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"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" –Romans 3:23 (King James Version)

"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"-Romans 3:10

The bible says everyone has sinned: me, you,…everybody. And doing so we have all fallen short of God’s expectations.

"For the wages of sin is death;" Romans 6:23

We are all going to die a physical death someday because we have sinned. But that’s not the end. There’s a heaven and a hell.

"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."-Revelation 20:14

The bible speaks about a second death; a spiritual death in a place called hell.

The bible gives a role-call of who all is going to be there:

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all LIARS, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."-Revelation 21:8

It says all liars. I’ve told a lie; you’ve told a lie; everyone has told a lie.

"And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh A LIE: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."-Revelation 21:27

^This verse is talking about heaven. It says if you’ve told one lie, you deserve to go to hell. We all deserve to go to hell. That's just the bad news, though. God loves us:

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8

Jesus Christ was God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). The bible says "in him is no sin". He came to earth and lived a perfect life. A mock trial was set up and he was beaten, spit on, and hanged on a cross and died. He was "pierced for our transgressions". It says he went to hell (Acts 2:27; 31) to pay for our sins there and he rose again on the third day. He died not only for our sins, but for the sins of the whole world. But everyone isn’t going to heaven. There’s only one requirement. And there is a specific instance in the book of Acts where someone is asking Paul and Silas what it takes to get to heaven:

"Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." –Acts 16:29-31

Does that say believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and get baptized? What about believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and go to church? What about believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and be willing to turn from your sins or be sorry for your sins? It doesn’t say any of that. It just says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.

"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

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, BECAUSE HE HATH NOT BELIEVED in the name of the only begotten Son of God."-John 3:18

"He that BELIEVETH on the Son HATH everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."-John 3:36

Over and over again, the bible says BELIEVE.

Going back to Romans:

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."-Romans 6:23

A gift is free. The giver always pays for the gift. This is a gift of God, so God paid for it on the cross. The gift is eternal life. Eternal means forever so you would only have to receive this gift one time.

Let’s say you do something really bad like commit suicide or murder…would God take that gift back? No. If he took it back it would not be a gift. Samson and Saul both commited suicide and the bible says that they are in heaven.

"For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." –Romans 11:29

Once you receive the gift of eternal life, it lasts forever. If he gave it to you and took it back...then it wouldn't have been eternal life...it would have been conditional life. Jesus paid for it ALL on the cross. There’s nothing you did to earn it, so there’s nothing you can do to lose it. That is why the bible lets us know that we have eternal life:

"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, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."-1 John 5:13

So what if we stop believing? The bible said it was a gift that only needed to be received one time and that the gifts of God are not to be repented of.

"If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." -2 Timothy 2:13

The bible says the moment we believe we are sealed by the holy Spirit until the day of redemption. Once saved, always saved. Don't tell me you have to work your way to heaven...it says you don't even have to believe any more.

"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."

That verse pretty much sums it up. Salvation is "NOT OF YOURSELVES" and "NOT OF WORKS". It is a gift. It's not something you can earn or buy. You just have to believe Jesus paid for it all.

-Richard Symes     January 10, 2009
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