How To Be Saved!

What is the Biblical connection between eternal life in Heaven and true belief?

John 3:15-18 declares that only Believers can have the assurance of eternal life. This truth is the most important thing to understand. Please consider the following principles about Biblical belief and how God requires it for an eternity with Him:

The Sin Problem

Biblical belief agrees with God and what He says in the Bible about us (Romans 3:10-23). We may not think much about it, but we are sinners by choice.

Although no one ever makes us sin, we sin all too willingly. We have lived foolishly. We have thought about sinful things. We have done good things with wrong motives. But even more, we have often excused the sin we have done.

It is possible to look at others who have done worse than we have and feel better about ourselves. Romans 3:23 tells us that the judgement of God compares us to Christ, not to other sinners. If we do not agree with God about our sinful condition, we are not able to go any farther in Biblical belief.

The Sin Payment

Biblical belief accepts what God tells us about Christ as true (Romans 5:6-8). Christ is the virgin-born Son of God who died for our sins.

The life of Christ is the greatest ever lived. He never sinned. He always had the right attitude. He always had the right expression on His face. He lived a perfect life - proving that He was the Son of God. Then the unbelievable happened. The jealous religious leaders crucified Him.

His death on the cross was not because of a misunderstanding, for the leaders knew exactly who Christ was. They knew the fulfilled Old Testament prophecies and had seen many of His miracles. Christ died a sacrificial death. He died for sin - our sin. Christ's perfect life and death on the cross are the payment for our sin against God.

If we had been the only sinners on earth, Christ would still have come and died for us. That is indescribable love (Romans 5:8).

The Provision For Sin

Biblical belief includes a change of thinking about salvation (I John 5:10-13). There can sometimes be a conflict between what God says and what others say about sin and salvation.

It is a serious error to believe: "My sins are not that bad." "God will overlook my faults if I do the best I can." No one can be sure of heaven."

God has given us His Word (the Bible) as His eternal record of truth. It is a serious charge against God to say that Christ is not necessary or that we can make our own plan for eternity. I John 5:10 declares that someone who rejects the "witness" of God, which is what God's Word says about Christ, calls God a liar.

Our sins are wicked and personal against God. He is loving, but God is also just. He cannot "overlook" our sins. In love, He made a provision through Christ to pay for the penalty of our sin. When that provision is accepted, all of our sins are forgiven and we are promised eternal life (I John 5:13).

A Change Of Mind

Biblical belief is a change of mind toward Christ. True Biblical belief commits to Him as our only, eternal Savior. God's plan has no other alternative from which we can choose, either now or later. The Bible makes it clear that all decisions about Heaven or Hell will be made before we die.

When God's Son is totally accepted, He takes care of our eternal sin penalty. He knows the past and the future with equal insight. Because He knows the future, He will never be surprised at our faults. He died on the cross, knowing well in advance all our sin. His perfect death provides a perfect payment for our eternal sin penalty. Because of Christ, we never have to go to Hell as we justly deserve.

A Change Of Heart

Biblical belief asks Christ (in prayer) to be our Savior (Romans 10:9-13). Asking Christ to forgive us of our sin and its penalty (Hell) is a personal choice. Christ will not force us to receive forgiveness and spend eternity with him.

This most important prayer must come from both what we say to ourselves (heart) and what we say to God (mouth). God requires that our self-talk matches our words that we pray. After all, He knows all we think and He will not be mocked by insincerity.

We encourage you to pray and ask God to help you as you study true Biblical belief and its connection with eternal life. Belief includes knowledge as well as a total reliance and acceptance of Christ as Savior. We would be honored to discuss more about this with you. Please call if we could be of help.

We understand that this is a personal decision. Independent Baptist Church does not pressure people either privately or in a church service. God wants all decisions to come from within the heart, not from external pressure.