“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
Dear Friends, most of us ponder sometime or the other about
what happens to us after our life here on earth? Do we just return to dust or
is there any other life beyond? Most
beliefs proclaim life after death, but in different ways. Religions also affirm
that there is reward or punishment after death – some believe in re-incarnation,
and some in heaven or hell. Whatever may be our different convictions, most of
us believe that if we live a good life here on earth, following the common
principles of goodness, we will have rewards after our death, if not
punishment. I also, a born and brought up Christian,
believed till 3 years back, that all people irrespective of their religion, who
lives as a good human being, living a truthful and honorable life would go to
heaven.
But dear friends, as I came closer to God, and understood the
significance of the great sacrifice His son Jesus Christ made on the cross for
the forgiveness of our sins, I came to realize the truth in the above verse in
the Bible (John 14:6.) JESUS IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH AND
THE LIFE. We cannot go to heaven in any other way. The only way to eternal life in heaven is
through JESUS. Apart from believing
in Jesus and accepting the truth of His death on the cross for our sins, and
receiving His forgiveness by faith, we cannot enter Heaven.
God wants everyone to understand this truth and believe so
that none will perish. As John 3:16-17
says “For God so loved the world, that
he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not His Son in to the world to
condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Dear friends, we know that we are all sinners and cannot go to heaven if we die in our sinfulness. Without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin. Believe in the truth that Jesus Christ being himself God, lowered himself to be born as a human being like ourselves, endured all the discomforts of this earthly life, was tempted but overcame all temptations common to man, suffered and died on the cross as a perfect sinless sacrifice, as per the plan of God the Father, to save us from the punishment of our sins, so that we could be redeemed and be made worthy of eternal life in Heaven. The death of Jesus on the cross fulfilled the requirements of God because Jesus was sinless. When we accept Jesus Christ in to our hearts by faith as our Lord and Savior, God reconciles us to Himself, by forgiving our sins through Jesus Christ.
Even if we lead an exemplary life on this earth, but have not accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are still sinners and all our righteousness will not be of any worth. Isaiah 64:6 says “ But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind have taken us away”. But, when we accept Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for our sins, we are saved from punishment by His grace and mercy alone. We cannot earn God’s forgiveness and blessing, we can never do enough good to attain to the standards of our perfect and Holy Father in Heaven. We know this truth from the Bible written by Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God”..
Today, I pray that you will come to know and accept Jesus
Christ in to your heart and life, receive His forgiveness for our sins, and enjoy the peace and joy of living a life
pleasing to Him. Once we believe in Him and have the desire to know Him, draw close to Him through prayer and reading the Bible. Then, He will reveal Himself to us and guide us to live and abide by His Word.
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