What happens after we die? Is there a God of the universe? Have you ever asked that question? Nothing can make itself.
When you observe a building you realize that there has to be a builder for it. Why? Because the building had a beginning and so the building itself is the evidence of a builder.
In the same way, when you observe this universe, since it had a beginning too, it would have had to have a creator for it as well.
And since there is a creator, that creator has the right to tell us what we can and can't do in his universe. Therefore, after we die he is going to have to judge us based on what we have done.
Why the creator has to judge
The creator has to judge because he is good. If the government in your area said that from tomorrow there is no punishment for breaking any law, what would happen?
Obviously, chaos. So it is actually a good thing that the government has punishment for breaking the laws. Same thing with our creator God. Because he is good, he has rules for us to live by (rules that are actually good for us) and a punishment for breaking them after we die. That’s why he has to judge.
So how good are you?
God will judge us compared to perfection, not compared to other people.
Here is a quick test:
- Have you ever lied?
- Have you ever stolen something?
- Or used bad language?
- Or been selfish or prideful?
The Consequences
Since God's standard is perfection and we have done wrong, we aren't deserving of reward but punishment. That place of punishment is called hell and is somewhere you want to avoid at all costs. Note that while hell can be terrifying but the reason is actually God Wrath and the ABSENCE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD in hell, thats what we need to avoid.
This is your current situation:
(You are on the left, your hell punishment is coming to you from the right)
What's the solution?
Will improving our life fix our problem? No, here's why:
Imagine you are driving on the road and a police officer pulls you over for speeding and gives you a fine. So you say to yourself, "From now on I will not speed ever again" and you don't. But does that get rid of the fine you have already received?
In the same way in our life, even if we try never doing anything wrong ever again and just do good things, it doesn't get rid of the punishment we deserve for the sin and all wrong things we have already done.
Who's going to pay for you?
Someone has to pay for the bad you've done, either you in hell forever, or someone perfect on your behalf.
In the speeding fine example, the only way to get rid of the fine is to either pay the fine yourself or have someone willing to pay the fine for you.
So in the same way, either we need to take our own punishment in hell forever, or we need someone who is perfect who is willing to take our hell punishment for us.
The creator decided to come to this earth in the person of Jesus, He lived perfectly, and volunteered to take our hell punishment for us when He died on the cross. Jesus proved Himself to be true and as been told by the scripture He coming back to life three days later. to fulfil all righteousness.
What is different about this picture?
Jesus is taking your hell punishment, right? If he does that, you'd be able to go to heaven!
You now have a choice to make
He now gives you a choice to make. Either you:
Reject the amazing sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross and therefore you take your punishment for your sins in hell forever.OR
Trust that Jesus took your punishment for you and so be 100% certain that you will go to heaven, causing you to start living your life for Him.
What will you choose today?
Can you guarantee that you will wake up tomorrow morning?
You won't get a chance after you die. Your only chance to accept his gift is while you are still living.
The question now facing you is: What will you do: Trust or Reject?
Do you know when you will die? No one knows. So if you were to happen to die tonight without trusting that Jesus paid for your sins, you would end up in God's place of punishment. That should absolutely terrify you.
So then, why not this very day, make the big and carefully considered decision to trust that Jesus paid for your sins.
Realize that it will result in a lifestyle change, it could mean people mock and insult you because you believe, but so what? Going to heaven is of infinite value compared to simply having this life and then going to hell forever afterwards.
Out of gratefulness, you will then desire to live your life God's way, purely out of thankfulness for what he has done for you.
Remember, you may not have tomorrow!!
FIRST STEPS
1. READ YOUR BIBLE
The Bible is the Word of God. This is how God speaks to us today. The first half of the Bible was originally written in Hebrew, and is commonly referred to as "the Old Testament." The second part of the Bible was originally written in Greek, and is commonly called "the New Testament." The Bible says that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God...", which literally means that every word of the Bible is "God-breathed."
There are a lot of different Bible versions out there. I personally use and recommend the ESV version.
There is more to this subject, but to be brief, God's word - the Bible, is perfect, inspired, and is the most valuable physical possession we can possibly possess!
2. PRAY EVERY DAY
Prayer is one of the greatest privileges we have as a child of God. Just think, the God of all creation wants to hear from you! You can call on the Lord any hour of the day or night and He will listen. It doesn’t matter to God if your prayers are eloquent or flowery—it matters only that you pray with a pure and sincere heart
Going to God in prayer can help you defeat anxiety and worry in your life. You can speak to God as you would speak to a friend. It doesn't even need to be out loud, since God knows our thoughts!
3. FIND A GOOD CHURCH
Church plays a vital role in your spiritual growth. Fellowship with other Christians will keep you spiritually active and give you much-needed encouragement and support. Church provides you with instruction from God’s Word and gives you the training and opportunity to use your God-given gifts and abilities.
What kind of church should I attend?
