What do
you think it takes for someone to get to heaven? Is it luck? Good deeds?
Nothing at all? Or is there something more? The Bible has the real answer to
this question. It's a matter of FAITH.
F stands for
FORGIVENESS. We cannot have eternal life without
God's forgiveness. Ephesians 1:7a says, "In Him (Jesus Christ) we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins."
A is for AVAILABLE. Forgiveness
is available for all. John 3:16 says, "For 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." But forgiveness is not automatic. "Not everyone
who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven," says
Matthew 7:21a.
I is for IMPOSSIBLE. It
is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven because of who He is and because
of who we are. God is loving and just, but His judgment is against sin. James
2:13a says, "Because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who
has not been merciful." We are sinful people. Romans 3:23 tells us,
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
T is for TURN. To
turn means to repent. We can repent—or turn—from our sin and from ourselves.
"But unless you repent, you too will all perish," Luke 13:3b says. We
can also turn to Someone. Trust Christ alone. Romans 10:9 tells us how:
"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your
heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
H is for HEAVEN. Heaven
is eternal life. Here, that means life "to the full:" "I have
come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10b)." In
the hereafter, it means the promise of heaven: "And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be
where I am (John 14:3)."
So how can a person have God's forgiveness, heaven and eternal life, and Jesus
as personal Savior and Lord? By trusting in Christ and asking Him for
forgiveness. Take the step of faith described by another meaning of FAITH:
Forsaking All I Trust Him.
You do this through a simple prayer reflecting your desire for Christ to change
your life. You don't need fancy words—only an honest heart. You can pray
something like this:
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner
and have displeased You in many ways. I believe You died for my sin, and only
through faith in Your death and resurrection can I be forgiven. I want to turn
from my sin and ask You to come into my life as my Savior and Lord. From this
day on, I will follow You by living a life that pleases You. Thank you, Lord
Jesus, for saving me. Amen.
Accepting Christ is just the beginning of a wonderful adventure with
God! Get to know Him better in a number of ways:
• Follow Christ's example in
baptism.
• Join a church where
you can worship God and grow in your faith.
• In your church, get
involved in Sunday School and Bible study.
• Begin a daily
personal worship experience with God where you study the Bible and pray.
We’d love to hear from you! Please feel free to ask us any questions you
have about becoming a Christian, or tell us about your decision to follow Jesus
Christ. Please let us know how we can serve you by sending us an e-mail to
churchoffice@fbcbushnell.org.
