The good news is that heaven (also called ‘eternal life’) is a free gift from God to all who will accept it. Yes, I said free, as in ‘without payment’, ‘at no cost’, or ‘gratuitous.’ Romans 6:23 tells us “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

A gift is something given to us that we did not earn ourselves. In fact, we can’t earn it. If we did, it would no longer be a gift. Think about it this way. Let’s say you have a birthday and your friend gives you a Rolex watch as a gift. Wow! That’s quite a gift! Knowing how expensive it is, you offer your friend $100 to try and offset the large expense he just incurred on your behalf. Setting aside the insult you just paid your friend, if he takes the money, the watch just changed from being a gift to being a very good deal on a Rolex watch. You see, for something to be a gift it has to come to you for free. If you paid as little as a penny for it would no longer be a gift but a great deal on a Rolex watch. So when the Bible tells us that eternal life is a gift from God it means that it is something we don’t have to earn, and in fact, we can not earn.

Ephesians 2:8-9 puts it like this, “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.” If anyone could earn this gift from God then they could boast of what they did to get themselves into heaven. But God gives us this gift for free, removing all opportunities to boast.

And the incredible part is that we don’t even deserve to receive the gift in the first place. Romans 6:23 (quoted above) says the wages of sin are death (meaning we go to hell, not heaven, when we die). That’s a pretty dangerous sounding statement. Let’s take a closer look at sin to be sure we know what it is.

Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2) and thus it puts us in hell, so it’s a serious issue. Sin can be broken down into three basic categories: sins of commission, sins of omission, and sins of the mind.

Sins of commission are sins based on the things we do, the actions we commit. Things like lying, stealing, killing, etc. are all sins of commission. I don’t know about you, but I know that I’ve committed more than one sin in my life.

Sins of omission are sins based on the actions we knew we should have taken but chose not to. James 4:17 says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” So when we walk past the lady in the parking lot whose bag just broke, spilling her groceries all over, we have sinned. Or when drive past the old lady on the side of the road with a flat tire, we’ve sinned.

Sins of the mind are sins we commit with our thoughts. Things like lusting after beautiful woman (which Jesus calls adultery in Matthew 5:28) or coveting our neighbors new boat are sins of the mind.

As you can see, it’s all too easy to sin and it’s a prevalent problem in our society today. It has been estimated that the average person sins about 20 times a day. If, for easier math, we round that down to 3 times a day, the average person will have committed 1095 sins over the course of a year. If that person lives to be 70 years old before dying, that person would have committed more than 70,000 sins in his/her lifetime. Can you imagine how harsh the penalty would be if you went before a traffic judge with 70,000 traffic tickets? And yet people hope to go to God (the ultimate judge) with 70,000 sins and still be let into heaven.

In Matthew 5:48 the Bible tells us God’s standard for entry into heaven. It reads, “Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” It’s pretty easy to see that we all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and thus are not perfect. Realizing this, some people try to use verses like James 5:20 or 1 Peter 4:8 to say that they can cover their sins by doing good works. But covering sin doesn’t cause it to lose its devastating effect. Let me use an omelet to explain. If I go to serve you an omelet and I crack 5 eggs into the pan just fine but the 6th one is bad, then I can no longer serve you that omelet. Well, I could try. I could add some salsa and bell pepper, even some cheese. In fact, I could add so much stuff that you wouldn’t be able to smell that bad egg at all, nor taste it. But when you ate the bad egg it would still make you sick. You see, just as salsa and cheese can’t remove the bad egg from the omelet, a person’s good works can’t remove their sins from their past. And thus their sins will still separate them from God. Do you see why it’s impossible for anyone to get into heaven by their own good works?

The Bible tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and due to His great love for us, He wants each and every one of us to join Him in heaven for all eternity (1 Timothy 2:4). But God is also just (Exodus 34:7) and so He must punish sin. This puts us in an apparent dilemma. On one hand God wants us with Him but on the other we can’t join Him because we’re sinners. This may look like a dilemma to us but it was not a problem for God. He simply sent His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the son of God (Matthew 3:17), and His only son (John 3:16). He came to Earth (John 1:1,14) and lived a perfect life (1 Peter 2:22), thus meeting the Matthew 5:48 standard. He was killed on a cross to pay the penalty for OUR sins (2 Corinthians 5:21). Hard to believe, isn’t it, that Jesus was willing to take upon Himself all of the wrath the justice of God requires be administered for the punishment for sins, but He did. Isaiah 53:6 tells us, “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (the Him referenced there is Jesus) That’s the gift! Jesus took upon himself the punishment for OUR sins, making our sin debt paid in full in God’s eyes and enabling us to enter heaven.

Three days after He died Jesus rose from the dead, proving Himself, beyond any doubt, to be the son of God. He then ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us there (John 14:2-3). Do you get it? Jesus purchased a place for us in heaven with His own blood! Now we can have eternal life, not because of anything we've done, but because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. We don’t enter heaven by our own works but by the gift God offers us by means of his Son Jesus and the work He did on our behalf while here on Earth.

