Did You Know?

DID YOU KNOW THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD?

In today’s world, people worship many different “gods”. But is it true that all these “gods” exist? Or is there really only one God? Let's just say firstly that if all the gods that people have come up with do exist, then how do you choose which god to worship? How can you know what is truth? If all these gods contradict each other, can they all be true? Of course, they can’t all be true. Truth is unchanging and is always the same. Therefore all these “gods” cannot be true, thus there has to be only one God that is true! If there is really only one God, who is He? How can we know about Him? Does He have anything to say to us? When you look at all the so-called “gods” man has invented, we must realize that they are “imagined by man.” If a “god” is imagined by man, is it really a god? Absolutely not! If I decide that my dishwasher is a god and give it a name, that certainly doesn't make it a god. If I am greatly influenced by some man and follow him with my life, does that make him a god? Absolutely not! If a god is actually a God, He has to transcend what we can conceive, or else He is not a real God. To know the one true God we must understand that He is not like us. He is higher than us, more powerful than us, more knowledgeable than us, more extraordinary than us, etc… You get the picture. What God is beyond the mind of man and more? Wouldn't such a God reveal something of Himself to us? Truth is, He has. We have the perfect description of one God that is higher than what the mind of man could imagine. This one true God is found only in the Bible. Simply put, the Judeo-Christian God of the bible tells us He is the only true God, “I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me…” (Isaiah 45:5).

DID YOU KNOW THE BIBLE IS GOD'S WORD?

Since there is really only one God, does He have anything to say to mankind? Has He revealed anything about Himself? He sure has! He has spoken to us through the Holy Bible. Many people today will argue that the Bible is just another book. How sad it is to be so wrong. The Bible is not just another book. It is a variety of many books compiled into one volume that is the word of God. We can know the Bible is His word for three reasons. Firstly, is its construction or how it came to be. The Bible was written by over 40 different men over a period of nearly 1600 years. Most of these men had different occupations and personalities. The majority of them never even met each other. You would think that with such differences in time frame and character that these men would contradict each other over and over again. The fascinating thing is that the Bible in its entirely, written by all these different men, is in completely harmony of truth. Though some try to force error into the Bible, there is no error in it as God gave it. It is in complete harmony. Only God could construct such a volume called the Bible. Secondly, we see great fulfillment of prophecy in the Bible. Prophecy is something detailed said that later comes true in exact fulfillment to every detail. The Bible is full of such prophecy. We see every prophecy that God has given through the Bible has come true with precise detail and yet there is still more to come. Who else can tell us what will happen in the future other than God? No person can do that, only God! Prophecy proves the Bible is God’s word and not mans. Thirdly, in the Bible, God tells us how the Bible was written and given to us. We see in 2 Peter 1:21 that God says, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” You see, God used man to relay His word to mankind. Just as you and I relay a message to another person through a device called a cell phone, God used certain men to get His message through to us. The Bible also says in 2 Timothy 3:16 that, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God…” The word “inspiration” literally means “God-breathed.” Wow! There is one God and this God has given us a message from Himself. Don't you want to know what God has said to you?

DID YOU KNOW GOD REALLY DOES LOVE YOU?

There are many people today that give a wrong impression of who God is. God is a God of love. He is not a God that hates humanity. He loves humanity with a love that surpasses all we could imagine. Mankind is the crown of God’s creation. Did you know that when God created everything, He spoke and it was created. That's how powerful God is! But with man, God “formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7). You are special in God’s eyes. He truly does love you beyond what you realize or comprehend. Just because this world is a harsh and trying place, don't think God in heaven doesn't still love you. He does! He tells us so in His word, the Bible. Notice Psalm 86:15 which says, “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.” It’s undeniably clear that God loves the world, His creation. First John 4:8 says, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world…” The only true God that actually exists is a God that loves His creation. That means He loves you today! But if God loves all people, why then is there suffering, disease and death? Why do many proclaim a place called Hell? God tells us the answer in the Bible. Look to the next section.

DID YOU KNOW NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO HEAVEN?

