Your Most Important Investment - What Do You Believe About Eternity?
From the Afterword of "Integrated Generosity for Faith Based Families"
Can anyone actually know for sure that when they die they will go to heaven? The Bible says, “Yes.” My job as a financial advisor is to help people build and protect their financial assets, and to provide them with an earthly assurance that, financially, their needs will be provided for. But there is another area of long-term planning that is much more important that finances. Jesus said, “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world but lose his soul” (Mark 8:36–37)? You can have all of the money in the world and still lose your soul. If death came knocking at your door suddenly, would you be ready? The time of our death is impossible to predict, but the fact that we will die is a certainty. I always find it interesting when, on the subject of death, people refer to it as a matter of “if” not “when.”
Just ask yourself this simple question: “If you were to die today, how sure are you that you would go to Heaven?” 30%? 50%? 80%? Is there a right answer? The Bible says there is. It is all about what you are trusting in to get you to heaven. Many people place their trust in living a “good” life. Others trust in religious activities and rituals. But the Bible says there is only one way to heaven—and that is through trusting in Jesus to get there. The Bible says that while God loves every person in the world, (John 3:16), every person in the world is separated from God by sin (Romans 3:23). Sin is anything that does not measure up to God’s perfect standard. All of us sin each and every single day. It is a part of our human nature.
If God asked you, “Why should I let you into my Heaven?” what would you tell Him? People try all kinds of ways to reach God: going to church, synagogue, or mosque; trying to live right by our fellow man; and doing the “right” things as they go through life. These are all good points, but they will not get us to God. Sin has created a deep canyon with God on one side and man on the other. On our own, there is no way to cross that divide. On our own, we would be separated from God for eternity. God has provided one solution to get us into a relationship with Himself. Since there was no way that we could ever reach God by our own efforts, He came to us in the person of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that Jesus is God’s Son. He demonstrated His deity by performing miracles: healing the sick and lame and even raising the dead (see the Book of John in the Bible).
Jesus lived a sinless life, and then He was nailed to a wooden cross where He died for our sins (1 Peter 2:22–24). Through His life, death, and resurrection, He fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prophecies, substantiating His place as the one true Messiah. When Jesus hung on that cross, His Father took the sins of the world (your sins and my sins) and allowed them to be washed clean by Jesus’ blood. Jesus died in our place as our substitute. Three days later, He rose from the dead, having conquered both sin and death (1 Corinthians 15).
Your Most Important Investment Is the Placement of Your Trust The apostles and many others were eyewitnesses to His resurrection. Now He offers eternal life as a free gift to all who believe in Him (Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 6:23; John 3:16). Do you believe in Him? Have you placed your trust in Him? If not, are you at a point in your life where you are willing to? Those who know me well know that I did not accept Christ as my personal Savior until 1997. Until then, I had a common, misguided perception that I could get to heaven by living a “good” life. It came to a point where I knew I could not go on just depending on my own good works to be sufficient, and I surrendered my life to the authority of Jesus Christ, trusting in Him and Him alone for my eternal salvation. Having started my financial services career in the insurance business, there is (of course) an analogy that rings true to this subject:
When you pay a premium to an insurance company, regardless of the risk, you are placing your trust in a company to protect against a possible risk. Jesus, through his sacrifice and death on the cross, paid the “premium” to cover the risk that is 100% certain for us all (death) so that we could know with 100% certainty that we will be in Heaven when we die.
Make your most important investment now! Can you know for certain where you will spend eternity? The Bible says, “Yes”.
If you answer “Yes” to all of these questions, the Bible says that you will have eternal life after your physical death. I encourage you to place your trust in Jesus now. Believe that He is God and that He died on the cross for your sins and that He rose from the dead. Trust in Jesus alone to forgive your sins and give you eternal life. Take a moment to tell God that you are trusting in Jesus alone for eternal life. The Bible says that those who believe in Jesus, have eternal life (John 5:24), and that means you can know for sure you will go to heaven. I will see you there.
