by Katie Weller

Created on: May 27, 2008

Romans 6:23 clearly states "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." It also says in Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: It is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast." If God said it, God meant it.

A human cannot rely on themselves to make it to heaven. You must ask God into your heart, make him the Lord of your life, and ask him to cleanse your heart and make you clean. The bible says in Titus 3:5 "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."

If we weighed out our good from our bad, we would go to hell. Everyone who does not ask Christ to come into their heart is going to go to hell. Plain as that.

Every bad thought, every wrong doing counts. When we go to heaven, we will be judged.
Everyone who is saved, will be judged by what they've done after they were saved. Everyone who isn't saved, will be judged on what they've done here on earth. Then God will say "Depart from me, I never knew you." And sent to hell. Many people use this to say that God is cruel- Wrong. God made hell for Satan, not for people. The only reason people go to hell is because they will not choose him. I believe that God is not going to yell "Depart from me, I never knew you!" No, I believe that with tears in his eyes, and a torn heart, God will look into the eyes of the lost one, and silently say "Depart from me, I never knew you." And we will be carried by the angels and thrown into hell. As Revelation 20:14 says " And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."

Works are important, but they cannot save you from an eternity in hell.

Many people believe that if you are saved, God will say "Well done my good and faithful servant." - Wrong. God says "Well done my good and faithful servant" to those who have done good things for him on earth. The bible does not record what He will say to those who have not done good things for him. When the bible says that our works will be tried by fire, that is for those who are saved. All who are saved receive crowns when we go to Heaven to throw at Jesus' feet. Some people, when their works are tried by fire, will burn up and only receive one or two crowns, but those who have done the Lord's work here on earth, will receive many crowns.

One thing that is very important is repentance.

The bible says in Luke 5:32 "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." It also says in 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." Repenting is simply telling God that you are a sinner in need of salvation, and asking him to forgive you for everything that you've done and asking him to cleanse your heart.

Many people say that God is not cruel enough to send people to hell, so they have nothing to worry about. Remember this verse, "God is not slack concerning his promise." He promised us that if we do not get saved, we will go to hell. And don't go calling God cruel, he said "Not willing that any should perish." Including you.

So if you think that works will get you into heaven, guess again. There is one way, and one way only. As the bible says in Ephesians 2:8a "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God

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