Saturday, February 28, 2026

Bad News, Good News: How Can We Be Saved and Know For Sure We’re Going to Heaven?

 


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As the Lord has opened the door to a new ministry for my husband and me (more on that to follow!), He let me know that it would be important to write out a salvation message in my own words to use in this ministry and elsewhere as He leads. So here it is:

Bad news: We're all sinners, deserving eternal punishment in hell (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Our good works don't outweigh our sin (Isaiah 64:6), because if we've broken any part of the law, we are guilty of breaking all of it (James 2:10). If we've told a little white lie, stolen a stick of gum, or even looked at someone with lust or lashed out at them in anger, we have broken the law (Matthew 5:21-23;27-28). Perfectly holy, just God cannot allow a sinner into Heaven on their own merit.


GOOD NEWS (The Gospel): God gave Jesus, His perfectly holy, sinless Son, to pay the price for all our sins by dying on the cross (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 2:10; 1John 2:2; 4:10). Then He rose from the dead on the third day, so that all who trust Him will live forever with Him in Heaven (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4). We are saved by believing this (faith) through God's grace, or undeserved blessing, not by any works we can do. Eternal life is a freely given gift -- we can't earn it (Ephesians 2:8-9).


So what can we do to be saved?  Believe the Good News in your heart. Realize we are sinners and ask God to forgive us, and He will. Thank Jesus for dying for us to pay our sin debt and rising from the dead, so that all who trust Him will live forever. Ask Him to be Lord of your life. Pray a prayer something like this:

Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner who deserves to go to hell. I'm sorry for my sins and I need Your help to keep from sinning. I don't want to go to hell -- I want to live forever in Heaven with You. I thank you for dying on the cross for me and rising again from the dead. I believe with all my heart that You did this for me. Please save me now and give me the gift of eternal life. I don't deserve it and I can't earn it, but now I want to devote my life to serving You and telling others about You. Please guide, lead and protect me in all that I do. Thank You Lord Jesus!


What's next? If you sincerely prayed this prayer, you have a new life! You are a new creation in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and His Holy Spirit has entered your heart (2 Corinthians 1:22) to guide, comfort, and teach you (John 14:16-18). Commit your life to Him by studying and obeying His Word (2 Timothy 2:15; James 1:22; Romans 2:13), praying to Him (1 Thessalonians 5:17), getting baptized (Matthew 28:19), joining a Bible-based church (Hebrews 10:25) and telling others about how He has changed your life and about how they can be saved (2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Peter 3:15).

 

If you have just now trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please leave a comment and we will rejoice with you that you are now a born-again child of God (John 3:3-8), pray for you (Galatians 6:2), and help you in any way we can! May you grow in His grace, in faith, in love, and in Godly wisdom as His ambassador! Let His light shine through you! 

Copyright 2026 Laurie Collett

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