1 John 5:13 says: “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” (notice the word “know”)
God wants each person to know, before they die, that they have the assurance of heaven.
Does good works save? No. If good works saved us, how many good works would a person have to do? What is the number one needs to reach? Eph 2:8-9 tells us it is a gift of God: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Before becoming a christian, I thought that if my good works outweighed my bad works, then I would get into heaven. God showed me I was wrong.
Does religion save? No. If we were saved by belonging to a specific religion, then the questions arises – Which religion is the right religion? John 14:6 says “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (NKJV) The only way to God in this life is through Jesus. Only Jesus saves us from our sins. And one more verse to ponder…Acts 4:12 “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Before becoming a christian, I thought the specific religion I was raised in was the one and only religion for mankind to belong to. God showed me I was wrong.
If you would like to be saved – the good news is that Jesus wants to save. Romans 10:13 is true…”For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (NKJV) He did not come to condemn human beings but to save them. It does not matter the sin – Jesus can forgive! His grace is greater than any sin. There is only one sin that can’t be forgiven. That is totally rejecting Him and not wanting Him to restore and change a person. (Basically, not wanting to be saved from sin.)
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (NKJV) God wants you to have everlasting life with Him in heaven…This verse says so. God does not lie.