Are you ready for judgment day?
What will happen to you when you die? It's a question that most people don't like to think about. When asked, most people start to think about the family members or the possessions they will leave behind after they are gone. But that's not the most important question. More important than your family or posessions is the question, "What will happen to you after you die?" The Bible answers that question in Hebrews 9:27 by saying, "... it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." This verse makes it clear that death is not the end. There is life after death. After all, there could be no judgment if there were no life after death. Secondly, this verse makes it clear that there is a coming day of judgment for which you must be prepared. The type of life you experience after death will be determined by the outcome of that day of judgment. Are you ready for judgment day? Read the following questions and find out.
Are you 100% certain where you will spend eternity?
Most people when they are asked this question will answer in one of several ways. Some will say "yes," even though they aren't really certain. Others will say "I think so" or "I hope so." But when you stand before God on the day of judgment, do you want to approach His throne in fear wondering what the outcome will be? You don't have to wonder or fear.
The apostle John wrote, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life..." 1 John 5:13
This verse makes it clear that knowing your eternal destiny before death is something that you can know with 100% certainty. It is entirely possible to approach God's throne with complete confidence one day. However, this certainty is only availble to those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and are trusting in Him alone for salvation.
Are you really a good person?
If God were to ask you on judgment day why He should let you into heaven, perhaps you might answer by saying, "Well, I'm a good person. Surely, that counts for something right?" But are you really a good person? The Bible actually has a lot to say about this question:
"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." James 2:10
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:10
"There is none that doeth good, no, not one." Romand 3:12b
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23
According to these verses, there isn't a single person living on earth that can actually answer the question asking if they are a good person in the affirmative. These verses make it clear that every single person has committed sin. Even one sin is enough for God to declare you guilty on judgment day. Because of that guilt. No one is truly good according to God's standard. Ever person deserves a guilty verdict.
Will good deeds get you into heaven?
Perhaps after reading through the verses about sin above you might be thinking, but if I do a bunch of good deeds won't God look at the good things I've done and see that my good deeds outweigh my sins and still let me into heaven? This line of thinking has major problems. If you approach God's throne on the day of judgment hoping that your good deeds will offset your sins and somehow bring favor with God, it means that knowing whether or not you will be able to enter heaven won't be something you can find out until after you die. But as we saw earlier, eternal life is something that you can know with 100% certainty today. You don't have to wait until you die to find out. Aside from that logical issue, there is a much bigger problem. The Bible actually comes right out and says that good works don't count for anything:
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Isaiah 64:6
"Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us..." Titus 3:5
"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
No matter how many good deeds you do, your best efforts are like dirty, used rags in God's sight. No amount of good deeds can change the fact that you have broken God's law. Every person is guilty and unclean in God's sight.
The idea that good works can get you into heaven is actually a trick Satan is trying to play on you. Satan is at war with God. He wants as many people to perish with him in hell as possible. So he tries to deceive people by flipping the order in which good works are supposed to be part of a person's life. Satran tries to trick you into believing that good works are necessary for God to allow you into heaven. When in reality God says good works before salvation are like worthless filthy rags. Even though good works are not capable of earning God's favor, the Bible makes it clear that good works are important after salvation. (See James 2:26). God wants those who accept His gift of salvation to serve and live for Him - not to somehow earn salvation - but out of appreciation for what He has already done for us. If God allowed good works to get people into heaven, it would allow people to spend eternity bragging about their good deeds. But Ephesians 2:8-9 above shows us that God doesn't want us bragging about ourselves. He wants us praising Him for the great things He has done for us. Do you see now why it is so important to understand the truth about good works? If you misunderstand the order in which good works are supposed to happen, you are falling for Satan's trickery and will spend eternity apart from God.
What has God done for you?
No one is truly good according to God's standard. Because of that no one can earn themselves a ticket to heaven. So is eternal life with God in heaven possible?
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8
"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
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23
" 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
"Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." I Corinthians 15:3b-4
No one is able to earn their way into heaven. As a righteous judge, God must still punish sin. But God loved you enough to make a way possible for your sin to be punished without you having to take that punishment yourself. God sent His son Jesus into the world to accomplish that mission. Jesus lived his entire life on earth without sinning once. It was his perfect life that enabled Him to go to the cross to die for sins that you committed. Jesus' death on the cross enables you to live with God for all eternity. Jesus Christ was willing to die for you because of the great love He has for you. Because Jesus was God's son, Jesus was able to rise again from the dead the 3rd day. He wants you to live one day in heaven with Him. But sadly, not everyone will get to live with Jesus in heaven because not everyone chooses to acknowledge and respond to God's plan of salvation. That leads into the final question...
How can you live with God forever in heaven after death?
The answer to this question is surprisingly simple.
"That 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
"...believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." Acts 16:31
"...the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23
Salvation doesn't belong to those who spend their lives doing good works. Salvation is a free gift that God is offering to you. When someone gives you a Christmas gift, you don't take out your wallet and try to pay for that gift. Doing so would offend the one who is giving you the gift. Likewise, God is offering you a gift of eternal life. It's a gift so precious you cannot earn it yourself because you didn't live a sinless life. But Jesus Christ who did live a sinless life died on the cross for your sins and wants to give you the gift of eternal life. All that needs to be done is for you to accept that gift by acknowledging that you cannot earn salvation by good deeds yourself, by acknowledging that Jesus paid the penalty for your sin, and by believing that Jesus Christ rose again and wants to see you live forever with Him in heaven.
Do you want to receive that gift now? You can! Don't delay. Simply tell God in your own words that you believe that you cannot earn salvation yourself, that you believe that Jesus paid the penalty for your sin, that you believe that Christ rose again from the dead, and that you want to live forever with Him in heaven. There are no magic words that have to be included in your prayer. Use your own words and just tell God that you want to receive His free gift of salvation. Doing so means that you can face judgment day with 100% confidence that you will live forever with God in heaven!
If you just came to understand what Jesus did for you and asked Him to give you His free gift of eternal life, we at Calvary Broadcasting would love to talk with you. We would love to rejoice with you. We would welcome the opportunity to help you find a local church that could help you learn more about the Bible, what the next steps are for someone who has placed their faith in Christ, and how God desires that you spend your life serving Him as a way of saying thank you for all that Christ has done in saving you. Simply go to our contact page and fill out the form telling us of your new faith in Jesus Christ. We look forward to hearing from you!