Everyone wants to go to heaven (unless you are an atheist)! Just ask George Barna, who publishes a lot of material relating to religion in America, found, “Just one-half of one-percent expects to go to hell upon their death.” That means that 99+% expect to go to heaven (again excluding the atheist). The actual survey revealed that 64% believe they will go to heaven and 54% believe that if you will just be good (and they don’t define goodness) you will go to heaven.
One thing these statistics reveal is that most folks don’t know anything about the Bible other than universal salvation and that Christ will save them. Christ came to seek and to save those which are lost (Lk. 19:10). We know sin separates one from God (Isa. 59:1-2), and that all have sinned (Rom. 3:23) but that fact doesn’t have anything to do with salvation because Jesus Christ died for our sins. Since I am a sinner and since Jesus died for my sins therefore I am saved. Doesn’t matter what I do (Oh well, maybe I need to do a few good deeds). That is a very comforting doctrine. These folks nonchalantly go about life without much thought about salvation because Jesus died for me and that’s about it.
Then there are those who want to get a little closer. They’re dabblers in religion. They will have some contact with the Bible and maybe attend a few worship services now and then, just to reassure themselves, that just in case the Lord requires more they have all their bases covered.
Then there are those who do pay closer attention to scripture, worship and obedience but just haven’t made the decision to fully submit to the will of God. Why do you wait? In order to be saved everyone must hear (Rom. 10:17), believe (Heb. 11:6), repent (Lk. 13:3), confess (Rom. 10:9-10) and be baptized (Acts 2:38).
There are some things we know. Just knowing and reading scripture will not save you. The eunuch of Ethiopia teaches us that (Acts 8:26-39). We also know that being a good person who prays, worships and contributes will not save you, Cornelius teaches us that (Acts 10). While knowing and reading scripture, praying, worshipping, contributing are all necessary it takes obedience to the gospel to save.
Why do you wait? What advantage does a person secure by waiting? What does a person gain who says, not now? Obey the gospel, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ by being baptized into Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4).
It should behoove all of us to make our calling and election sure by being obedient (2 Pet. 1:5-11).
Larry