Q&A

You can get to heaven by receiving the forgiveness of your sins and believing in Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us to seek the kingdom of God. where our sins will be forgiven. Members of the kingdom of God are children of God who have received the gift of faith and the Holy Spirit when they have believed their sins forgiven. Jesus sent them to preach the gospel of forgiveness (Luke 24:44-49). The gospel of forgiveness is meant for every person. Through the gospel, a person receives the gift of faith and the Holy Spirit, which gives his or her heart peace, joy and the hope of eternal life with God. From the kingdom of God, those who are without grace are called to repentance, to fellowship in God’s grace, into the kingdom of God. Salvation is based on the atoning work of Jesus on the cross.

When God created man, He also created a conscience for each person. Its purpose is to guide people to live a life according to God’s will. When a person deviates from God’s intended path by committing a sin, the conscience knocks and calls for repentance. Inner peace is restored when the sins weighing on the conscience can be believed forgiven in the gospel of the forgiveness of God’s kingdom. It gives peace to the heart, which is the fruit of the spirit and is not of this world. Jesus said: “My peace I give you” (John 14.27). It also raises the hope of eternal life after death with God in heaven. A person can also refuse to listen to the voice of conscience, in which case the conscience hardens, stops reminding of sin and the peace of hardening comes. However, the Bible urges people to repent immediately, because conscience does not remind endlessly (Heb. 3:7-11, Acts 3:19-20, Luke: 6:49).

According to the Bible repentance is not a human act, but an act and gift of God. True repentance occurs when God disarms man of his own possibilities and causes him to receive the gospel (Matthew 4:17). Repentance means turning around, going in the opposite direction and building a new foundation for life. In fact, it means even more: being born again (John 3:3). The first stage of repentance is sorrow, a fear rising from the awareness of sins which haunts the conscience. A person feels that he or she has disobeyed God and has no chance of finding peace in their own heart through their own actions. The next stage is when a person hears and believes firsthand the absolution, that is, that sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake (Romans 10:17). This gives comfort to a troubled conscience, frees from fear and brings peace and joy to the heart. The result is a change of life, and a person gives up the former sinful life.

Based on Christian Doctrine 111, eternal or everlasting life is the indescribable blessedness and glory of the children of God in heaven with God. It already begins here in a heart that believes in Jesus Christ, but it only becomes perfect in the eternal rest of the saints. There they are saved from all trouble and evil. They see God face to face and praise Him for eternity, which has no ending. “However, as it is written: No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9). Attaining eternal life is a person’s main purpose in life. That is possible when God awakens a person to their sins, and they believe them forgiven through the preaching of forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ name and blood. Pardoned sinners who have heard and believed this forgiving message preach this gospel. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3,4)

Every person who feels that he or she is a sinner can receive the forgiveness of their sins. A person obtains the forgiveness of their sins by believing in the gospel of the forgiveness of sins. The person who knows his sin must find a person who has themselves received the forgiveness of his sins in God’s congregation and has received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2). Jesus urged people to first seek the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33), so that they could hear firsthand the gospel of the forgiveness of sins. This is the core message in the preaching of the kingdom of God.

Apostle Paul preached on the Areopagus in Athens:” The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.” (Acts 17:30, ESV).

So, God also requires you to repent.

Repentance is not just about making life better. In repentance, a person receives forgiveness for all their sins; not directly from God, but through a believer and with the authority given by Jesus (John 20:23).

A person who repents does not become sinless, but the Holy Spirit begins to guide their life.

According to Christ’s command (e.g. Luke 24:47), repentance and forgiveness of sins are preached by those who have living faith, in the Kingdom of God. According to the Bible, there is only one such kingdom on earth, where the Holy Spirit works and mutual love prevails.

What does it mean to congregate as believers? Jesus says, “where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

We as believers are part of God’s Heavenly Kingdom spread out across the earth. Where we gather, there is the Holy Spirit. Where the Holy Spirit is, there is the gospel.

Congregating as believers to listen to God’s word is how we rejuvenate our faith. As the apostle Paul says, “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).

Jesus often refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd. He tells us that “my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27). It is good for God’s sheep to come together so that we can listen to what He has to say. When we hear a sermon, we are listening to the Good Shepherd’s voice. He sends Heavenly greetings to His flock. His Word convicts us of sin and reminds us of Christ, in whom there is no sin. He helps us direct our gaze to the cross and to trust in His forgiveness.

How precious the Heavenly Father’s words are to our ears – “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.” (Luke 7:50).