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Pastors
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Opinions
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Spiritual Training
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Q: I've heard people say that all I have to do to get to heaven is to believe in Jesus. Well, I think I believe in Jesus, but down inside I'm not at all sure I'll go to heaven when I die. In fact, I kind of doubt if I will. What am I missing? - V.S.
A: I'm thankful you've taken the time to write and ask this question - because the most important decision you will ever make is where you will spend eternity. The Bible warns, "How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation?" (Hebrews 2:3). What you've heard is right: All we have to do to get into heaven is to believe in Jesus. Jesus Himself said, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life" (John 3:36). But what does it mean to "believe" in Jesus? Does that mean simply to believe that He existed, or even that He came down from heaven to save us?
No, to believe in Jesus means far more than this. It means first of all that we understand who He is: the only Son of God, sent from heaven to save us from our sins. It means we also understand what He did for us: He died on the cross to take away our sins. The Bible says, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:10).
But to believe in Jesus also means to trust Him as our Savior, and commit our lives to Him as our Lord. In other words, to believe in Jesus is to turn our lives over to Him - completely and without reserve. And this is what I urge you to do. By a simple prayer of faith commit your life to Jesus Christ today.
Affectionately known as the “World’s Preacher” for more than 60 years, the Rev. Billy Graham is one of the most influential and respected spiritual leaders of the 20th century. He has been a friend and spiritual advisor to ten American presidents and has preached the Gospel to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history — nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories — through various meetings. Hundreds of millions more have been reached through television, video, film, and webcasts. Send your queries to "My Answer," c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.
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