Fox River Bible Church - Are You Going to Heaven?


If you were to die today, can you say with confidence where your soul will spend eternity? Many believe that they can earn their way into Heaven through good works or by obeying specific church laws and ordinances. Others believe that we can’t really know what happens after death. They just hope for the best, but the Bible is very clear on this subject. The Sin Problem All have sinned. The Bible, teaches “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23. What may surprise many people is that “all” includes the 12 apostles. It includes Moses and Abraham. Even Mary, the mother of Jesus refers to her Son as her “savior.” Why would Mary call Jesus her savior unless she knew that she needed saving? All means all! The Bible says that all have sinned. All have come short. All includes you. Sin Separates Man from God. What’s more is that the Bible declares “the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23. Sin separates man from God. God’s wages (or payment) for sin is death. When Adam and Eve sinned, the result was death, or separation from God. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” Ezekiel 18:20. Sin = Death. Even Lying Results in Hell. Revelation 21:8 says that “all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone...” Even telling a lie results in eternal torment! Lying is breaking one of the 10 Commandments. Have you ever told a lie? A Holy God Demands Perfect Justice. You may not think that a sin as small as telling a lie should result in punishment. But, before you think that God has set the standard too high, please remember that you are not the Judge. God is the Judge and He judges the world according to HIS standard of right and wrong not man’s standard. Aren’t you glad that eternity isn’t based on our standard of right and wrong? Consider some of the injustices that we allow in the world today. Would you want to spend eternity in that kind of situation? Can good works “cancel out” your sin? No! The Bible also makes it clear that our “good works” can never outweigh our sin. God is holy and His justice demands that sin is paid for. If a murder is on trial for his life, his crime cannot be ignored by the Judge simply because the murderer did a few good things in his life. How much more shall the Judge of the universe hold up a standard of right and wrong? Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? For God So Loved The World The Bible also teaches that God saw man’s sin problem and rather than ignoring it, He dealt with it Himself. The wages of sin is death. Christ died for us. Christ died so that we would not have to die. Christ died so that we would not have to experience eternal separation from God. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8. Isn’t that amazing? The God of the universe loved His creation so much that He chose to leave Heaven’s glory and become a man — for the purpose of paying our sin debt. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” 1 Timothy 1:15 Because The Lord Jesus Christ died FOR us — He died for our sins — God is now able to offer all men eternal life in Heaven as a free gift. God Requires Faith. The only thing that God requires is that you TRUST your eternal destiny in the hands of the One who died for you. God wants to see you rest exclusively in the finished work of what Christ accomplished on the cross. He wants to see your FAITH in His Son, not in your own works or your own attempt to earn your way out of Hell. God wants you to have full assurance of your salvation and that you can with confidence know where your soul will spend eternity. Salvation is by Grace through Faith. Trust in the fact that God loved you enough the send His only Son to die your death for you. Place your faith in the truth that Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. God will give you eternal life this moment as a free gift. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23 “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 “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that 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:” 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” Romans 3:19-28 Marvelous grace of our loving Lord, Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt! Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured, There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled. Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; Grace, grace, God’s grace, Grace that is greater than all our sin! Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold, Threaten the soul with infinite loss; Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold, Points to the refuge, the mighty cross. Dark is the stain that we cannot hide; What can we do to wash it away? Look! There is flowing a crimson tide, Brighter than snow you may be today. Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, Freely bestowed on all who believe! You that are longing to see His face, Will you this moment His grace receive?