If there is only one God and He loves mankind, why would not everyone go to Heaven to be with Him? While God is love, that is not all that He is. He is also holy, righteous and perfect. This means that God has a specific restriction to be in His presence. This restriction from Him is called sin. Most people don't want to even consider the idea of sin or think about having sin in their own life. God tells us plainly, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). When God created Adam and Eve, the first two people on earth, He gave them the choice to live freely with Him or choose sin which would have the penalty of death, thus putting them out of His presence. Well I bet you can guess which they chose. They chose to disobey God and sin. God told them before that, what would happen if they chose to sin. Still they disobeyed God’s command and they took of the forbidden fruit. Sin is the reason for disease, death, and destruction. Sin poses a greater problem than humanity realizes. Because of their decision to sin, all humanity throughout history has sinned against God. Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” You and I sin on a daily basis. Our very nature is to sin and all sin has a great price tag upon it. God tells us that “the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23). When we sin, we break God’s holy law. Whether it be lying, cheating, stealing, a bad thought, lust, jealousy, pride, greed, murder, adultery, homosexuality, etc… There are multitudes of sins and we all have committed them. God says in first John 3:4 that, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” But what if I don't think I'm that bad of a person? God tells us that, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). To tell one lie is as if you broken all God’s laws. Now who can honestly say they have never lied? All of us have. What happens when you break the law? If you or I am driving 60mph and the speed limit is 45mph, we are breaking the speed law. If we are caught by a police officer, we are charged with a ticket with a price to pay. God’s law deals in the same way, except the price is so much higher. God is so holy, He cannot allow any sin in His presence and all sin must be paid for. But what if I try religion, have better works, give to charity, etc…? God says, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). Our good works cannot erase the sins we already are guilty of. So since you and I are sinners, how then can we go to Heaven? Heres the bad news. We cannot enter Heaven with sin. God tells us, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10).

Then where does a person go? Is it Hell? It sure is. Hell was never meant for mankind. It was specifically meant for the devil and his angels but since mankind has also rebelled against God, Hell is the place where unsaved sinners go. In the end, the final place for all unsaved sinners is the Lake of Fire. It is a place of suffering, sorrow and separation from God. Its a place every individual, no matter how good they appear to be, deserves to go and will go without salvation. No one is guiltless of sin. But I thought God loved me? How could a loving God send any person to Hell? Like a good judge cannot let a guilty criminal go free without punishment, so also God cannot overlook our sin. It has to be paid for! For mankind to turn from God and sin against Him breaks His heart because He loves us. God says, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked…” (Ezekiel 33:11). Since we are the ones who have sinned against God, who else is accountable to pay for our own sins? Only us. What if I just say to myself God isn't real or try to hide my sin? That wont work either. God says, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:12). Thats why so many don't want to hear this reality. But if this is truth, wouldn't you want to know before its too late? I sure would and I think you do too. So then if everyone is a sinner, separated from God and deserving of God's justice, how then could anyone go to Heaven? The good news is that God has provided a way!

DID YOU KNOW THERE IS A WAY TO HEAVEN FOR ALL SINNERS?

Good news! Although you and I have sinned against God, having broken His holy law, there still is a way for us to go to Heaven when we die. You see, since we are helpless of our own selves, we need someone to save us from our sin. We need a Savior! And this Savior must meet the requirements of God’s justice. There is a Savior! His name is Jesus and He alone can give us salvation. But how? Why is He the only Savior? Jesus Christ is unlike you and I. He is the eternal Son of God. God sent His Son to be born of a virgin so He could have a physical body like you and I. The difference is, Jesus didn't have a nature to sin like us. He had a perfect nature. Jesus grew up living a completely perfect life. He was sinless. God tells us that Jesus “…did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). Remember, God requires perfection. Jesus was and is exactly that. Jesus came to earth specifically to live a perfect sinless life for us because we cannot live that life. Along with being perfect, Jesus came to pay the price of sin that God demanded, which is death. God’s plan was that Jesus take our place and pay our penalty for sin. Imagine you are standing before a judge, guilty of a great crime. The penalty has been announced and you deserve to pay it. But then someone walks in and volunteers to take your penalty on them self and asks the judge to let you go free. That person didn't commit the crime, but wants to take your place. The judge allows it and you go free while this innocent person pays your penalty. That is exactly what Jesus did on the cross. We are guilty and Jesus is not. God is the Judge and pardons us only through Jesus, the innocent substitute. Jesus suffered terribly throughout His crucifixion. He was betrayed, beaten, spit upon, mocked, scourged mercilessly, crowned with thorns, forced to carry His cross, taken to a place called Calvary and had His hands and feet nailed to the cross. You can only imagine all His suffering. You say, why did He go through that. All for you! Jesus shed His own blood to pay your sin penalty and endure God’s justice for your sin. It was perfect blood God demanded and thats what Jesus gave, His own blood. God says we are saved by “…the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” (1 Peter 1:19). God says about Jesus, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). At the cross, Jesus took on Himself the sins of the entire world so we could be set free. He endured the justice of God we all deserve. First John 2:2 says, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” Propitiation means payment or atonement. We cannot even fathom how much justice Christ endured that day for us. Every sin you and I have ever committed or will commit Jesus paid for completely once and for all. What a Savior! There is no other person who meets God’s requirements of perfection and has paid for sin in all of history or the future. It is only Jesus!

