Does God literally forgive and forget all our sins once we repent and put our trust in Him?

The evidence found in God’s word surrounding how He deals with our former sins, is a statement of complete and utter forgiveness. Once we say “Yes” to Jesus, our sins will have been permanently removed! We don’t have to worry about them ever coming back to haunt us.

1 John 4:7-10 says, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Psalm 103:10-12 says this, “He has not dealt with us according to our sins [as we deserve], nor rewarded us [with punishment] according to our wickedness. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His loving kindness toward those who fear and worship Him. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

Paul says in Romans 8:1-2, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

Have you been freed from the power of sin in your life that leads to death? If you’d like further evidence of God’s love for you and His desire for you to know Him and to spend all of eternity with Him, please don’t hesitate to reach out, as it would be my pleasure to continue this conversation at your convenience.

Being a “Good” person or a “Bad” person isn’t the determining factor of whether someone goes to heaven or to hell

Wherever we ultimately spend eternity is entirely up to each one of us to decide, and will be based on (from a Biblical perspective) whether we’re “Guilty” or “Innocent,” not “Good” or “Bad.”

Here’s what Jesus said to the religious leaders of His time in John 8:42-45, “If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me!”

Jesus also said in John 14:6, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the [real] Truth and the [real] Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

It boils down to who do we believe … God or Satan? Satan is the one who whispered in the first place the lie, “That all roads lead to heaven.” He didn’t say there isn’t a heaven, he just wants us to believe that Jesus isn’t the only way to get there.

Jesus said in John 3:18-19, “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.”

I hope you won’t take this decision lightly as you consider you’re eternal destiny. May I encourage you to follow the evidence as you seek the truth.

Finally, Jesus says in John 3:16-17, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”

My sincere prayer is that you’ll be found innocent here now! Not because you’re a “Good” person, but because you’ve accepted the free gift that Jesus offers everyone to have their sins paid for by His sacrificial death on the cross, and then being resurrected on the third day as definitive proof for being exactly who He said He is!!

What would you do if you were told a cure was discovered with a 100% success rate for the worst disease the world has ever known?

A couple of wise responses to that question might be, “How do I know if I have that disease?” And, “If I do have it, what do I need to do to be cured?”

According to the Bible, the reason every human being will die is because of sin. Genesis 2:15-17 says, “The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it. But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.” Romans 5:12 says, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.”

If the Bible is true, then it’s clear that no one is exempt from being born with a sin nature which ultimately leads to our death. So what’s the cure according to the Scriptures? Here’s what John the Baptist said in John 1:29, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Isaiah 53:6 says, “All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on Him the sins of us all.” Jesus took on the sins for every human who has ever lived, in order to pay the price on the cross for the sins of ALL who believe and put their trust in Him!

God is always faithful, and He offers this promise in Acts 2:20-21, “The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives. But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

In order to receive the cure for the terminal diagnosis resulting in eternal separation from God, we need to get right with Him. Which means we all have a choice to make in how we respond to what He has done on our behalf by sending Jesus and providing the sacrifice necessary to take away our sin.

Revelation 1:17-18 says, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as if I were dead. But He laid His right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.”

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:53-55, “For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

Here are the Biblical conditions for you to consider if you have not yet received payment in full for your sins, by accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord of your life:

1.) Ephesians 2:8-10 says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

2.) Romans 10:9-10 says, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”

Prayer is simply talking and listening to God. When you put your trust in Him, and invite Him into your life, He will literally be with you 24/7 to help you every step of the way, from now through all eternity!!

The unexpected death of a friend or a loved one

The reality that our loved one (for those who are born again) is in heaven, certainly brings a measure of comfort for believers who are left behind! However, the pain of their absence can be overwhelming.

Even Jesus wept and was deeply moved when his friend Lazarus died. But thankfully the story didn’t end there!

Because of what Jesus said to Maratha after her brother Lazarus died in John 11:25, we too can experience a hope that will help carry us through that giant hole in our heart & feeling of emptiness in our soul after the death of someone we deeply loved … “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.”

