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THE
BIBLE
Can we trust a book written 2000 years ago?
EYEWITNESS
Did the writers of the New Testament get their picture of Jesus right?
GOD
- MAN
Is Jesus really God?
RESURRECTION
Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
RELIGIONS
With so many religions, why Christianity?
SUFFERING
If there is a God, why is there so much suffering?
TRINITY
Understanding the Trinity.
SCIENCE
The complementary nature of Science & Christianity.
FORGIVENESS
What it is and why it matters?
GUIDANCE
How does God guide?
REPENTANCE
What it is and why you can't get to heaven without it.
BORN
AGAIN
What does it mean to be converted and born again?
SAVING
FAITH
The kind of faith that will get you to heaven
ASSURANCE
Can I know for sure that I am going to heaven?
TRUTH
What is truth and does it matter?
MORALITY
Does it matter how we live? A Christian view of morality.
THE
CHURCH
God's vision for his family, the Church. A call to the churches of the
new millennium.
PURPOSE
How
can I find a great purpose for living?
IDENTITY
Who am I; Finding my true identity as a human being and as a child of
God.
SELF-ESTEEM
How
can I feel good about my self? The Christian basis for proper sel-esteem.
LIFE AFTER DEATHChristianity's Hope & Challenge.
THE CROSS
Why did Jesus Die? What the Bible says about the Cross.
Grace
The importance of grace in the New Testament.
Does it matter?
Does it matter whether or not I know I am going to heaven? One obvious reason the question is important is that it is not possible to enjoy a relationship with someone if you are not certain whether or not that relationship exists. The very purpose of our being here is to live out this life, and enjoy the next, in a purposeful relationship with the One who created us. Unless we are sure of that relationship, our lives will lack true direction.
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"It
is those who have thought the most of the next world, that have
done the most for this one!"
C. S. Lewis |
Secondly, the more secure we are in our experience of God's love, the more we will love him in return. Also, the more we will want to serve him and share what we have found with others. Imagine two men emigrating to a foreign country. Each is given a tract of land on which to make a living, together with the title deed for his property. The first person looks at the title deed, accepts gratefully that the land is his and immediately gets to work to plant his crops. The second person looks at the deed, but cannot really believe that the land belongs to him. He makes countless trips back to the land office before he can be assured that it is really his. Which of the two will have the greatest harvest?
Bishop Latimer, one of the Reformation martyrs, once wrote to Bishop Ridley (also burned at the stake with Latimer in Oxford) that when he was settled and steadfast about his own salvation he was as bold as a lion, but if that hope became eclipsed, he was fearful and afraid and was unqualified for service.
In the New Testament we have the title deed to our inheritance in the kingdom of God, purchased at tremendous cost for us by Jesus. It is his desire that we accept it gladly and live our lives for him in gratitude. There have always been those who have claimed that Christians have been too interested in the next world and not enough interested in this one. Don't you believe it! C. S. Lewis made the point that if you study history you will note that it is those who have thought the most of the next world, that have done the most for this one! It is the wonder, gratitude and certainty of all that has been given us by Jesus, at such tremendous cost, that has always been one of that greatest motivations for believers to give their lives in service to others.
There is one further reason why this matter of certainty is of vital importance. If you are not sure your sins are forgiven and that you are on your way to heaven, there is always the possibility that you are not. The Bible is very clear that there is a judgement to come and not all will make it into God's kingdom. It speaks of those who will spend eternity without God because of their failure to accept this reconciliation. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?" (2 Corinthians 13:5). The Living Bible, which is actually a paraphrase, puts it like this, "Check up on yourselves. Are you really Christians? Do you pass the test? Do you feel Christ's presence and power more and more within you? Or are you just pretending to be Christians when actually you aren't at all?"
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"It
would be tragic to miss out on both God's best in this life, and
eternity with him in the future"
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Of course, it is possible to be a true believer and yet still be uncertain of your relationship to the Lord. Failure to dig into the Bible to find out what God's promises are, not trusting him, an unwillingness to submit all of your life to him, things that are displeasing to God in your life that need sorting out, lack of fellowship with other believers - these are things that can hinder the full enjoyment of the relationship. However, if you are not sure whether you have ever really trusted Christ for forgiveness in the first place, then it is wise to make sure.
Leighton Ford, who today has a worldwide ministry of training evangelists, tells how he sorted out this question in his youth. He says:
When I was a boy I became very concerned as to whether I was really a Christian. I thought as a smaller boy years earlier I had trusted Christ but I wasn't sure. I asked my mother and she gave me some wise advice. "Why don't you tell God about it?" So I prayed and said something like this, "Dear God, I think I received Jesus as my Saviour before, but if I didn't I want you to know I do it now", and God brought to my young heart the certainty that my life was secure in Christ.
It would be tragic to miss out on both God's best in this life, and eternity with him in the future, just because of failure to accept his glorious offer of forgiveness in Christ. If you want some guidance in taking this step and clinching the deal, then you may find the following prayer helpful:
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Jesus, I don't understand it all, but I accept that you came into this world to die for me. I thank you for this. I acknowledge my failure to live up to your commands and I ask forgiveness for my sins. I turn from them in repentance. I ask you to come into my life as my Saviour and Lord. I submit my life to you. Give me the certainty that I am truly yours and a citizen of heaven. Help me to get to know you better and to live in gratitude for your gift of eternal life. |
If this is a new commitment for you, then get a modern translation of the New Testament and begin reading through John's gospel. Find a Christian Church where you feel at home and can make your contribution to the fellowship. Look for opportunities to use the gifts he has given you, in service to God and to others. As you do, the certainty of your relationship with God will grow.
May God make your life more and more satisfying as you journey towards the inheritance he has purchased for you in heaven.
I am grateful to The Rev. Dr John R. W. Stott for the basic outline of this booklet which is found in his book Your Confirmation, published by Hodder and Stoughton, 1958. (The 1991 edition appeared under the title Christian Basics).
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Can I know for sure that I am going to Heaven?
The nature of our relationship with God
Christian certainty in the New Testament
Truths on which we base our certainty of heaven
Does it matter?
