Surfing one day, I read this post in a blog referencing homo- sexuals, "...but in my opinion I think Jesus wouldn't let these people in the doors of heaven, but as we all know God does forgive..." Alas, there is hope for sinners. But how does it work? Will I as a sinner simply be forgiven by Jesus and be admitted into heaven? No, absolutely not. It does not work that way. Well then, how does it work? And how can I be so sure? Who died and left me boss? You mean it just does not happen automatically? No, it just does not happen automatically. I am so sure because Jesus makes it clear from His Living Word, the bible. Jesus died and commanded His apostles and believers to spread His Gospel (Good News) to all the world.

Jesus loves the whole world and every being He ever created. But He does not just forgive us and take us to heaven. Jesus loves us so much that He did something pretty wonderful. As only the shed blood of a perfect man has the ability to forgive sin, Jesus Christ (Christ means Messiah means Savior) became man. He did so to accept our punishment for the sins that you and I commit each and every day. All of man or not any one man except the perfect God-man is able to make proper restitution with God for our sins to satisfy all righteousness.

OK, so Jesus was crucified a painfully agonizing and horrendous death shedding His blood to pay the price for your sins and for mine.

Since Jesus died for the sins of the world, doesn't that mean we  will all go to heaven? No.

But God does forgive, doesn't He? Yes.

Jesus shed His blood for the forgiveness of the sins of the world, so that whomsoever believes in Him shall have eternal life.

Jesus made a terrible wrong, our sins, right by paying the just penalty for them, namely death. Jesus died the death due to you and me. He died a  substitutionary death that we may live. But, it only applies to us IF we believe that Jesus is who He says He is. Jesus presents us with a terrific gift paid-in-full. But we must ACCEPT His free (not cheap) gift of salvation.

Jesus bought admission tickets to heaven for everyone in all of mankind. We must accept His free ticket. That is how we receive His forgiveness and inherit eternal life with Him in heaven. There is no other way.

The sane, rational, mature adult will recognize what a Great and Powerful God, the Supreme Being did for you and for me and repent, or be sorry for our sins and sin no more (at least try not to sin anymore, seriously try).

It is our faith in Jesus that permits His forgiveness to apply to us. His forgiveness exists to be had by all, but not all will accept it. Jesus makes this plainly clear in John 3:16 as stated in the column to the left and avove. This is perhaps the most well known bible verse of all. Oft times however, the verse about those who have not believed are condemned already be- cause of their non-belief is not stated.

It is pretty simple really. If you cannot go to heaven unless you are perfect, and there is no way for man to become perfect except by accepting the perfection of Jesus upon him, then we must accept Jesus for our sins to be forgiven (erased). Non-believers do not have Jesus' forgiveness of sins because they have not believed in Jesus. Therefore, they are cast into the Lake of Fire at the Great White Throne Judgment to burn in hell for all eternity because of their unforgiven sins.

So will all non-believers burn for eternity in hell? Yes, because their sins were not forgiven. More technically, their "sin" was not forgiven. That "sin" is the sin of not believing in Jesus. For if we do not commit the sin of disbelief, then all other of our sins are mute. However, with the sin of disbelief, there is no way for all our other sins to be forgiven and we will indeed receive the wages of sin which is death. Death is existing for all eternity without the presence of God. With God, there is life. Without God, there is no life, just a miserable, excruciatingly painful existence where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth for all eternity. Eternity never ends. Dwell on that for a few moments.

In my humble opinion, I cannot see how someone would allow their pride to interfere with their accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior and gaining eternal life. Eternal life is not just existing forever, it is being with God. Dwell on that for a few moments.    □