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ARE YOU SURE?

Are you 100% sure that if you died tonight that you would go to heaven? If you are not 100% sure, then
you need to know what the Bible says regarding this matter. John said, “These things have I written unto
you…that ye may know that ye have eternal life” (1 John 5:13). If you think that you know, it is always a
good time to “Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5), remembering that
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Proverbs
14:12) and “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9). This is why
we must examine ourselves in light of scripture.

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus tells us twice “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3,5).
In the gospel of John he says, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John
3:3). Jesus is giving man a warning in both passages. There are only two places to go when this life on
earth ends. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). There are
no second chances. “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to
destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). Jesus continually warns of the
impending judgment. “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10). What
will you do when God pours out his wrath? “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).

Jesus told us that we must repent. But what must we repent of? “Repent therefore of this thy wickedness,
and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee” (Acts 8:22). Man is inherently
wicked, “The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born” (Psalm 58:3)
and “called a transgressor from the womb" (Isaiah 48:8). We “should repent and turn to God, and do
works meet for repentance” (Acts 26:20). What is this sin that we must repent of? “Whatsoever is not of
faith is sin” (Romans 14:23) and “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4).

What does the Bible tell us about the law? “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and
just, and good” (Romans 7:12). God gave his holy law to the nation ofIsrael as found in the Old
Testament (Exodus 20). “1) Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 2) Thou shalt not make unto thee
any graven image…Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them. 3) Thou shalt not take the
name of the LORD thy God in vain. 4)  Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 5) Honour thy father
and thy mother. 6) Thou shalt not kill. 7)  Thou shalt not commit adultery. 8) Thou shalt not steal.
9)  Thou shalt not bear false witness. 10) Thou shalt not covet.” Who can be self-righteous enough to
claim that they have kept these commandments in full? “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Keeping most of the commandments is not enough.
“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10).
What did Jesus preach about the law? “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am
not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17). He even expounded upon the law saying, “whosoever
is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment” (v.22) and “whosoever
looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (v.28).

Sin has its reward. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). As you can see, “all have sinned, and
come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). “There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that
understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together
become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (v.10-12). Even those who have never
heard of the Bible are without excuse. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that
they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

Jesus said “my judgment is just” (John 5:30) and because he is just, he must punish sin. Jesus will return
“In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from
the glory of his power” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). Since “we shall all stand before the judgment seat of
Christ” (Romans 14:10), are you prepared? Hell is a real place where God will punish sinners. “God
spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell” (2 Peter 2:4) when some rejected Him.
Jesus said, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the
keys of hell and of death” (Revelation 1:18). Your fate rests in the hands of Jesus Christ. Are you ready to
stand face to face with Him?

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
In fact to some, He will actually “profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work
iniquity” (v.23). “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 ofGod” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man
soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).

Thank the Lord he has allowed a way out and judgment can pass over us. “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). “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” (Romans 5:8-9). “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9). In
Jesus Christ “God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16), “But he was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with
his stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus Christ is God and lived a sinless life as a man, bearing our sins when he was crucified on the cross,
“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood” (Romans 3:25). In the Old
Testament, the Israelites were directed to offer a blood sacrifice to atone for sin, but this was not enough
to satisfy our redemption. “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in
once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12) “and without
shedding of blood is no remission” (v.22).

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works,
lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). We are saved through our faith in Jesus Christ and the
redemptive power of his blood. Good works can not make up for our past sin. When Philip was preaching
he said, “If thou believest with all thine heart” (Acts 8:37). “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith
without wavering” (Hebrews 10:23). Do not fall victim to the lie that by saying a prayer that you believe
in Jesus, you are saved. We are warned, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils
also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James
2:19-20).

If you believe with all your heart, you will put your faith in Jesus Christ and repent of your sin. Peter said,
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing
shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). We must see our utter helpless state and see “that
sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful” (Romans 7:13). We must feel utter remorse,
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation” (2 Corinthians 7:10). If we truly believe and repent,
then we are ‘born again’. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed
away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). That is what true repentance is, turning
from our sin to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. “Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the
enemy of God” (James 4:4). “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,
who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). “And this is the condemnation, that light
is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John
3:19). We must hate sin, just as Jesus. “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity” (Hebrews 1:9).

If we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are in agreement with Him and His word. “Faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). Our faith in Jesus Christ is derived from His
word. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2).
Our spiritual growth is derived from the word of God. David said, “thou hast magnified thy word above
all thy name” (Psalm 138:2). It is that important.

Jesus told us, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and
follow me” (Luke 9:23). The choice is yours. Choose death or life. Eternal damnation or everlasting
fellowship with the one true God. In the gospel of Mark, the first words of Jesus were, “The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). The simple,
yet difficult choice is yours. If you choose to serve Jesus Christ as the Bible declares you must, you can
be 100% sure that if you died tonight, you would go to heaven. Be sure your faith is not in a church or a
preacher. The Bible warns us, “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man” (Jeremiah 17:5) and “Beware of
false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew
7:15). Now the choice is up to you! “Choose you this day whom ye will serve” (Joshua 24:15). “He that
covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs
28:13). “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

“And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37).

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