It was Benjamin Franklin who famously said, “There are two certainties in life — taxes and death.” While some evade taxes, none elude death. The Bible declares, “It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Therefore, it is critical that you are certain in the face of death and judgment.

You can be certain that you will spend eternity with God by placing simple faith in Jesus Christ. Faith is simply taking God at His Word. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life”

(John 6:47). When you believe in the person and work of Christ, you share in this promise that Jesus offers (see John 3:16; Acts 16:31).

Yet, most people will face death and judgment without trusting in this simple promise. Why? Most people prefer to contribute to their eternal life. Typically this is attempted by keeping the Ten Commandments, performing good works, living a good life, church membership, giving to a church, or water baptism.

All of these make sense, but these actions, activities, and good works are not requirements for eternal life.

The Bible says, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy“(Titus 3:5a). You and I are not saved from the wages of sin by what we do but by what Christ has done (Romans 4:4-5).

God doesn’t want anyone to share the credit or glory for your relationship with Him. Again, the Bible declares, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). That is why it is so important for you to transfer your trust to Jesus Christ alone. For example, if you have been trusting in Jesus and your good works for eternal life, you must trust in Christ alone.

This entails acknowledging that you have sinned and fall short of God’s perfect standard (Romans 3:23).

The consequence for your sin is eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23). You and I deserve death and hell. Fortunately, God is gracious. He has given you and me two options: to be pardoned or punished.

If you believe in Christ for eternal life, you will be pardoned. If you reject Jesus’ death as a substitute for your sins, you will have to be punished to satisfy God’s justice (John 3:17-18). Please consider this carefully. Most people spend hours planning vacations, surfing the web, talking on the phone, and investing in hobbies. It makes sense to spend as much time planning for your eternal home. After all, life’s biggest decision is what you do with Jesus because what you decide about Him determines your destiny.

Can you think of any good reason why you should not accept the free gift of salvation? If not, you may want to use this prayer to express your faith in Christ: “Dear God, I know I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. Today, I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior. I believe He died for me and arose from the dead. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Amen.”

Prayer is a way of talking to God. There is no prayer that can save you — only God can. While prayer does not inform God of the dictates of our heart, He knows everything; it does allow you to verbally express your belief. But keep in mind, words are meaningless if they do not reflect the intent of your heart.

If you, having read this, trusted in Jesus Christ for eternal life, please email us and let us know. We want to rejoice in what God has done in your life and help you to grow spiritually.

All Scripture quotations, unless indicated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, and are used by permission.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
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