Recommended Reading These books may help you come to a better understanding of God’s purpose for your life:
If you find yourself lacking answers regarding your spiritual condition, and would like to speak confidentially with a trained counselor, please call 1–800-NEEDHIM or visit www.needhim.org
Because He lives!
Just ask yourself this simple question: “If you were to die today, how sure are you that you would go to Heaven?” 30%? 50%? 80%? Is there a right answer? The Bible says there is. It is all about what you are trusting in to get you to heaven. Many people place their trust in living a “good” life. Others trust in religious activities and rituals. But the Bible says there is only one way to heaven—and that is through trusting in Jesus to get there. The Bible says that while God loves every person in the world, (John 3:16), every person in the world is separated from God by sin (Romans 3:23). Sin is anything that does not measure up to God’s perfect standard. All of us sin each and every single day. It is a part of our human nature.
If God asked you, “Why should I let you into my Heaven?” what would you tell Him? People try all kinds of ways to reach God: going to church, synagogue, or mosque; trying to live right by our fellow man; and doing the “right” things as they go through life. These are all good points, but they will not get us to God. Sin has created a deep canyon with God on one side and man on the other. On our own, there is no way to cross that divide. On our own, we would be separated from God for eternity. God has provided one solution to get us into a relationship with Himself. Since there was no way that we could ever reach God by our own efforts, He came to us in the person of Jesus Christ. The Bible teaches that Jesus is God’s Son. He demonstrated His deity by performing miracles: healing the sick and lame and even raising the dead (see the Book of John in the Bible).
Jesus lived a sinless life, and then He was nailed to a wooden cross where He died for our sins (1 Peter 2:22–24). Through His life, death, and resurrection, He fulfilled over 300 Old Testament prophecies, substantiating His place as the one true Messiah. When Jesus hung on that cross, His Father took the sins of the world (your sins and my sins) and allowed them to be washed clean by Jesus’ blood. Jesus died in our place as our substitute. Three days later, He rose from the dead, having conquered both sin and death (1 Corinthians 15).
Your Most Important Investment Is the Placement of Your Trust The apostles and many others were eyewitnesses to His resurrection. Now He offers eternal life as a free gift to all who believe in Him (Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 6:23; John 3:16). Do you believe in Him? Have you placed your trust in Him? If not, are you at a point in your life where you are willing to? Those who know me well know that I did not accept Christ as my personal Savior until 1997. Until then, I had a common, misguided perception that I could get to heaven by living a “good” life. It came to a point where I knew I could not go on just depending on my own good works to be sufficient, and I surrendered my life to the authority of Jesus Christ, trusting in Him and Him alone for my eternal salvation. Having started my financial services career in the insurance business, there is (of course) an analogy that rings true to this subject:
When you pay a premium to an insurance company, regardless of the risk, you are placing your trust in a company to protect against a possible risk. Jesus, through his sacrifice and death on the cross, paid the “premium” to cover the risk that is 100% certain for us all (death) so that we could know with 100% certainty that we will be in Heaven when we die.
Make your most important investment now! Can you know for certain where you will spend eternity? The Bible says, “Yes”.
- Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?
- Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins?
- Do you believe that Jesus rose from the dead?
- Do you trust in him alone to forgive your sins so that you can have eternal life?
If you answer “Yes” to all of these questions, the Bible says that you will have eternal life after your physical death. I encourage you to place your trust in Jesus now. Believe that He is God and that He died on the cross for your sins and that He rose from the dead. Trust in Jesus alone to forgive your sins and give you eternal life. Take a moment to tell God that you are trusting in Jesus alone for eternal life. The Bible says that those who believe in Jesus, have eternal life (John 5:24), and that means you can know for sure you will go to heaven. I will see you there.
Recommended Reading These books may help you come to a better understanding of God’s purpose for your life:
- The Book of John in the New Testament
- More Than A Carpenter by Josh McDowell
- 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper (www.90minutesinheaven.com)
If you find yourself lacking answers regarding your spiritual condition, and would like to speak confidentially with a trained counselor, please call 1–800-NEEDHIM or visit www.needhim.org
Because He lives!
