By the Numbers

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Seven Reasons Trusting In Jesus Guarantees Heaven

              Seven Reasons Trusting In Jesus Guarantees Heaven
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Some Christians point to human experiences and Bible texts they say show we can lose our salvation. Others explain that these Bible texts refer to other things such as mere intellectual belief, moral reformation, loss of rewards, only that Christian faith is better than others, or are texts taken out of context. With space limitation, I can only mention the tremendous loss Christians experience by unbelief and sinful living, and give Bible reasons that show faith in Jesus alone does guarantee believers go to Heaven.
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Perish the thought heavenly security frees one to godless living!
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Sinful living forfeits so many tremendous benefits Christians enjoy. Sinful living forfeits the intimate love-trust fellowship they gain when focused upon their Lord that brings them peace, love, joy and give Him glory. It hardens their heart, corrupts their conscience, darkens their mind toward evils, quenches the Spirits guidance, prevents bearing spiritual fruit, burdens them with guilt and shame, and destroys their godly testimony and influence. Sins of commission and omission destroy God's peace and joy and forfeit heavenly rewards. Moreover, continued willful sin can bring God's discipline to the point of physical death, but doesn't destroy believer's relationship with God.
What Bible reasons give Christians belief in the Savior's assurance of heaven?
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Salvation is of the Lord. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Acts 16:31. This is a plain, unmistakable promise from God. Unless God is a liar, we have to take it at face value. Moreover, if God is deceiving us in this crucial issue, there's no reason to believe anything else He might have to say. This was the answer God's apostle Paul gave in the Philippian jail to the jailer who was desperate and about the kill himself thinking his prisoners had escaped. He couldn't go to a priest, join a church, get baptized, or any other thing--he had to know the simple truth that moment or plunge his sword into his body.  Now the Gospel of John written to the world at large says the same thing with no strings or conditions attached more than a hundred times. Can't we just believe it?
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Salvation is God's gift, not our attainment. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9. We can only receive the Lord's sacrifice on the cross for our sins as a gift through faith. It's not of ourselves or anything we can do. John 1:13. If we add anything we could do to that, we have cause for boasting--''I did my part which got me saved." In effect that makes us our own Savior, and cancels salvation as God's gift. See also Titus 3:5; Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16.
Believers already regarded citizens of heaven. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body. Phil. 3:20-21. This couldn't be said if we had to wait until death to see if we were faithful and worthy. We become and remain citizens of heaven the moment we believe.
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Believers passed from death to life, and can't come into judgment. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My Word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. John 5:24. Unbelievers are spiritually dead, but when they believe the Father sent the Son, they receive unending spiritual life. Since Christ died for us before we were even born, SHALL NOT COME excludes judgment of believers from all our sin past, present, and future. See also Rom. 8:34; John 3:18.
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Believers can know they have eternal life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13. God's apostle didn't say this knowledge of having eternal life was based on our good feelings, or good deeds, but on our belief in the Son of God. My friend, that's all it takes. Only God can give eternal life.
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Believers are born into God's eternal family. As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. John 1:12. In receiving Christ we are born again into God's family, which will never change. Jesus said we must be born again spiritually (John 3:7-8). Just as physical birth happens only once, so spiritual birth into God's family occurs once. The Bible never says sin can make us unborn or repeatedly born. But we must be born again spiritually to be in God's forever family. Yes, like with our parents we can have disagreements with the Lord and His love discipline us as sons, but that never severs relationship. Hebrews 12:5-11
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Believers are kept by God's almighty power. Peter speaking of the inheritance reserved in Heaven for us, says who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:5. No power can match God's power as God upholds all existence and it's that almighty power that keeps us saved and will be revealed some day. Yes, skeptics, mockers, cultists, the devil can cause us confusion and doubts. I know, I've had plenty, but they can't altogether destroy faith and there are answers if we will trust God, seek them, pray and believe in His timing and His way. These articles God gave me answer the questions and doubts I once had.
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Is God speaking to you, my friend? Are you willing to trust the Savior as your Savior? You don't have to have all the answers now and you will understand better in time. We grow in our knowledge, love, and relationship with the Lord. Won't U humbly admit you are not all you should be and trust Jesus to take your sin away and make you God's person now and forever. Just say Lord, I believe You died for me and I trust You now to save me, be with be forever and receive me into heaven. Thank You.
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Now you can do the best thing a Christian can do for someone else. Sent them these articles that answer the crucial questions of life and invite them to trust in your loving Savior. God bless U in faith and love ministry. We may see many in Heaven we prayed for and ministered to.
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