Monday 13 June 2011

What will happen to people who have different religions?

Jesus is the only way to Heaven. I know that seems unfair but it is the truth. Most of our modern industrial countries know who Jesus is. The Bible is the most translated and published book in the entire world. There is no excuse for a modern society to not know Jesus; what it boils down to is a matter of choice. Will people choose to believe in Jesus or will they choose another form of religion?

Even in this country, there are various forms of religion being practiced. The same goes across the globe. But, the truth is, unless a person believes that Jesus is who He says He is and receives Jesus into their hearts and repents of their sins, they will not go to Heaven. And, I emphasize, Heaven is not for “good” people. It is for “saved” people. After all, what is considered good enough in God's eyes? It is perfection! We could never live up to God’s standard of perfection. That’s why God sent His One and Only Son to us, to die for us and to save us.

People who choose to turn their backs on Jesus will not enter the Kingdom of God. That’s why it is written in the Bible, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Saturday 11 June 2011

Do the people in the Old Testament get to go to heaven if Jesus hadn't died for them?

Ever since “the fall,” salvation has always been available through God. The requirement for salvation has always been faith. The object of faith for salvation has always been God. In the Old Testament it was God the Father; in the New Testament it is Jesus Christ, His Son. No one, either before Jesus’ death or since Jesus’ death, would ever be saved without the resurrection of Jesus. His death paid the penalty for past sins of Old Testament saints and future sins of New Testament believers.

Do you remember the account of Abraham? In Genesis 15:6, Abraham believed in the Lord and was credited for being righteous. He was “saved” because he believed and trusted in God and God saw him as righteous, meaning right – not wrong- according to His eyes. In Isaiah 69:10, Isaiah says, “I delight greatly in the Lord: my soul rejoices in my God. For He has clothed me garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of His righteousness…” Isaiah’s faith in god made him righteous and “saved.” Even King David, in Psalm 86:1-2, cried out to the Lord and was saved through his faith. There are plenty of other Old Testament heroes that are saved through the simple act of having faith in God (By faith, Abel…by faith, Enoch…by faith, Noah…by faith, Sarah…by faith, Isaac… by faith, Jacob…by faith, Joseph…by faith, Moses…by faith, Rahab…etc.)

And, to answer your question directly, all the Old Testament believers who followed Abraham in his faith in God and also had faith in God also enjoy eternity with Jesus. Ephesians 2:8 states, “For it is by grace you have saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God.”