Going to Heaven?

Aug. 19, 2013 Monday Message:

We’ll be looking at the most-asked Bible/Christianity questions for the next several weeks. And the #1 question is, (survey says:) “Can we really know for sure that we’re going to heaven?”

The answer is clearly “yes.” Does that sound arrogant? It might if we were “earning” our way into heaven, stocking-up heaven-points toward admission. But that’s not how heaven works.

Eternal life is a gift, given to us by the grace of God and his Son Jesus Christ. It’s not what we do, not our “works.” Rather, it’s what Jesus did FOR us. If we humble ourselves to accept His free gift, it’s not arrogant to say that we have it. It’s simply acknowledging that Jesus did a good job, a perfect job, when he ransomed us, rescuing us from our human condition, snatching us from certain death in the lake of fire.

Some people have a “Life Verse” from the Bible, and mine is 1 John 5:11-12 – “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal live, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has God’s Son has eternal live; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.” It doesn’t get any more straightforward than that. This is what we call Blessed Assurance! We can, and should, sing about this Good News!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) gathers every Sunday at 10:30am in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. Sunday, Aug. 25, Pastor Pilla catches Jesus healing on the Sabbath! Yikes! Open up Luke Ch. 13 and join us!

NL