Will I go to heaven?

The most important matter to be settled in this life is where you will spend eternity. If you were to die today are you certain that you would go to Heaven? If so, in what are you putting your faith?

The question is not "are you a member of a church?" or "have you been baptized?" Nor is it a matter of your good deeds versus your bad. The question is "has your sin debt been paid?"
Romans 3:23 tells us that each of us is born a sinner:

For all have sinned and come short of the glory of god;

The first half of Romans 6:23 tells of the cost of our sin - the payment we deserve is separation from God forever in Hell:

For the wages of sin is death...

As sinners, we are denied entry into God's heaven. But God in His love provided a payment for our sin:

He hath made him [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

God sent His own son to bear our sins and die in our place, so that we can live eternally with Him in Heaven. This eternal life can only be found in Jesus:

...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23b)

God provided Jesus as a substitute, but we must request and accept God's gift. Romans 10:13 declares that anyone can receive the gift of salvation, but it is our responsibility to ask:

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Jesus has paid the price for your sin. His death, burial, and resurrection have purchased your place in Heaven. To receive this gift, simply pray:

Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. Please forgive me of my sins. I now trust in you alone to pay the price for my sins, so that I can spend eternity in Heaven.

Once you have received Jesus as your savior, your eternal destiny is settled. 1 John 5:13 says:

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, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

[If you have prayed the prayer above in sincerity, we would like to hear from you. Please contact Pastor Terry Tuttle at (502) 863-3332 or send e-mail to: pastortuttle@bellsouth.net ]

Who should be baptized?

Matthew 10:32 tells us that we should confess Jesus before men:

Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

Soon after we have received Jesus Christ as savior, we need to publicly declare our new relationship to Him. Baptism is a perfect means of doing so.

Baptism is a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His death and burial are portrayed when the person is lowered into the water and his resurrection is suggested when that same person is raised up out of the water. (This is why we baptize by immersion.)

Baptism is also part of the Great Commission:

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:19-20)

Notice the order. First, Christians are to teach, or explain to others how they can be saved. Baptizing comes second, and third is teaching them to observe all things. From this we can see two things:

  1. Baptism should follow salvation. That is, only people who have already accepted Jesus as savior should be baptized. (This is why we do not baptize infants or other unsaved people.)

    Acts 8:26-39 tells of Phillip's encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch. In verse 36, when the eunuch asked "...what doth hinder me to be baptized?", Phillip answered "...If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." Other examples of people being baptized immediately after salvation can be found in Acts 8:12 and Acts 18:8.

    As this order suggests, baptism is not a requirement for salvation. In Luke 23:39-43 we have the story of the thief on the cross. He had no opportunity to be baptized, but Jesus assured him that he would go to heaven upon his death.

  2. Baptism is the first test of a Christian's obedience. Before we are taught "to observe all things", first we are to be baptized. If we will not obey this first command, it is unlikely that we will obey those to follow.

In summary, baptism is a means of public identification with Christ and a first step in our walk of obedience to God. It is important for our future growth, but not essential for salvation.

Whether you have just accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, or you have been saved for some time but have not been baptized since, we encourage you to be baptized in a local church. You will be showing your relationship and obedience to Christ, and it will be an encouragement and a blessing to those present.

If you are not already a member of a local church, we invite you to join us at Harvest Baptist Church.

Is church attendance important?

Before he ascended into heaven, Jesus gave us the great commission, commanding us to teach others the way to heaven, baptize them and teach them how to live a life obedient to God.

God did not plan for each of us to accomplish this task alone. Instead, He established the local church as the means for us to work together with other Christians in our area. The local church has the following purposes:

  1. Reaching the lost in our community. Each of us must do our part to reach those we come in contact with, but the church is there to equip, motivate and encourage us as we do.

  2. Studying the Bible. When we are first saved we may know very little about the Bible and God's plan for our life. At first we may learn solely through the teaching of the Pastor and Sunday School teachers. As we spend time reading the Bible ourselves we begin to learn on our own. Later, we may be able to serve as teachers within the church.

  3. Praying together. Matthew 18:19-20 says:

    Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

    Where prayer is concerned, there is power in numbers. Many churches meet on Wednesday nights to share prayer requests and reports of what God has done. Once we know each other's burdens we can pray for one another throughout the week in our personal prayer time. Many churches also have a "prayer chain" or other means of contacting all church members regarding an urgent prayer request.

  4. Working together. Winning the lost in your community and teaching the saved within the church requires many people to work together. Aside from the physical and financial upkeep of the church itself there are visits to be made, classes to be taught, fellowships to be planned and even a few diapers to be changed.

    God has given each of us talents and gifts that can make our local church stronger if we will use them.

  5. Having fellowship with other believers. As mentioned before, God did not plan for each of us to live the Christian life on our own. There will be times when each of us needs advice or encouragement, and other times where our own experiences may help someone else through a difficult time.

    Organized church fellowships also provide us with opportunities to get better acquainted with our church family.

  6. Observing the two church ordinances: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism, discussed above, is an exciting time in the church, when we see a new Christian publicly identified with Jesus Christ.

    The Lord's Supper is a time to remember what Jesus did to pay for our sins, as well as a time to reflect on the closeness of our relationship with God.

  7. Providing a testimony (to the community) of God's grace and power. Most of the lost in your community will only be saved if someone knocks on their door or perhaps speaks to them at work about their need of salvation. But some may be drawn to visit your church because they hear that something exciting and life-changing is taking place there. They may see how someone's life changed after they started attending church, or how God met the need of someone in the church.