Before you can have eternal life,you must sincerely desire to have it and be willing to receive it God’s way.  You can search the world over; there is only one source of eternal life: the Scriptures, God’s Word. Nothing else in this world offers eternal life!

WHERE CAN I FIND ETERNAL LIFE?

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39)

“…thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”  (II Timothy 3:15)

“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” (Titus 1:2)

“…Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not 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…”  (I John 5:11-13)

WHY I SHOULD TRUST THE BIBLE?

 Scripture is absolute truth! “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” (John 17:17)

Scripture is either absolutely true or absolutely false; there is no in-between! Consider the integrity and design of the Scripture (the detail, accuracy, and precision of God’s Word along with its already fulfilled prophecy) and harmony of Scripture (written over a period of 1500 years, penned by over forty different men without a single contradiction). Thus the Bible distinguishes itself from all man-made literature. Mankind is incapable of this kind of perfection. It is neither an insult to intelligence nor an embarrassment to intellect to believe the Bible. There is no rational reason for not believing and trusting the Scriptures. It is, in fact, the Word of God and your only hope“…it was impossible for God to lie…” (Hebrews 6:18)

Truly ask yourself what would be more prudent: to consider the Bible while there is still time; or to never consider the Bible and realize too late it is true? Intellectual honesty demands serious consideration!

A fascinating thing about God’s Word is you do not need someone else to teach you. God will give understanding to the sincere heart of anyone desiring the truth:

“…ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you…” (I John 2:27)

WHAT IS THE DANGER OF SELF-RELIANCE?

“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

Many people have faith in their religion, but all that religion can tell you is how to live, not how to die! No religion accords any guarantee, only a false hope. Religion is all too often a distraction competing with the truth, because all religions are man-made and performance based relying on what you do for yourself. Trusting in your own “works” to earn your way to eternal life is futile:

“For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God (religion), but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” (Romans 10:2-3)

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…” (Isaiah 64:6)

“As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one…They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”  (Romans 3:10-12)

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…” (Titus 3:5)

“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” (Romans 4:5)

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselvesit is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Eternal life comes only by faith in God. Faith in yourself, your religion, your church, or anything other than Scripture, is “unprofitable.”

HOW GUILTY AM I?

“Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12)

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23)

“For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one pointhe is guilty of all.” (James 2:10)

“…that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.” (Romans 3:19)

“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord…” (Romans 7:24-25)

WHAT IS THE CONSEQUENCE OF MY DECISION?

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:36-37)

Why would you gamble with your soul and dismiss God’s warning?

“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…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:” (I Corinthians 15:1-4)

The “gospel” is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  Anything added to it (e.g., works of any kind) or taken from it will pervert the Gospel, making it void. . “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:9) You cannot afford to be wrong!

“In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;” (II Thessalonians 1:8-9)

“That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (II Thessalonians 2:12)

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)

WHO IS MY ONLY HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE?

The “…Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;” (I Timothy 1:1)

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;” (I Timothy 2:5)

Please understand that biblical Christianity is not a religion, it is a person: the Lord Jesus Christ. True Christianity is a relationship, not a religion! The “gift of God” comes from receiving Jesus Christ by faith as your personal savior:

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (John 1:12)

“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 (the gift of eternal life) can either be received or rejected as you will it. You cannot work for a gift or earn it; salvation is strictly a free gift by God’s grace obtained through your faith. Faith only is required, because “we have access by faith into this grace” (Romans 5:2). Realize that what you could not do for yourself, God did for you. God, in His mercy, sent His Son (“God was manifest in the flesh” – I Timothy 3:16) to die “for the sins of the whole world” (I John 2:2). Jesus paid the penalty (“wages”) of your sins fulfilling (satisfying) the law, making your redemption legal.

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly…But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:6-8)

“For he (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (II Corinthians 5:21)

WHAT MUST I DO TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE?

 “…receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:21)

 “God…now commandeth all men every where to repent:” (Acts 17:30)

“…repentance from dead works (e.g., religion, trying to save yourself)…” (Hebrews 6:1)

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9)

The fact that Christ rose from the dead is conformation that the payment for “the sins of the whole world” has been accepted and that the penalty is paid in full. Since Christ has already paid for your sins vicariously. Eternal life comes when you repent (to turn or a change of heart) of your sin (your “dead works“) and by just a simple act of faith believe on the resurrected Jesus: “…repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Eternal life then is your choice to freely receive or reject. If you see your need for a savior you must plead guilty with all the sincerity of your heart and call on the Lord to save you:

“For godly sorrow (heart conviction) worketh repentance to salvation…” (II Corinthians 8:10)

“The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.” (Psalm 116:3-4)

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

Lord, I turn to you and call on your mercy with all sincerity of my heart as a sinner in need of a savior, believing that Jesus Christ died for me and paid for all my sins. Come into my heart Lord Jesus and be my personal savior. Amen

HOW CAN I BE REASSURED OF ETERNAL LIFE?

Your heart will require reassurance that you are sincere.  A good test to prove genuine faith is a new attitude and changed desires:

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (II Corinthians 5:17) 

Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?” (II Corinthians 13:5)

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (I Peter 2:2-3)

“We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren…” (I John 3:14)

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another…” (Hebrews 10:25)

It is only natural to be grateful with a desire to please God and to grow in the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. Tell your decision to someone that cares for your soul and find a Bible-believing church with which you can fellowship and learn more.

THE CHOICE IS YOURS

Do you see how foolish it is to allow pride, religion, anything or anybody, to keep you from the free gift of eternal life?

“…And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”  (Revelation 22:17)

“And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:26)

If you prayed and asked Jesus to save you, please let us know by calling the church office or sending us an email so we can share in your joy.