You Can Have Eternal Life

You can have Eternal Life

“Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people came to the decision to put Jesus to death.  
They bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate, the governor. 
When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders.  
“I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.” 
So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself. 
The chief priests picked up the coins and said, “It is against the law to put this into the treasury, since it is blood money.”  
So they decided to use the money to buy the potter’s field as a burial place for foreigners.  
That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.  
Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: “They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel,  and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me.” 
Matthew 27:1-10.
Here Judas realizes he has betrayed an innocent man. He is so remorseful he takes the thirty pieces of silver and returns it to the chief priests and elders. After which he goes out and hangs himself.
Someone once said to me “it seems from this incident that Judas was remorseful and repentant. If he was could he be in heaven?”
I put this to an adult Bible study group and some pastors the answer is possibly yes.
The bible makes it clear in Ephesians 2:8,9
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” 
Ephesians 2:8,9.
John states,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  
                 1 John 1:9.
Judas was certainly remorseful. He realized Jesus was innocent and essentially confessed what he had done was wrong.
While we don’t know much else about Judas’s actions on that night he seems to have met two of the criteria for entering heaven.
This is what’s unique about Christianity. Christians believe that even the worst sinner, be they a murderer or worse can if they truly accept Christ as their saviour get into heaven.
We don’t believe that the good you do in this life must out weigh the bad in order to get to heaven.
We actually believe that you can never be good enough to get to heaven. That it is only through the grace of God that you can enter heaven.
Christians believe one must believe Jesus is truly the one and only Son of God. That he came to die for your sins personally.
We believe that you must accept his saving grace into your heart. That this acceptance is between the individual and God.
However we also believe that you can tell if someone has truly accepted Christ as your Lord and Saviour because their life will start to change noticeably.
The way to heaven is I believe simple and open to anyone, and I mean anyone to follow.
It come down to who you think Jesus is and what his purpose on this earth was for,
"Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 
                     John 14:6
Jesus also said,
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” 
   John 3:16,17.
   Paul writing to the Romans said,
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:23,24.
Sinning is falling short of what God wants for you life. Sin separates us from God.
Isaiah telling us,
“All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.” 
                                                                                             Isaiah 64:6
  John noting,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.  
If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 
       1 John 1:9,10.
Paul make it clear salvation is not something we can work for. Paul writing to the Ephesians stating,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.” 
                                                                  Ephesians 2:8,9
Ultimately salvation is an act of faith, Hebrews stating,
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”
                                                                                                         Hebrews 11:6
Faith defined as,
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” 
                                                                                                              Hebrews 11:1
What do you believe?
Think about it.