God has offered to us a wonderful gift! He has made a way to completely erase all of the bad things in our life. Some people say that no one can know for sure that they will go to heaven when they die. However, the Bible declares, “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.” Think about it, God would not provide such a wonderful gift for us and not tell us exactly how to receive it. The Bible tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This verse of scripture teaches us two things about God’s wonderful offer. First of all it is free, the Bible refers to it as a gift. Then, secondly it is forever, that’s what the word eternal means. You might ask, “How could this be?” God’s gift of eternal life is free, because man is incapable of earning it. The Bible teaches that everyone is a sinner. This means that there are things that God has told us to do that we haven’t done, and there are things he has told us not to do that we have done. Because of this we do not deserve to go to heaven. Here is the dilemma, God in His great mercy wants us to be with Him in heaven but, because He is a just God He must punish our sin. The solution to this seemingly impossible situation is the very heart of God’s gift. Someone had to pay for our sins, and so Jesus left heaven and came to earth to purchase for us the gift of eternal life. Jesus is God in the flesh. He came to earth, lived a perfect life, and was crucified, in order to pay the penalty for our sin. We can receive this gift by trusting in Christ alone for salvation.

Not only does the Bible teach that heaven is a free gift, but it also teaches that once a person receives that gift, it is theirs forever! Jesus says, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” Once a person is saved they are always saved. If we can do nothing to save ourselves, then we most certainly can do nothing to keep it. When God says that He gives to us eternal life, it is permanent, it is eternal. Our salvation lies completely in the hands of God. He offers it to us as a free gift. We need only to receive it, by trusting Christ alone for salvation.