These are all serious and valid questions that everyone must consider. It would not be overstating the issue to claim that the answers to such questions are a matter of life and death. Thankfully, mankind has been provided with the answers - in the Bible.

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"But why should I believe the Bible?" I hear you ask. First, because it has been proved reliable: it contains hundreds of fulfilled prophecies relating to people, places and events, as well as scientific observations ahead of man's 'discoveries'. Second, we have the miracle of the unified message it presents despite being 'authored' by a great number of people from all walks of life across centuries of time. Third, archaeology has time and time again authenticated the Bible's historical and geographical claims. Finally, and most importantly, we have the witness of millions of lives that have been completely changed by its message. This is no ordinary book - no other religious or historical work is comparable. The Bible itself claims to be inspired by God, a divine composition, and consistently proves that claim to be true. To live your life avoiding this book, believing it has no relevance to you, is sheer folly, especially considering what it has to say about you.

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The Bible reveals God to mankind. He is real, He is the Creator, He is the only God, and we are individually accountable to Him. The Bible also reveals that there is a spiritual realm - that heaven and hell are real places, and that we will all end up in one or other of them when this earthly life is over. As human beings, our problem is that we have inherited a sin-nature from the original sin of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. This sinful nature, coupled with our own unavoidable and irresistible desire to sin, has separated us from God and made it impossible for us to live forever in Heaven with Him.

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We can't earn our way to Heaven. Being a 'good' person, or making sure our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds won't cancel out our sins and make us acceptable to God. The only way is to have our sins forgiven and cancelled out. And for that you need a Saviour! You must have your sins forgiven. Everyone ever born on this earth is in the same boat. The Bible is undeniably clear on this:

Rom 3:23 - For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;

Ecc 7:20 - For there is not a just man upon the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

Because God loves us, He has provided a way for us to have our sins forgiven, so that we can enjoy a relationship with Him, and live with Him forever in Heaven as He always intended. God's solution to our problem was to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to live a perfect, sinless life, and to die as a sacrifice, as payment for your sin and my sin - for the sins of the whole world. His death on the cross has paid the price of mankind's sin - He, the perfect sinless Son of God, took the punishment we deserved (Heb 9:28 - Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many). He was buried, and then, as prophesied in the Old Testament, He raised Himself from the dead three days later, securing the victory over sin and its penalty.

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Yes, He did rise from the dead. The evidence is indisputable. Check it out seriously for yourself. [Put source here? such as The Case for Christ - Lee Strobel]

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To have our sins forgiven, the Bible simply says we must believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is the risen Saviour. Genuinely believe you are a sinner who can't save yourself. Believe that Jesus died for you to save you. Believe that by trusting in Him your sins (past, present and future) are forgiven and cancelled out, and then you will definitely be in a relationship with Him. You will be assured of a place in Heaven when you die - you will have eternal life. This is the gospel, this is the good news. Just believe and you will be saved (John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life).

 

When you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, you pass from death to life - from spiritual death to spiritual life. His Holy Spirit comes to live inside you and to guide you.

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As a believer, you are no longer condemned to hell - you won't perish. That's what you've been saved from! If left unforgiven, your sins would have sent you to hell and the lake of fire for all eternity.

 

Maybe you've judged God without considering what the Bible actually says about Him? Maybe you've never been shown until now that your response to the Bible's presentation of God and salvation will affect where you'll spend eternity. Now that you do know, you dare not neglect it.

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Don't put off your decision until God conforms to your standards. That will never happen. We must conform to His.