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”

Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.”

Finally, may we all be encouraged by what Revelation 21:1-4 says about every Christian’s eternal destination will be, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

What does Scripture mean when it says we’re to “test the spirits?”

1 John 4:1 says, “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God.” Unfortunately, there are many ‘wolves in sheep’s clothing’ who try to lead Christians away from God’s truth.

So, we need to compare what is being taught with the clear teaching of the Bible. The Bible alone is the Word of God, and not only is it reliable, it alone is inspired and inerrant! Our responsibility is to test whatever is being taught from a Biblical baseline in order to identify what is actually true.

Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.” It should be a labor of love as we make studying God’s word a top priority throughout our entire lifetime. It’s extremely consequential that we’re able to discern truth from error!

Psalm 119:104-106, & verse 11 says, “Your commandments give me understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I will keep Your righteous judgments. Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

May we go to God’s word daily, and trust His Holy Spirit who lives within us to guide us through ALL of our decisions, in order to glorify Him to the max!

God desires a real-life literal relationship with us!

A good definition of what a real relationship means could be, “A connection between two or more people, typically based on trust, mutual respect, love, and support.” Our heavenly Father has always desired to be close to us, and prior to man’s fall in Genesis 3, both Adam and Eve knew God and had a very personal relationship with Him. Scripture says they talked directly to Him as they walked in the garden together. In the beginning they truly had a very real and very close relationship with the creator of the universe.

Here’s what Paul said in Romans 4:25 & 5:1-2, “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

I don’t know about you, but I just about ‘come out of my skin’ with gratitude after reading these Biblical truths! And the joy & peace I have in realizing I’ve been justified (just-as-if-I’ve-never sinned) from God’s perspective, in order to be redeemed and have the kind of closeness Adam & Eve experienced with the Lord because He paid for my sins on the cross.

How about you? Are you in a real-life relationship with God? If not, why not? It’s the most important decision you’ll ever make in your lifetime, and I would love to connect and discuss further what the Bible has to say about God’s desire to be in a close intimate relationship with you.

Our source of joy should be in the reality of Christ being victorious over the world, the flesh, and the devil

In John 16:33 Jesus says, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Whether it’s a physical ailment, relationship troubles, financial hardship, or perhaps the unexpected loss of a loved one … we can take heart as we continue to trust God and what He tells us here in 1 John 5:4-5, “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.”

Paul provides us with a very specific way to respond to our moment-by-moment battles here in Ephesians 6:10-18, “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

We all can be over-comers and have nothing to fear because of Christ in us! Be encouraged, motivated, and secure by 1 John 4:3-4, “But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

In other words, why does a good God allow suffering at all? The short answer is, God loves us so much that He gives us all a free will. He won’t force anyone to spend an eternity with Him in heaven, or force us to choose Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives and have our sins forgiven. That’s all entirely up to each one of us to decide!

A good question to ask (pun intended) is, “What do you mean by good people?” Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, “Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.” And Romans 3:23 says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” Also, 1 John 1:8 says, “ If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.”

Author Peter Kreeft said, “The point of our lives is not comfort, security, or even happiness … but training. Not fulfillment, but preparation. This world is a lousy home, but it’s a fine gymnasium.”

We falsely think that if we never ever had to deal with any sort of hardship, or troubles, or suffering, then we’d be totally content and fulfilled. 1 Peter 1:6-7 says, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Here’s what Paul says in Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” And in verse 19 he said, “For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.”

The Biblical reality is we’re all born into sin, and the only way we can be ultimately redeemed is by saying “Yes” to Jesus and accepting His free gift of eternal salvation because He paid the price on the cross in order for our sins to be removed.

Share your testimony and God’s love with those around you!

Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:18, “Therefore comfort and encourage one another with these words [concerning our reunion with believers who have died].” What words? The context seems to indicate the comforting and encouragement coming from what Paul says in verses 13-17,  “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.”

