Answers

By   •   June 15, 2012   •   Topics: ,

Q:

My wife has always believed that if she stays a loyal member of her church, she'll go to heaven when she dies. But since I'm not a church member, does this mean I won't be saved? I admit I'm more concerned about this than I used to be.


A:

I’m thankful you’ve become concerned about your salvation — because nothing is more important than making sure of our eternal destiny. Someday, we all will die and stand before God. Are you ready for that day? The Bible warns, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

I’m thankful, too, that your wife wants to be a loyal member of her church; it’s a worthy goal for any Christian. But church membership, important as it is, doesn’t win us our salvation. Only Christ can save us, and our hope and trust must be in Him alone. He alone became the sacrifice we need for our sins, and He alone gives us hope of eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead.

Think of it this way. If we could be saved by our own good works, or by our church activities, or by anything else we did — then our salvation would depend on us and how good we are. But we can never be good enough — because God’s standard is nothing less than perfection. Our only hope is Jesus Christ and what He did for us by giving His life on the cross for us.

Don’t turn your back on Christ any longer. Instead, I pray that both you and your wife will turn to Jesus and put your trust in Him alone for your salvation. God’s promise is for you: “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).