Most people think about heaven and if they are going to go to heaven after they die; all of us think about where we are going to spend eternity; we want to be sure and know if we are going to go to heaven so that we can live in peace here on earth. With God all things are possible; it is possible for us to know right now if we are going to go to heaven after we die.
Jesus said:
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”
“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.” – John 14:1-11
“Qalbigiinnu yuusan murugoon. Ilaah waad rumaysan tihiin, anigana i rumaysta. Guriga Aabbahay wuxuu leeyahay hoyaal badan. Haddaanay sidaas ahayn waan idiin sheegi lahaa, maxaa yeelay, waxaan u tegayaa inaan meel idiin sii diyaariyo. Oo haddaan tago oo meel idiin diyaariyo, mar dambe waan soo noqon doonaa, oo xaggaygaan idiin qaadan doonaa, in meeshaan joogo, idinkuna aad joogtaan. Oo meeshaan tegayo iyo jidkaba waad taqaaniin. Toomas ayaa ku yidhi, Sayidow, ma naqaan meeshaad tegaysid ee sidee baan ku naqaan jidka? Markaasaa Ciise wuxuu Toomas ku yidhi, Anigu waxaan ahay jidka iyo runta iyo nolosha. Ninna Aabbaha uma yimaado, xaggayguu ku yimaado maahee. Haddaad i garateen, Aabbahayna waad garan lahaydeen. Hadda ka dib waad garanaysaan, waadna aragteen.
Filibos baa ku yidhi, Sayidow, Aabbaha na tus, waana nagu filan yahay. Markaasaa Ciise wuxuu ku yidhi, Ma intaas badan baan idinla joogay, oo aanad i garanaynin, Filibosow? Kii i arkay wuxuu arkay Aabbaha. Sidee baad u leedahay, Aabbaha na tus? Miyaadan rumaysan inaan Aabbaha ku jiro, Aabbuhuna uu igu jiro? Erayadaan idinkula hadlayo, anigu iskagama hadlayo, Aabbahase igu jira ayaa shuqulladiisa sameeya. I rumaysta inaan Aabbaha ku jiro, oo Aabbuhuna aniga igu jiro, haddii kale shuqullada aawadood ii rumaysta.” – Yooxanaa 14:1-11
If you put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ you will be saved; if you trust in the Lord with all your heart and all your strength and all your mind you will receive eternal life. Faith is what can save you; your faith in Jesus Christ will give you eternal life.
The Bible says:
“God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” – Ephesians 2:8-10
“Waayo, idinku waxaad ku badbaaddeen nimco xagga rumaysadka, mana aha wax xaggiinna ka yimid, laakiinse waa hadiyadda Ilaah, mana aha xagga shuqullada, si aan ninna ugu faanin. Waayo, innagu waxaynu nahay wixii uu sameeyey, oo waxaa laynoogu uumay Ciise Masiix shuqullada wanaagsan aawadood oo Ilaah hore ugu diyaariyey inaynu ku soconno.” – Ephesians 2:8-10
“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” – Titus 3:5-7
“ayuu ina badbaadiyey. Inaguma uu badbaadin shuqullada xaqnimada oo aynu samaynay, laakiinse naxariistiisa aawadeed wuxuu inagu badbaadiyey nadiifinta dhalashadii labaad iyo cusboonaysiinta Ruuxa Quduuska ah, oo uu aad inoogu shubay oo uu inoogu soo dhiibay Badbaadiyeheenna ah Ciise Masiix; inaynu, innagoo quduus laynagaga dhigay nimcadiisa, rajada ku noqonno kuwo nolol weligeed ah dhaxla.” – Tiitos 3:5-7
Many people put their faith in Jesus Christ and then after they believe in Jesus they are saved and receive eternal life; faith comes before salvation; we believe with our hearts in the Lord Jesus Christ and then God saves us – we believe and are saved.
One man became a Christian in 1939 in the country of Iran. His name was Mehdi Dibaj. In 1994 the government of Iran put Mehdi in jail and charged him with the crime of turning away from the Muslim faith. He was tortured in prison and made to live in a very small room on 3 ft wide and 3 ft tall. He lived in this small room for 2 years. God was with Mehdi and strengthened his heart.
Mehdi said that to be a Christian is the most beautiful feeling in the world; Mehdi said that he was happy to be a Christian even if his whole country was against him and even if the whole world hated him. Mehdi said that all the prophets of God died; but only Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Mehdi used to translate radio programs into the Farsi language and these programs were put on the radio; he used to also translate books into the Farsi language. Mehdi did not give up his Christian faith and after 9 years he was released from prison. A few months later Mehdi was found murdered in a park. Mehdi loved and followed the Lord Jesus Christ until his death; Mehdi knew that the God who saved his soul through faith was strong enough to protect his faith until he died; Mehdi loved the Lord God more than he loved his own life. Mehdi was a martyr for the Lord Jesus Christ; Mehdi paid the price of death rather than give up his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ – may we all believe in Jesus Christ until the very end.
When we were young we were taught many things and we believed that what we were taught was right. We were children and we believed what our parents taught us because we trusted them. But when we grew older we started to think for ourselves and we saw and understood that some things we were taught were not true; when we grew older we saw and learned that some things we were taught did not give us peace and joy; we questioned some of the things we believed because God gave us a mind to reason and to look clearly at what was going on around us.
Sometimes we think about what we were taught and we look around us and we say that what we were taught cannot be true; we were taught to do and believe some things which were supposed to bring us peace and joy but we did not have any peace and joy from the things that were taught. Some of us put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and He gave us peace; some of us believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and He gave us joy; some of us trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ with all our hearts and Jesus gave us eternal life.
Now, some of us who believe in Jesus Christ – including me – Nelson, a Somali Christian, have peace and joy and forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ. His sacrifice for me on the cross saved me from my sins; His resurrection and coming alive again after His death, has given me great joy and the power to live a good and holy life; by His stripes I am healed.
It is by faith in God and in Jesus Christ that saved us from death and hell; it is faith and trust in what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross that gives us peace and salvation; stop trying to be made right with God by what you can do; stop trying to please God by all the rules and regulations that you think you have to follow to be saved – put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and you will be saved. Amen.
Let us pray…