Ray Comfort once said, “What if we could see on people's foreheads the word 'forgiven' or 'unforgiven?' Since death is such a fragile yet undeniably evident for all of us at some point in the future, wouldn't it be great to know if our loved ones, friends, acquaintances, neighbors, etc. had accepted the free gift of salvation offered to everyone by Jesus … or not?”

Would it change our response to people if we knew they were headed for an eternity apart from Christ, in a place of torment and solitude forever? Would we be bolder in sharing the truth in love with them while there's still time? Do we take for granted being forgiven of our sins due to the surrender of ownership of our lives we made, and the promise of an eternal future in a perfect place that is no longer under the curse of sin, and no longer subject to the relentless and ruthless attempts of our adversary Satan and his demons to distract us from God's plan for our lives?”

May our gratefulness for being saved encourage others to consider their own eternal destination!

Saying the gospel is just ‘Good News,’ could be the biggest understatement in the history of understatements

When we accurately identify what the gospel truly is, we honestly couldn’t come up with enough words to express what it means.

Here are just a few of the 1339 synonyms for Greatest I found at Thesaurus.com: Complete, entire, perfect, outright, foremost, highest, preeminent & finished.

According to the Bible, the good news about Jesus means the forgiveness of our sins to all who believe.

In Acts 10:43 Peter tells a crowd some ‘good news’ about Jesus when he said, “All the prophets testify about Him, that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

1 John 4:10 says, “This is real love—not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”

Titus 3:4-6 says, “When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.”

In Romans 10:9-11 Paul says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”

It’s my prayer that if you have yet to say “Yes” to Jesus and have not accepted Him as your Lord and Savior, that you would consider the truths found in God’s Word and do what Paul said at the end of 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.”

What truly matters according to the Bible?

Paul says in Philippians 3:12-14, “Not that I have already obtained it or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Paul is making the point that no matter what we may accomplish throughout our lifetime, none of it compares to knowing Christ and trusting in His righteousness alone for salvation! He emphasizes this in Ephesians 2:8-9 when he says, “For it is by grace that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the gift of God; not as a result of [your] works, so that no one will boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].”

Ecclesiastes 3 has a lot to say about God’s perspective surrounding our lives, like; “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” And, “God has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart.”

Perhaps a good question for all of us to consider if God truly has put eternity in our heart, is what are we going to do about it? I believe it’s our responsibility to hold ourselves accountable for our thoughts, our words, our actions, our habits, as well as for our character.

Jesus says in Luke 6:44-45, “For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

What does Scripture mean when it says keep seeking things that are above?

Paul says in Colossians 3:1-4, “Therefore if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth. For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”

If we as believers continually don’t discipline ourselves to focus on eternal things, we could easily become deceived and drawn away by the temptations of this world.

Paul goes on to say in verses 5-7, “So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.”

The Lord wants what’s best for us, and we would do well to heed His specific instructions surrounding where we put our attention. As 2 Corinthians 4:18 directs us, “So we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal, but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.”

Is experiencing God’s perfect peace conditional?

In John 14:27 Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid.” In order to experience God’s peace, it’s first necessary to have put our trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts and takes refuge in You.” In other words we must do our part by being committed, firm in our belief, and focused in how we think.

Paul says in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don't be anxious or worried about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, continue to make your requests known to God. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the appropriate time, casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns] on Him, for He cares about you.” Surrendering ownership of our lives is our responsibility, as Jesus is guaranteed to be faithful in fulfilling His promises!

God shines through us at the most unlikely of times

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, “Because of the surpassing greatness and extraordinary nature of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from thinking of myself as important, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan, to torment and harass me—to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me; but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you; for [My] power is being perfected in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong.”

It may not make good sense to be ‘well pleased’ amidst seemingly overwhelming circumstances, as we can each fill-in-the-blanks with our own list of current hardships. Yet the Lord always knows best and is strong in us through every storm we face. May we completely trust Him, especially when we’re at our weakest.

Do you think all roads lead to heaven?