But if Jesus died, how is He any different from other men who have died for a great cause? Jesus not only died for our sins, but He was buried and three days afterward He rose from the grave. What is the one thing that no person has ever come back from by their own power? Death! Jesus paid for our sin and defeated our greatest enemy, death. God tells us plainly 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 15:3-4). Thats why Jesus is the only way to have eternal life in Heaven after we physically die. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” (John 11:25). So God must execute judgment for sin. To make a way for us to have forgiveness and eternal life with Him in Heaven, He sent His Son to take your place. What great love God has for us! Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Jesus has already completed all that God required for sin. He has done what you and I could never do ourselves. What a great reality! If God has already provided the way to Heaven through Jesus, how do I apply that to me? How do I know for sure I am saved and going to Heaven?

DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN KNOW YOUR GOING TO HEAVEN?

So God has provided a way for all sinners to have Heaven. What next? How do I know I am going to Heaven? God tells us that we can only be saved by faith in what Jesus has done for us on the cross and resurrection. This is where so many get it wrong. Many people, even very religious people, think they have to do some kind of good work to get to Heaven. God strictly says, “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight” (Romans 3:20). No deed or good work is good enough. If it were, Jesus never would have had to suffer for our sins. Christ came to do what we could not do, which is pay our sin penalty. Christ has already done it. It is finished! God requires that you and I only believe on Jesus Christ as our own personal Savior from sin. God says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31). Believing means you trust in Jesus with your heart. Believing in God is not enough. Believing you are a sinner is not enough. You must believe on the only Person who has paid your sin penalty and risen from the grave. Thats it! The things like baptism, praying a prayer, joining a church, giving offerings, etc… have nothing to do with you going to Heaven or Hell. Your faith in Jesus as your own personal Savior is the only thing that makes the difference. John 3:18 says, “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.” What is the difference in being condemned and not condemned? Belief on the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Trusting Jesus is similar to the moment you sit into a chair. You know the chair is stable, strong and can hold you up. But just knowing about a stable chair doesn't make the chair useful to you. You must trust the chair and allow yourself to sit into for it to be applied to you. The same is true with Jesus. He is the only Person who has paid for your sin and has the power to give you eternal life. Knowing those things aren't good enough. You must rest yourself entirely upon what He has done for you already. Just trust yourself to Him. Its that simple!

When should you trust Him? Right now! Jesus is eager and ready to give you salvation today. You don't have to be in church, with a preacher or any other location. Salvation is a heart matter. God says, “for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness” (Romans 10:10). Will you today be saved by trusting in Jesus alone for salvation from sin? Its up to you. You've heard and read the truth. Now what will you do with it? Everyone is trusting in something. What are you trusting in? If its not Jesus, your trust is in the wrong place. “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). If you today trust Jesus as your own personal Savior, God says you have eternal life. Not that you will have or might have later, but do have this moment. God says in 1 John 5:13 that, “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.” What a great God! He loves us and gives us salvation through His Son. I hope today you know for sure you are saved and going to Heaven. Life is too short to be unsure. Make sure your sure today!

Are You Sure About Your Salvation?

If you are unsure about your salvation, we want to help you know for sure. We offer some simple Basic Bible Truth lessons that are aimed to help us know without a doubt that we are saved. If you would like to enroll in this class please contact us via our contact page, phone call or direct contact we are having in-person meetings. Don't leave this matter unsettled. Life is too short not to know your eternal destination.