So a mighty gift has been purchased for you (and at a precious price!) by Jesus, but it’s not yours just yet. When I purchase a gift for you, it’s still in my possession. I still own it. And it remains mine until I offer it to you and you accept it from me. The same is true of the gift of God. Jesus has purchased eternal life for you, and He is offering it to you, but you need to accept the gift being offered. How do you do that? You accept His gift by faith.

Faith is a word that is often misused. So let's clear up some common misconceptions about faith.

Saving faith (the faith that will enable you to accept the gift being offered) is not mere head knowledge. Simply agreeing with the facts that Jesus was a man, died on the cross, and rose from the dead won’t get you into heaven. The Bible says, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” (James 2:19) Even the demons know that Jesus is the son of God but that knowledge won’t get them into heaven. Saving faith is more than just assenting to the facts.

Saving faith is not a temporary thing. There are temporary types of faith. Travel faith, for example, is a temporary faith. You have faith that the airplane will successfully fly through the air and land safely. But after the plane lands you no longer need that faith (until your return flight, of course). Saving faith is a permanent faith.

The faith that will enable you to accept the gift being offered is faith in Jesus Christ alone for your eternal life. It's an active faith; something you use on a daily basis. It's sort of like your living room chair. You can believe that your chair exists. You can agree that it would hold you off the floor if you were to sit on it. But while you're sitting on the couch, your faith in the sturdiness of that chair is unproven. It's not holding you off the floor because you're not acting as if you believe it will (you’re still sitting on the couch). But once you move from your couch to that chair, your faith in it becomes active, i.e. real, and only then can the chair do for you what you had faith it could do. Saving faith works the same way. Saving faith is simply a nice thought until you act as if it will do for you what you believe it will do. Once you take that action, once you put your faith in Jesus to provide eternal life for you, you will have accepted His mighty gift.

Once you transfer your trust to Jesus for your eternal life, He becomes your Savior, saving your soul from its prior destination of hell and changing it to heaven. He also becomes your Lord.

Lord is an old word, meaning ‘one having power and authority over others.' By accepting Jesus’ gift you are agreeing that His way of living is better than your way. And if His way is better than yours, it should take precedence over yours. Thus you give Him power and authority over you. Jesus said, "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46) Making Jesus Lord means that you will try your very best to live your life according to His commandments (i.e. you will do the things He says).

This also means that you’ll probably find yourself needing to repent from some of the things in your current lifestyle that lead you towards sin. Repent is a word originally used with marching bands and it means ‘to turn around 180 degrees.’ In the context of this discussion it means to stop doing the things that draws you towards sin and turn your focus away from them.

I know of an airline pilot who, upon checking into his hotel room, physically takes his TV down to the front desk. He knows he has a weakness for porn and so he removes that temptation from his environment. He has repented from porn and this is how he ensures that it won’t cause himself to sin. It’s a great idea. This is one example of what it looks like to call Jesus your Lord. We do all we can to make sure we don’t sin and make the price He paid for us of no use.

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Abundant life is a good description for what comes with the gift. A life free of the chains of addictions, the oppression of lies, and the weight of guilt is so much more enjoyable and satisfying that it’s hard to put into words. And although it may be difficult to describe, it’s real and it’s all due to what Jesus did for us.

We are all like beggars on the side of the road when a great and mighty king rides by. This king owes us nothing, but out of his grace, he stops and gives us a kingly gift, taking us off the road, putting food in our mouths, clothes on our backs, and gold in our pockets. How are we to respond to such a magnificent gift? We respond by living a life worthy of the gift we’ve been given. So explains the good works a Christian does. We don’t do them to earn the gift from the king, but out of thanks for the gift already given by the king. It’s how we express our gratitude for the King’s grace, by doing what He asks us to do.

So that's the good news: heaven is a free gift, accepted by having saving faith in Jesus. So now that you know what it is and how to receive, will you?

Next Steps

The best next step you could take would be to find a local bible-preaching church. Simply show up on Sunday and tell them that you’d like to be saved. If they don’t act excited about it, leave, and find another church. A church of God will have people who will be excited to meet a new believer.

Reading the bible is a great way to learn more on your own. Simply pray before you read and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. He’ll bring the scriptures to life as you read them (remember, they were all inspired by Him). He will show you the meaning of the passages as they apply in your life and aid in your understanding of God’s will for you. I know it sounds a bit fantastic, but this is God we’re talking about!

I’ve heard people say, “Why should I forgive him. What he did was wrong!” Forgiving a person doesn’t condone his actions, nor does it benefit him in any way. The reason you forgive others is to benefit yourself.

Before you forgive someone, you carry around the anger about what he did to you. You have to remember it each time his name is mentioned and you have to bring it to the surface to show your resentment. Frequently, the offender isn’t bothered by his actions at all, leaving only you to suffer from them.

But you don’t have to suffer. You can make the choice to forgive. Your anger towards the wrongdoer doesn’t make your feelings any more valid, nor does it make what he did any more wrong, but it does diminish you’re enjoyment of life.

After you’ve truly forgiven someone, all the anger and resentment towards that person will go away. You’ll still remember the incident, but you’ll no longer be emotional about it. Forgiving allows you to look back on an event without the influence of emotion. It enables you to see the episode clearly and to learn from it.

