before we can be assured of eternal life.

John 3:16 says, "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."

The Bible teaches that regardless of your background, age, race or any other factor, God loves you.  He desires a genuine, personal relationship with you.

The Bible says in Romans 3:23, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;  No one is sinless.  We have all broken God's commandments.  This is called sin or iniquity, and it separates us from having a relationship with God.

Isaiah 59:2 says, But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. 

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:"

We're all familiar with the physical death that comes upon every man, but the penalty for sin goes farther than that.

Romans 6:23 contrasts eternal life with eternal death.  It says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

If we were to receive the penalty that our sin demands, we would have to spend eternity separated from God in a place the Bible refers to as "the lake of fire..."

Revelation 20:14-15 says, "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

The Bible is clear of God's desire for all people to be saved from this horrible outcome.  The Scriptures express this in 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

Romans 5:8 tells us that "...God commendeth (proved or demonstrated) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  God's justice demands that sin be paid for, but in His mercy, the Lord Jesus Christ took our penalty for us.

2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."  God came in human form and lived the perfect life.  He died on the cross, was buried, and rose the third day to satisfy the justice of God.   1 Peter 3:18 further explains, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God..."

Eternal life is not earned or achieved by our own merit.  All that was necessary to gain access to Heaven was completed in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The gift of eternal life was purchased and is now offered to all freely.  All of man's attempts to gain eternal life fall short.

The following Scripture references make it very clear that eternal life is not gained by works, but given by grace...

Ephesians 2:8-9 "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."

Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us..."

Romans 3:20 "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

Romans 3:24-25 "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;"

Romans 3:28 "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."

Romans 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Many say that they "believe in God," but there is a difference between head knowledge and heart knowledge.  The Bible word "believe" means "to trust in" or "depend upon."

We must accept the following truths...

I am a sinner. I have broken God's Law.  I have fallen short of God's standard.
My sin demands a penalty. If I received what I deserved according to the Bible, I would spend eternity in the lake of fire separated from God.
Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day to pay my sin debt.
You must come to a decision of faith. You must place your trust in Jesus Christ alone as your only hope for Heaven.  Understand this truth in the following Scriptures...

John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

Call upon the Lord in faith, trusting in His promise.  He will save you from an eternity separated from Himself, if you sincerely ask Him.

Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

This is God's promise... "SHALL BE SAVED"  Its not a may be or a might be.  God's promises always come to pass!

Don't wait!  Accept God's gift right NOW!  No one is assured of tomorrow.  Don't put it off.

Proverbs 27:1 "Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth."

James 4:14 "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."

2 Corinthians 6:2 "...behold, now is the day of salvation."
Pray from your heart something like this...

Dear Jesus, I admit that I am a sinner.  I have fallen short of Your expectations.  I have disobeyed Your commands.  I also understand that if I were to get what I deserve, according to the Bible, I would suffer in Hell for eternity separated from You.  I also realize that in spite of my sinfulness, You love me and died for me to pay for my sins.  Today, I place my faith and trust in what You did for me on the cross--please, Lord save me...

The moment you call upon the Lord in faith to save you, you are saved!  The Bible describes it as a new birth.  It is your spiritual birthday!

John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

John 1:12 states, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"

Being a member of God's family is a great privilege, and it something that we can never forfeit!  Remember, salvation was not something you worked to get, and it is not something you work to keep.  God keeps us eternally secure by His grace.

John 10:27-28 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:  And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

If you have called upon the Lord for salvation, we would like to know about it and rejoice with you.  There is much to know about the Christian life, and we would love to help you.

Please contact our office at (315) 597-2222 or use our contact form to send us an email.  May God bless you as you endeavor to serve Him with your life!

Preached on Sunday, March 31, 2024