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If you were to die today, do you know for sure that you would go to heaven? Do you have some doubts about it? The Bible says that you can be sure that heaven will someday be your eternal home!

“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, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13).

You can know that you have eternal life. But what is eternal life?

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).

Eternal life is not just a promise of a home in heaven, it is a personal relationship with God and his Son. You can enjoy knowing God in this life. Unfortunately, most people do not have this kind of relationship with God. Something has separated them from God.

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

Sin, or disobedience to the will of God, has separated us from God. If we have unforgiven sin in our lives, we are separated from God. The Bible clearly teaches that everyone has sinned: “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

The issue is not if we have sinned. The question that must be answered is this: What must we do to be forgiven of our sins? Most religions teach that people must work to earn forgiveness, but is that what the Bible teaches? Can we be good enough to be forgiven?

One popular teaching is that if we keep the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20, we will go to heaven when we die. Is that why God gave the Ten Commandments? Is it possible for a person to keep them?

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Romans 3:19).

The purpose of the law was not to give us a way to earn heaven but to show us that we are guilty. Let’s look at two of the Ten Commandments.

“Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee” (Exodus 20:12). Have you ever disobeyed or dishonored your parents? Can you honestly say that you have kept this commandment?

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16). Have you ever lied? Can you truthfully say that you have never deceived anyone?

There are eight more, but these are enough. We are guilty and incapable of keeping the Ten Commandments. We cannot earn forgiveness. The Bible teaches that there is a penalty for sin. That penalty is death.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

The penalty of death began with the first man, Adam, and has been passed down to all mankind, because we are all sinners.

“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” (Romans 5:12).

If we die without forgiveness, we will not be allowed to enter heaven. “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

The Word of God is clear. If God recognizes us as sinners when we die, we will go to hell forever. But there is hope!

“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11).

Jesus Christ, the Creator, became a man and died in our place on the cross. He shed his blood so that we could be forgiven. He rose again on the third day and is now in heaven with the Father.

“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:8-10).

God wants to save you from your sin. It is his will that all come to repentance and receive the gift of eternal life.

“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” (2 Peter 3:9).

Repentance is a change of mind that results in a transformed life. God wants you to change your opinion about sin and how to go to heaven, to hate the sin that you now love, to cease to depend on your own good works to earn you a place in heaven and trust fully in what Christ did for you on the cross.

Will you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? If so, God has promised to forgive you of your sins and give you a home in heaven when you die.

“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” (John 3:16).

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).

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