How Can I Know I Am Going to Heaven?
You Can Know Jesus Christ Personally
The Bible teaches that eternal life is not earned through religion, baptism, church membership, good works, or trying to become a better person.
Salvation is God’s gift, received by placing your faith in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection.
“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
1. God Loves You
God created you and loves you. His desire is not for you to perish, but for you to receive everlasting life through His Son.
“The Lord is…not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:9
God’s love does not mean that sin can simply be overlooked. Because He is holy and just, our sin must be dealt with.
2. Every Person Is a Sinner
The Bible says:
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:23
Sin is more than making occasional mistakes. It is disobeying God in our thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions.
No one has lived a perfect life. We have all fallen short of God’s righteous standard and cannot make ourselves acceptable to Him through our own efforts.
3. Sin Has a Penalty
“For the wages of sin is death…”
Romans 6:23
A wage is something that is earned. Because of sin, we have earned death and separation from God.
The Bible teaches that physical death is not the end. Without salvation, a person remains separated from God eternally.
Our good works cannot erase our guilt, and religion cannot pay the debt that sin has created.
4. Jesus Christ Paid for Your Sin
The good news of the gospel is that Jesus Christ took the punishment we deserved.
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8
Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, died on the cross in our place. He was buried, and three days later He rose bodily from the dead.
Because He paid the full price for sin, salvation is offered as a gift.
“…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 6:23
Jesus did not merely make salvation possible if we can become good enough. He completed the work necessary to save us.
5. Repent and Believe the Gospel
Salvation is received by turning to God and placing your faith in Jesus Christ alone.
“Repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Mark 1:15
To repent is to recognize that you are wrong before God and turn from trusting yourself, your religion, or your good works.
To believe is to depend upon Jesus Christ—His death and resurrection—as your only hope of forgiveness and eternal life.
“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”
Acts 16:31
You are not saved by the exact words of a prayer. You are saved when you sincerely place your faith in Jesus Christ.
6. Call Upon the Lord
The Bible says:
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Romans 10:13
Calling upon the Lord is the natural expression of genuine faith. You may speak to God in your own words and tell Him that you know you are a sinner and are trusting Jesus Christ to save you.
A prayer might express something like this:
Lord, I know that I am a sinner and cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose again. I am placing my faith in Him alone. Please forgive me and save me.
These words do not save you. Jesus Christ saves you when you believe on Him.
Can You Know That You Are Saved?
Yes.
God does not want you to spend your life wondering whether you have done enough. Salvation rests upon His promise, not your feelings or performance.
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life…”
John 3:36
“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
When you trust Christ, God gives you everlasting life. Everlasting life is not temporary life that lasts only until your next failure. It is the gift of God secured through Jesus Christ.
What Happens Next?
Salvation is the beginning of a new life with Christ.
After trusting Jesus Christ, a believer should:
Publicly confess Christ
Be baptized by immersion
Begin reading the Bible and praying
Attend a faithful local church
Grow through biblical preaching and discipleship
Tell others what Christ has done
Baptism does not save you. It is the first step of obedience after salvation and publicly identifies you with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Have You Trusted Jesus Christ?
You do not need to wait until you understand everything or improve your life first.
Come to Christ as you are, acknowledge your sin, and place your faith in what He has already done for you.
We would be honored to answer your questions, pray with you, or help you understand the gospel more clearly.
Resources from Pastor Adrian Rogers