We’ve all been there. Maybe a loved one has passed away or maybe you just narrowly avoided a traffic accident, but something has caused you to think about your own mortality. You are wondering what will happen to you when you die. You believe in God, and you know the Bible is His Word. You also know that you want desperately to go to Heaven. What you may not know is that Jesus wants you there just as badly as you want to be there. That’s why He came and died on the cross, so you could have the opportunity to have your sins forgiven, and live with Him in Heaven. You might now ask the question “What must I do to receive that forgiveness for my sins?” In order to find the answer, we look to the Bible which tells us in Hebrews 11:6 that it is impossible to please God without faith. However, in order for that faith to be a saving faith it must lead us to obedience, otherwise it is a dead faith (James 2:17, 26). Luke 13:3 tells us that we must repent, that is put aside our sinful practices and replace them with righteousness, in order to receive God’s grace. Matthew 10:32 tells us that we must be willing to confess Christ to others, in other words teach others about Him and be proud of the God that we serve. And like Paul in Acts 22:16 we must be baptized to wash away our sins. From that point on, we must strive to live godly lives. If you are faithful until death, then Jesus promises in Revelation 2:10 that He will give you a crown of life. By doing all of these things we can face the next life with peace and confidence that we will spend eternity with our Lord.
