Throughout the gospels, Jesus taught that you may know for certain that you are going to Heaven when you die. But He said there is only one way to enter Heaven. Do you know of His promise of eternal life for all who trust in Him? Have you believed in Jesus?
Here are just four examples in Jesus’ own words, from the Gospel of John, confirming that a person can only come to God through faith in Jesus. There are plenty of other examples throughout the New Testament, but these four clearly substantiate this truth.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” (John 14:6)
“Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24)
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” (John 15:6)
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.’” (John 11:25)
Clearly Jesus taught that He is the only way to God and to eternal life in Heaven with Him. Sadly though, many do not know that we can have absolute assurance that we will go to Heaven when we die.
If you believe the gospel (the good news) about Jesus, then you believe that He is the eternal God that came into the world as a man, willingly set aside His eternal glory temporarily, who died for your sin on the cross and then rose again three days later to give all who believe in Him life everlasting. And, according to Jesus, we may know for certain that we who belong to Him are no longer under the judgment of God and have passed from eternal death to eternal life by faith in Him.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.” (John 5:24)
“All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. ... This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.” (John 6:37, 39)
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.” (John 10:27-29)
Once we have put our faith in Jesus we are born from above by the Spirit of God (John 3). This is a supernatural, one-time event that cannot be undone. At that moment we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, kept and guarded by God (1 Peter 1) to be delivered safely to Heaven when our time comes.
“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14)
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30)
There are many more verses throughout the Bible to confirm that a person’s salvation is a gift of God (Ephesians 2) and that nothing and no one can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8) once we’ve been born from above, born again by the Spirit of God through faith in Jesus alone. Think on these things, pray about them, and rest secure only and fully in the finished work of our Savior, our Messiah, Jesus.
“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6)
“Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy” (Jude 1 :24) “who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:8-9)
Brian Farrell is a follower of Jesus, saved by God's amazing grace through faith in Christ. Brian is a Bible teacher and the founder of Walking With Jesus Ministries. He lives with his wife Dana in Temecula, California.