I often hear people say that you cannot know if you are going to Heaven or not. The Bible is plain about this matter – especially throughout the New Testament.

The Bible makes it plain that you not only can know but that God wants you to know – for sure. Consider the above two verses. Before you read them again, eliminate all preconceived ideas about the matter and observe what the Bible – God’s Word – says.

In verse 12, the bottom line of knowing whether you are saved or not, is what the Bible says about believing on Christ. It declares that if you have the Son (Jesus) then you have eternal life. If you do not have the Son, then, you do not have eternal life. That is quite plain.

Now, people are not born physically having the Son. We know this because verse 13 says twice that you must “believe” to be saved. Babies do not believe anything. It is why Jesus said, in John 3:3, that to go to Heaven, you must be “born again.” The first birth is not sufficient.

To believe on Jesus Christ means to understand, first, what He said about salvation. He declared that He came to save sinners. Jesus said, in Luke 5:32: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

After admitting to God that you are a sinner, you must know that Jesus died as your Substitute. All people, because of their sin (rebellion against God’s laws), are destined to go to Hell to pay for their sin. Repentance means turning from sin in your heart and being willing to start doing what God wants.

In prayer, tell God that you are sorry for your sin. Believe that Jesus died to pay for your sins and receive His payment for them, then ask Him to come into your life as Lord (Boss). If you are serious about it: you “may know that ye have eternal life” – based on the Word of God.

At that time, you have “the Son” – and not before.

From cover to cover, the Bible teaches that all people are sinners (Romans 3:10). As such, they cannot please God enough to merit salvation – no matter what they do.

Romans 8:7,8 makes this truth abundantly clear: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Since all the sinner does is displeasing to God, there must be a turnaround place at some point. Sin brings damnation – even just one (Romans 6:23). When the sinner realizes that all he does is condemning him, he wants to discover what does please God. Naturally, when people realize this, they usually start trying to live a better life and keep the Ten Commandments.

The change of mind is a form of repentance. But this kind is not the kind that saves. They must also repent of trying to save themselves by establishing their own goodness (righteousness).

Yes, Biblical repentance first involves a change of mind toward sin. But it does not end there. Being saved also means you stop trying to save yourself and put your faith in Christ alone to save you. He is the Gift of God for our salvation. He paid the debt we all owe because of our sin. Don’t reject God’s free Gift.

Once you trust Christ to save you, He changes the life and enables you to live for Him. No other religion can do this. It is because of Christ’s death and resurrection power to forgive and save that He commanded the disciples, in Luke 24:47: “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Have you repented and trusted Christ to save you?