False Hopes Of Heaven? (Video)

Posted on 27. Apr, 2013 by Williiam in Uncategorized

When ask if they are going to heaven, most people invariably say, “Yes! I believe I am”. I find this very interesting because most of the respondents show little or no Biblical evidence of being “saved”.

And the Bible says, a person must be “saved” in order to go to heaven.

There are several words in the Bible that refer to being “saved”: i.e. regeneration, conversion, justification, reconciled with God and being born again.

All these words are talking about what happens when a person is “saved”. Those who are saved are born again, they become a new creature in Christ, they become a friend of God, they are adopted into God’s family, their sins are forgiven and heaven becomes their future home. It’s wonderful and life changing.

Being “saved” is the most important thing that can happen to a person.

When I talk about being “saved”, I don’t mean being saved the Baptist way, or the Methodist way, or the Catholic way, or any other denominational way.

I’m talking about being “saved God’s way”. There is only one way to be “saved”. And if you are not “saved” God’s way, then you are not “saved” at all, regardless of your religious affiliation.

I often ask people, “Why do you believe you are going to heaven?” The responses are usually similar, if not exact as follows:

“I’m a good person”, “I believe in God or Jesus”, “I’ve made a profession of faith in Christ”, I’ve been baptized or confirmed in my faith”, “I asked God to forgive me and save me”, or “I asked Jesus to come into my heart”.

The tragedy is, none of these responses means you are saved and going to heaven.

1. I’m A Good Person. No matter what we have done, deep down inside we all think we are good. This is because we judge ourselves the wrong way. First, we like to add up our good deeds verses our bad deeds. If our good deeds outnumber the bad ones, we think this makes us a good person and acceptable to God. Secondly, we compare ourselves to others. When we look around, we can always find someone who is worse than us. This makes up think of ourselves as a “good person”.

Neither of these is how God judges a person. God has His own standard. It is His perfect Moral Law. The Bible says, “the law is perfect in converting a soul”. Again the Bible says, “the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ”.

We are all guilty for breaking God’s Law. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”. We are not good in God’s eyes. In fact, the Bible tells us, “There is none that doeth good, but one, no not one”.

You may be a good person in the eyes of the world but being good is not enough to get you into heaven.

2. I Believe In God Or Jesus. The problem with this answer is that the Devil also believes in God and Jesus. There are two kinds of belief: one with your head and one with your heart. Belief with your head is simply the an accent to facts about Jesus or God. Belief with your heart is a turning from sin and placing your faith in Christ alone. Heart belief (saving faith) radically changes your life and your eternity. Is your belief in your head or your heart?

3. I’ve Made A Profession Of Faith In Christ. With a profession of faith, you are merely saying you are a Christian. It does not prove salvation. Jesus said, “There are many who profess me with their lips, but with their heart and their life, they deny me; they are along way from me”. You profess Christ, but do you obey Him and live for Him?

A profession of faith in Christ will not save you unless your heart lets go of sin and is converted by the Holy Spirit.

4. I’ve Been Baptized Or Confirmed In My Faith. Baptism and confirmation are important religious events but they do not save you. They will not get you into heaven. The Bible says, ” Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Baptism should come after you have been born again by the Holy Spirit.

5. I Ask God To Forgive Me And Save Me. The Bible teaches that salvation comes through “repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ”. So calling upon the name of the Lord is more than just asking Him to forgive and save you. There must be true Repentance and Faith for genuine salvation to take place. When this happens, you become a new creature, old things are done away with and all things become new. Did God change you when you ask Him to save you. If there was no change, there was no salvation.

6. I Ask Jesus To Come Into My Heart. No where in the Bible does it say, the way you become a Christian is to ask Jesus into your heart. The Bible says, “Repent and Be Converted”. Many have prayed and ask Jesus into their hearts but they have not been converted. They have not been changed by the power of God. They live the same way they did before they prayed. They have not been “saved”.

We may do a lot of good, moral and religious things with our lives, but none of them will get us to heaven.