Too many times our memories of an incident are clouded by the emotions attached to it. This prevents us from learning from it because we can’t see past the emotions to view the actual event. Forgiving allows you to peel off those emotions so you can: A) learn from the past and B) lead a happier, more positive life. Without having to remember that you have all those negative feelings towards someone, your life will become much more pleasurable. These are benefits you get from forgiving. The offender gets nothing.

God taught us to forgive to benefit us, not the wrongdoer. Our God loves us and wants what’s best for us. Forgiveness is one of His best teachings!

Many Christians have told me they haven’t gotten more serious about their faith because they don’t want their religion to suck all the fun out of their lives.

I guess I could understand that point of view if all one looked at were the commandments. Don’t lust. Don’t’ steal. Forgive those that wrong you. Love your enemies. At first glance it’s easy to conclude that Christians are doormats, and who wants to be a doormat? But the commandments aren’t the only teachings in the Bible. The Good Book also lists the many benefits of living by God’s commandments. Peace is one.

When we have forgiven our enemies, a huge weight is lifted off our shoulders. We no longer have to remember the anger, and without it, life is more enjoyable - the birds sing sweeter, the air seems fresher, and the sunsets more beautiful. This adds to life. It doesn’t take from it.

Joy is another benefit. I’m not talking about the emotional state of being happy. I’m talking a deep seated, it’s well with my soul, type joy. Happiness is a fleeting emotion that leaves with our next trouble. But joy penetrates much deeper. It nourishes our bones. Joy is seated so deep it adds to all aspects of life.

Love, patience, gentleness, and many others can be added to you by living a life that follows God’s commandments. These things add to life, they make it richer, fuller, and more enjoyable. No, they don’t include drunkenness or orgies, but neither do they include hangovers or diseases.

God gives us the commandments to make our lives richer and fuller, not to suck all the fun out of them. I guess we could focus on the ‘shall nots’ if we want to, but we’d be missing out on the bigger picture and all of the benefits associated with it. Personally, I’d rather enjoy each and every day than only my Friday and Saturday nights.

Old Testament
Strong's Word H8577
tannı̂yn    tannı̂ym
tan-neen', tan-neem'
(The second form used in Eze_29:3); intensive from the same as H8565; a marine or land monster, that is, sea serpent or jackal: - dragon, sea-monster, serpent, whale.
Total KJV Occurrences: 27
dragons, 15
Deu_32:33, Job_30:29, Psa_44:19, Psa_74:13, Psa_148:7, Isa_13:22, Isa_34:13, Isa_35:7, Isa_43:20, Jer_9:11, Jer_10:22, Jer_14:6, Jer_49:33, Jer_51:37, Mic_1:8

dragon, 6
Psa_91:13 (2), Isa_27:1, Isa_51:9, Jer_51:34, Eze_29:3

serpent, 2
Exo_7:9-10 (2)

monsters, 1
Lam_4:3

serpents, 1
Exo_7:12

whale, 1
Job_7:12 (2)

whales, 1
Gen_1:21

New Testament
Strong's Word G1404
drakōn
Total KJV Occurrences: 13
dragon, 13
Rev_12:3-4 (2), Rev_12:7 (2), Rev_12:9, Rev_12:13, Rev_12:16-17 (2), Rev_13:2, Rev_13:4, Rev_13:11, Rev_16:13, Rev_20:2

Word ‘dinosaur’ was first used in 1841

John Gill on Rev 12:4
and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born; just as the dragon Pharaoh lay in the midst of his rivers, in the river Nile, Eze_29:3; to slay the male children of Israel as soon as born; and as the dragon Herod sought to take away the life of Jesus quickly after his birth; and as Satan is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, so the Pagan empire, or the Pagan emperors, took every opportunity to stifle the kingdom of Christ in embryo, and to prevent the bringing forth of any illustrious person; and sought to destroy him as soon as he appeared,

Links
Genesis Park - Dragons mentioned in the Bible

Answers in Genesis - Dragons: Fact or Fable

Never Thirsty - What is the meaning of the dragon in the Bible

We’re often told that we’re to “be the light of the world,” but what exactly does that mean?

To start with, we need to realize that we’re not the source of the light, God is. Therefore, we need to be in constant contact with God, the supplier of light, if we are to be a light ourselves. We do this through prayer. One of the reasons we’re taught to pray without ceasing is to insure that we have a steady supply of light from God.

Once we establish our light source, we’re to reflect that light to those around us. This means we’re to take the love God has shown us and show it to others. We’re to accept the forgiveness our Lord offers and offer it to those who harm us. We’re to reflect the compassion Jesus has for us onto those around us. This is how we become a light in the world, by giving to others what God as so freely given to us.

“From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required…” (Luke 12:48A) God blesses us so that we may be a blessing to others. A simple word of encouragement. A soft pat on the back. An ear to listen. These are ways we can bless those around us, simply by being there when others turn away. We don’t have to solve the world’s problems. All we have to do is love those around us as Christ has loved us. Succeed at this, and you’ll be a light in the world.

Remember, if the world’s getting darker, it’s not a problem with the darkness; it means there’s a lack of light.