Where Will YOU Go?
“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in
the faith. Test yourselves.” – 2 Corinthians 13:5
Life on earth is short. The psalmist David points out that a person’s “days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more” (Psalm 103:15-16). Even if you or your loved ones were to live to be 100 years old, that’s not even a blink of an eye compared to eternity.
Many people are consumed by the cares of everyday living. They pay little attention to preparing for their Heavenly home. They spend their time trying to be as comfortable as possible in their earthly homes—but what about eternity?
If you ask the average person, “Are you going to Heaven?” most will say yes. But Heaven, my friend, is NOT our default destination. People don’t go there automatically or because they’ve “lived a good life.”
You’ve probably been to a funeral service where everyone comforts each other that the deceased person is “in a better place” and “no longer has to suffer.” But what if the person who passed away never trusted Christ to forgive their sins? What if they never made Him the Lord of their life?
Eternity is too important to leave to chance. We can’t just presume we and our loved ones are destined for Heaven. Instead, Paul says we must “examine” ourselves to see if we are truly “in the faith.”
The amazing thing about Paul’s statement is that…
…he was writing to church people! Like many churchgoers today, some of those in the church at Corinth had become complacent. They thought their good deeds or participation in religious activities would guarantee them a place in Heaven, but Paul warned: Examine yourselves!
Jesus gave this same kind of warning to would-be followers who never really knew Him:
Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord…and then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!” (Matthew 7:21-23)
What a sad description of people who profess Jesus’ Lordship, but don’t truly KNOW HIM.
You Can Know for Sure
We can’t fall into the trap of basing our Heavenly hope on our own righteousness. “Spiritual” activities like going to church, tithing, or doing good deeds will never get us into Heaven!
Yet there is a way you can have real assurance of your salvation. The Bible says God wants you to KNOW that your sins are forgiven and you’re destined to spend eternity with Him after you die:
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may KNOW that you have eternal life (John 5:13).
Do you have this kind of deep assurance of your salvation today? Are you certain that if today were your last day on earth, Heaven would be your final destination?
If not, I encourage you to…
…come to the Lord in faith and trust in the price He paid for your salvation as He shed His blood on the Cross as an atonement for your sins. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10). Live for Him every moment of every day.
If you make this kind of commitment, God promises He will forgive your sins and make you His child. You can KNOW that Heaven is your eternal home!
If you’ve never taken this step of faith, then why not stop right now and pray this simple prayer?
Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me so much You gave Your life for me. I believe You lived a sinless life and that You died for my sins. I believe You rose from the dead so I can live forever with You in Heaven. Jesus, please forgive me of all my sins, and give me assurance of eternal life. I invite you to be my Savior and Lord and fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for coming into my heart and making me a new creation!