As a kid, I grew up in a "various denomination" church. That just means there is no over-arching organization that tells that church what to do. Later, before I got saved, I was part of an Evangelical church. After that, I began going to a Reformed Baptist / Reformed Presbyterian church. In my personal journey of faith, I have found this group to be the most aligned with what the Bible teaches a church should be. This doesn't mean there aren't good churches that aren't Baptist or Presbyterian, but I personally found these churches to line up the best with my beliefs. If you have any questions about this, send me a message on social media or fill out the contact form on my website. I'd be glad to send you my recommendations for a good church near you. If getting to a physical church isn't an option for you right now, I can also recommend some good live-streamed services.
4. BAPTISM
This has nothing to do with your salvation or forgiveness. It's an extra thing. It is how we publicly make a statement that we have accepted Jesus as our Savior. Biblically, baptism is for believers only. It is something you do after getting saved, and should be by "immersion" (meaning, you go under the water). This is something that is done by a local church, and usually makes you a member of that church. When we go under the water, and then come out of it, we are identifying with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for our sins!
5. START LIVING FOR GOD
A sure sign of a changed heart is the desire to live for God. What does this mean? It means that you want to please God and to obey Him as best you know how. You will begin to filter your thoughts and actions through God’s Word in order to become a reflection of Jesus Christ.
6. SHARE YOUR FAITH
Good news is hard to keep to yourself! God wants you to share your newfound faith with others. You don’t have to wait until you’re an expert in the Bible to witness to others. You can share what you know—your own story of what Jesus has done for you.
7. DON'T GET SIDETRACKED
Being a Christian is not always easy. There will be times when you’ll feel pressured to back down or give in. When you became a child of God, you also became an enemy of the devil; and he will try to tempt you into disobeying God. It isn’t a sin to be tempted—even Jesus experienced temptation (see Luke 4:1–3)—but giving in to the temptation is sin. Christians will experience times of testing and trials, but God promises to be with us and give us the strength we need to get through hard times.
Congratulations! If you are a new believer, you have just experienced the beginning of your new, eternal life (John 3:16; 10:10). Your sins have been forgiven and you have been given a fresh start (Romans 4:7). You have now been given inexpressible, glorious joy (1 Peter 1:8-9).
In addition to the wonderful blessings of knowing Christ, you are probably thinking, “Now what? What is the next step?” The Bible offers some important principles for those who have begun a relationship with God.
First, as a new Christian, begin reading the Bible. There are many translations and numerous places to start. While there is no perfect translation, we recommend you choose a Bible that is easy for you to understand and is faithful to the original text of the Bible. To sample some of today’s popular translations, you can go to websites such as BibleGateway.com or YouVersion.com. We recommend that you begin your reading with the Gospel of John or one of the other Gospels to read for yourself what Jesus taught and did during His time on earth. Other articles on GotQuestions.org will help you answer the practical questions you have about God and spiritual issues. The Bible teaches, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Second, as a new Christian, begin praying. Prayer is simply talking with God. Many believe prayer must include a formal set of words that can only take place during a church service. However, the Bible teaches us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We are instructed to praise God day and night. If we desire to know God more deeply, we must communicate with Him regularly.
Throughout each day, you can give thanks to God, ask Him to answer your daily needs, and pray on behalf of others. It’s also important to pray together with others who follow Christ, encouraging each other, praising God, and seeking answers to everyone’s requests. For ideas on how to pray, you can begin with the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).
Third, as a new Christian, be baptized. Baptism symbolizes your new life in Christ and proclaims that you are now committed to Jesus. Even Jesus was baptized (Luke 3:1-22), and He calls His followers to also be baptized. Baptism was practiced by the very first followers of Jesus in Acts 2:41.
Usually, the leaders of a local church perform baptism. A local church pastor or church leader should be glad to speak with you about baptism if you express your interest.
Fourth, as a new Christian, build friendships with other Christians. The Christian life is designed to be enjoyed with others. Jesus invested much of His ministry with 12 disciples as His closest friends. He likewise calls us to live in community with one another. The New Testament has over 50 “one another” verses that refer to loving one another, serving one another, encouraging one another, and praying for one another. Each of these commands requires relationships with other Christians.
Fellowship with other believers is one of the purposes of a local church. If there’s a Bible-teaching church in your area, it’s a great place to get involved. If you live in a community without a church, you will need to pray for God to open opportunities for you to meet other Christians in your area.
Fifth, as a new Christian, help others. As you begin your new life as a Christian, you will find a new love inside you giving you a desire to help others. The Holy Spirit will lead you in ways to help. You might serve the poor in your community, assist a neighbor with yard work, or visit a sick friend in the hospital. The Spirit will clearly call you to show God’s love (1 John 3:17-18).
Sixth, as a new Christian, tell someone about your faith. Becoming a Christian is not a secret; it’s a celebration! Tell all who will listen about Christ’s work in your life. In some cases, other people will come to faith in Jesus through the example you share. Just before Jesus ascended to heaven, He commanded His disciples to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:18-20). Today, Christians are still called to share the hope within us with others (1 Peter 3:15-16).
Finally, these are simply helpful tips on how to grow in your new faith; they are not a list of requirements to become a Christian or to stay a Christian. You have been saved by grace through faith, apart from any works of your own (Ephesians 2:8-9). God started the work in you, and He promises to finish it (Philippians 1:6). God bless you as you continue to mature in your faith!