Perhaps the better question is, “By what authority do you put your trust in, as it relates to identifying where you will spend eternity after you die?”

If the Bible is true and reliable, here’s what Jesus says in John 14:1-6, “Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God and trust in Him, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and I will take you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. And where I am going, you know the way.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going; so how can we know the way?”Jesus said to him, “I am the [only] Way [to God] and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Ultimately, everyone’s eternal destination is entirely up to them to decide. Our mission is to identify truth from a Biblical frame-of-reference. As you continue to ponder this massive decision, please don’t hesitate to reach out as we would love to share more about what the Bible says surrounding heaven and hell.

How do we respond to pain, suffering, and hardship?

If we evaluate everything in our lives from a Biblical frame-of-reference, becoming discouraged in the face of trials is ultimately a choice as a follower of Christ.

The Apostle Paul experienced more than his fair share of incredibly hard times, yet said this in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable.”

So how we choose to evaluate and respond to the troubles we’re currently going through, is everything. I love the word achieving! None of the really hard and challenging times we go through are meaningless.

May we cling to the truth found in God’s Word, knowing that our suffering is achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs our misery.

What Precedes Heaven?

Salvation precedes heaven! Jesus has a very revealing conversation with a Jewish leader of his time named Nicodemus in John chapter 3. Here are some of His responses to questions that could be similar to those that any one of us today could be asking:

Nicodemus’ first question was more of a statement in 3:2 when he said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” I’ve heard many atheists make similar claims that they believe Jesus was undoubtedly a good teacher. In 3:3, “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

As Jesus went on to explain that becoming born again meant being spiritually transformed and renewed (3:5-8), Nicodemus in 3:9 said, “How are these things possible?”

And here’s what’s incredibly relevant to every honest ‘truth seeker’ who has yet to be 100% convinced they will in fact go to heaven after they die, when Jesus said this to him in 3:10-12, “You are the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not know nor understand these things? I assure you and most solemnly say to you, we speak only of what we [absolutely] know and testify about what we have seen; and [still] you do not accept our testimony. If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe and trust Me if I tell you heavenly things?”

If we want to spend eternity in heaven, we would be wise to respond to what Jesus told Nicodemus was necessary by accepting the evidence of His testimony, and become born again.

Putting our faith and trust in Jesus is more of an intimate relationship, than it is a religion

Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2:16-17, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.”

Most religions are man-centered and works based. Whereas, from a Biblical perspective, Christianity is an eternal relationship available to anyone who chooses to surrender ownership of their lives to Jesus.

Romans 8:1-4 says, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.”

My prayer for any ‘truth seeker’ is to challenge the God of the Bible to personally reveal Himself to you. And then, sincerely investigate the truth claims in the gospels by reading Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John to see for yourself if the evidence of Jesus’ sacrifice for your sins is convincing.

Things we’ll do in the eternal heaven

The Bible clearly states that no one can work their way into heaven, as Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.”

However, we shouldn’t get confused about what the Bible teaches surrounding the importance of how we steward His free gift of salvation, and what the eternal consequences of how we faithfully allow His Spirit to work through us in our lifetime.

Daniel 7:18 says, “But in the end, the holy people of the Most High will be given the kingdom, and they will rule forever and ever.”

Jesus said in Matthew 25:21, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.”

Jesus also said in Matthew 6:19-21, “Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

From a Biblical perspective, there’s absolutely no reason to believe we’ll ever be bored once we relocate to the eternal heaven! In fact, we should be beyond excited in anticipation of when we will forever be entrusted with the responsibilities of ruling with our Lord and Savior based upon how we faithfully lived out our lives here and now.

The Bible tells us that Jesus is currently in heaven interceding for us

The Apostle Paul says in Romans 1:1-2, “Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior]. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

Paul also says in Romans 8:34, “Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.”

Hebrews 7:24-26 says, “But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.”

Whatever you may be currently going through, I hope you will experience an overwhelming & supernatural sense of peace, confidence, and encouragement from the above Biblical realities!

May you allow the truths found in God’s Word to literally transform your life … as Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”