Heaven, I Really Get To Go

Someone posted a comment on a friend's facebook status telling about this website. Everything is American made. I thought it deserved some promotion. I haven't gone through the whole site, but fully intend on checking it out some more.

One thing I have enjoyed about blogging is being able to share my family and my faith with others. The Lord has blessed me in more ways than I deserve and I am truly thankful. So when I received this comment by Anonymous I was more than happy to make a blog post out of the answer:

Hi Kristi,

Since you kindly agreed to answer questions concerning your faith, I hope you will answer mine. I would like to know what are you exact beliefs concerning salvation and what exactly do you mean when you refer to someone as "saved" or "unsaved"? Do you believe that, for instance, a Catholic who reads the Bible in a modern
French translation is not saved? Do you believe that salvation is obatained when one recognizes Jesus as his Saviour? Once saved, is his salvation guaranteed for ever, no matter how he behaves? I hope you will answer my questions. Thank you.

Since my dad passed away in October, I have experienced some extremely, emotional highs and lows. But never once have I doubted God's existence or questioned the pain that He knew I would feel. As a matter of fact, it is through my dad's passing that, I think, I have actually moved up a level in my faith. Heaven has become sweeter to me, than ever, and I really get to go there! Never in my life has God been more real to me and never has He shown me things about myself that I might never would have seen had I not experienced the pain that comes from losing your hero. My dad was such a unique person. With faults, of course, but he was a great Christian and was able to share his relationship with God with others like no one I've ever known. And I want to be like that too. It's not about being Baptist. It's not about what I wear or how I feel. It's about God. It's about His Son, Jesus Christ. It's about the Holy Spirit.

The Bible doctrine I follow teaches that a person is either saved or unsaved. So when we speak of someone who is "saved" or "unsaved" we are referring to those that have either accepted or denied Jesus Christ. Those who have repented and accepted Him as their Lord and Savior, are saved. Those who have not repented and accepted Him as their Lord and Savior are not saved. We can look at a person's life and make an assumption of where they are in their salvation, however no one can say who is saved and who is unsaved, but that person and God. It is a personal decision, which affects your personal relationship with Christ.

Anonymous asked, "Do you believe that, for instance, a Catholic who reads the Bible in a modern French translation is not saved?" Again, I can not know for sure if that person is saved or not. Only they and God know that. I will say that I do not believe in the teachings and rituals of Catholicism. I base my entire belief system on the Word of God, the Bible. No where in my Bible does it teach that Mary was a co-redeemer, and therefore I will not pray to her for salvation or anything else I kneel in prayer for. There are many aspects of the Catholic religion that I do not believe in because those teachings go against the Holy Scripture and what it teaches.

We've all seen the verse John 3:16, whether we've read it in the Bible, or on a sign at a football game, lol, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." He loved the world, which includes me, you, and the said Catholic mentioned above. Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." None of us are born without sin. But John 3:16 makes it clear that we are all able to come to salvation through Christ. God is Holy and therefore, he must punish sin, but made a way of saving the sinner. If we do not accept that way of Salvation, we will spend eternity in Hell. Revelation 20:15, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

In order to have our name written in the book of life, we must accept His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ into our hearts. God loved us so much that He sent Christ to earth, to become a man and die on the cross of Calvary, so that me....and you....and anyone else could be saved.

Someone must pay the penalty of sin. It was either us, or a sinless substitute. Christ was that sinless substitute, shedding His blood so that OUR sins could be put away, giving us eternal life in Heaven with Him.

Christ finished the work. He died, He rose again, and He sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for us today. All we have to do is believe.

I remember a preacher one time preaching on how much faith it takes to believe. And it does take faith, but not as much as you'd think. You'll have some that do not believe at all. Some that will only believe if they are a witness to something. And then those that believe with a childlike faith. And that is what we need to accept Christ into our hearts. The faith of a child. Mark 10:15, "Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein."

In order to be saved, one must admit that they are a sinner, realizing that Christ has paid, in full, the penalty of our sins, and then receive Him as Lord and Savior."

Do I believe that once you're saved you're always saved? Absolutely. I did several blog posts on why I believe in eternal security and so you can read those by clicking the link below:
Why I Believe in Eternal Security

I don't believe that eternal security gives you the right to do whatever you like under the security you're going to Heaven. I believe that a true believer will have the Holy Spirit within, guiding them and discouraging them to live in sin. We're all going to sin, but to dwell and live in sin is a pretty good sign you were never really saved to begin with.

I am sure that my post has probably drummed up more questions or disagreement and that's fine. But it's not what I say or believe that matters. I encourage anyone that wants to know about salvation to study the Word of God on their own. When you desire to know how to become a Christian, God will show you in His Word. A good place to start is the New Testament. The Old Testament sets up God's law, but we are living in New Testament times and are not under the law any longer, but under grace. Some verses good to read are what we call The Roman's Road. These verses help lay out the foundation of our doctrine. Look them up. They're good verses! :)

Romans 3:10-12 As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unporfitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 5:8-9 "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."
Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 4:21 "And being fully persuaded that, what the had promised, he was able also to perform."
Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Romans 10:11 "For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

This is what I believe and what I base my faith upon. Thank you, anonymous for asking.