Can a person really know for sure that they are going to Heaven? The Good News is, YES!
Sadly, most people believe and hope that they will be able to earn their way into Heaven by "being good", "doing good things", "behaving well", or by living under a long list of "things to do and not to do". That is not, however, what is written in the Bible when it comes to the subject of eternal life.That is why it's so important to understand exactlywhat the Bible does say!

The 4 Spiritual Laws

~Law #1~
God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.

God's Love
"God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever
believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16,NIV).

God's Plan
[Christ speaking] "I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly"
[that it might be full and meaningful] (John 10:10).

Why is it that most people are not experiencing that abundant life?

Because...

~Law #2~

Man is sinful and separated from God.
Therefore, he cannot know and experience
God's love and plan for his life.

Man is Sinful
"All have sinned and fall short of theglory of God" (Romans 3:23).

Man was created to have fellowship with God; but, because of his own stubborn
self-will, man chose to go his own independent way, and as a result, fellowship with God was broken.
This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference,
is an evidence of what the Bible calls sin.

Man Is Separated
"The wages of sin is death" [spiritual separation from God] (Romans6:23).

This diagram illustrates that God is holy and man is sinful.  A great gulf separates the two.  The arrows illustrate that man is continually trying to reach God and the abundant life through his own efforts, such as a good life, philosophy, or religion
-but he inevitably fails.

The third law explains the only way to bridge this gulf...

~Law #3~

Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin.
Through Him you can know and experience
God's love and plan for your life.

He Died In Our Place
"God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners,
Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).

He Rose from the Dead
"Christ died for our sins... He was buried... He was raised on the third day,
according to the Scriptures... He appeared to Peter, then to the twelve.
After that He appeared to more than five hundred..." (1 Corinthians15:3-6).

He Is the Only Way toGod
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to
the Father but through Me'" (John 14:6).

This diagram illustrates that God has bridged the gulf that separates us from Him by sending His Son, JesusChrist, to die on the cross in our place to pay the penalty for our sins.

Itis not enough just to know these three laws...

~Law #4~

We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord;
then we can know and experience God's love and plan for our lives.

We Must Receive Christ
"As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children
of God, even to those who believe in His name" (John 1:12).

We Receive ChristThrough Faith
"By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God; not as result of works that no one should boast"(Ephesians2:8,9).

When We Receive Christ, We Experience a New Birth
(Read John 3:1-8.)

We Receive Christ Through Personal Invitation
[Christ speaking] "Behold, I stand at the door and knock;
if any one hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him"(Revelation3:20).

Receiving Christ involves turning to God from self (repentance) and trusting
Christ to come into our lives to forgive our sins and to make us what He wants us to be.
Just to agree intellectually that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross
for our sins is not enough.  Nor is it enough to have an emotional experience.
We receive Jesus Christ by faith, as an act of the will.

These two circles represent two kinds of lives:

Self-Directed Life S-Self is on the throne -Christ is outside the life -Interests are directed by self, often resulting in discord and frustration

Christ-Directed Life -Christ is in the life and on the throne S-Self is yielding to Christ, resulting in harmony with God's plan -Interests are directed by Christ, resulting in harmony with God's plan

Which circle best represents your life?
Which circle would you like to have represent your life?

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The following explains how you can receive Christ:

You Can Receive Christ Right Now by Faith Through Prayer
(Prayer is talking with God)

God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude
of your heart.  The following is a suggested prayer:

Does this prayer express the desire of your heart?  If it does, I invite you to pray this
prayer right now, and Christ will come into your life, as He promised.

Should you have any questions about the Good News of Jesus Christ that you just read, or if you have trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior and would like to talk about what steps to take next, please don't hesitate to contact me by phone or email. click on the link here.

Pastor Welsh