Worried I will go to hell?

JacksBratt said:

There is a small mistake here. We most certainly do not have to be righteous to get eternal life. That would be impossible.

We come as we are. Sinners of all shapes and sizes. If we had to be righteous to get eternal life... .

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Jesus says:

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

On basis of that, person must be righteous to go into eternal life. But that righteousness can still be from God. And it doesn’t mean that you gain salvation with some works. But nevertheless, if we believe Jesus, righteousness is required. And if person is really righteous, it can be seen in his actions.

1213 said:

Jesus says:

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

On basis of that, person must be righteous to go into eternal life. But that righteousness can still be from God. And it doesn’t mean that you gain salvation with some works. But nevertheless, if we believe Jesus, righteousness is required. And if person is really righteous, it can be seen in his actions.

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I agree, except, it's not that we "must" be righteous.

On the day of our death, we will most certainly not be righteous. Unless we dies saying a prayer asking for forgiveness.

We will not be righteous, of our own accord. We will only be righteous due to Christ imparting His righteousness on us.

He does this as we accept His gift of salvation. He died for us. He paid our price. We are cloaked in a proxy righteousness.

It's impossible for any human to be righteous on their own account or works.


It is only through the death and resurrection of our savior.

Matthew Winters said:

I believe in God and i'm trying to accept Jesus as my saviour again (I did when I was younger, but recently I have become distracted). I have committed forgivable sins. What must I do to ensure I will be saved?

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Well my brother.. yes.. my brother.. you do what EVERYONE one of us do. You take JESUS at His word. That is.. anyone that believes God sent Jesus in the flesh that died on the cross for the worlds sins. Was buried and rose the 3rd day and is the only way to the Father. If you simply believe that. You like the rest of us.. are saved.

Again.. I would rather pm but for you.. I was once reading in the bible and in the margin it talked about... if your heart convicts you ..you wont get anything from God. So I got up and said to God I quit. I said.. my heart convicts me 24/7..of sin. So I knew I would get nothing from Him. So I got up reach for the door and .. HE asked me.. "what is righteousness?" I said.. ok ok.. and started to turn "righteousness is right standing with God" He then asked me "how do you get righteousness?" I said "by believing in Jesus".. it was like a dam broke open and I could see. I cried and cried. I still went to the bible to make sure that was written.

See our RIGHTEOUSNESS.. how we can stand before this GOD is because we believe in JESUS His only son. That .. HE is THE WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE. He is the DOOR. God sees HIM..Jesus died for ALL. Then believe ..it is NOW counted to you as righteousness. Like Abraham.. So God never sees YOU or ME.. no SIN can stand before Him..but though CHRIST GOD can NOW see His children.. it is what HE always wants. To have us in His arms.. forever so He will never ever let go.

So you confess your sin.. you get up dust your self off like we do and keep going. Dont keep walking in SIN.. JESUS IS REAL! He will help you show you.. just ask...just believe in Him.. you are saved

Matthew Winters said:

I have committed homosexual actions and have not repented, this is my biggest worry.

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I am not gay, but I too, have committed sins that I really don't want to stop. They are just in my mind and don't affect other people. Worried too.

Matthew Winters said:

I believe in God and i'm trying to accept Jesus as my saviour again (I did when I was younger, but recently I have become distracted). I have committed forgivable sins. What must I do to ensure I will be saved?

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I haven't read the replies, but just in case you still have this question or if other people have the same question, I'll give my advice.

First, if you don't have one already, definitely get your own Bible. I recommend reading Genesis and the book of John first (then Matthew, Mark, and Luke), that way you can understand salvation better and why we need Jesus. I'd ask God to let you really understand His words as well. This causes you to repent (or "change your mind"), which you can't do unless you truly understand the gospel.
Then also pray that you will be forgiven for your sins.
After being saved, you are given the Holy Spirit. You'll know you have it because you will change. To be sure of your salvation, simply test yourself. I usually tell people to read 1 John and learn about the fruit of the Spirit (in Galatians 22-23) to see if they have it. Some Christians say not to doubt your salvation, but I say test yourself (whether you do doubt or not) because that's what the Bible says to do (2 Corinthians 13:5).
Many Christians teach things that do not line up with the Bible. Before I was saved, Christians confused me because they all contradicted each other and I didn't know who to believe. This is why you have to test them, otherwise you'll end up confused or believing lies. You can't test them though if you don't even know what is in the Bible.

Reasons to study (and read, but definitely study also) the Bible
- It's more important than food, you need it to be able to grow in your faith and "be equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- You won't be fooled by false teachers
- Keeps you from sinning and being tricked by satan
- You can't understand why Jesus did what He did or a lot of other things without it
...plus many other reasons.

After you think you're saved, you can be baptized. Baptism should not be done by sprinkling water over someone, but by being fully immersed in water. I did a Bible study on this once. Here is part of it, in case it might be helpful:
"Baptism is the act of lowering a person down in water and lifting them back up (Acts 8:38-39, Matthew 3:16). The Greek word translated as baptize is baptizó, meaning 'submerge, dip under.' Matthew 3:16 says, 'and Jesus, when he was baptized [submerged], went up straightway out of the water...'
Water baptism symbolizes the baptism that saves us (1 Peter 3:21). It also symbolizes us being buried with Christ."

I hope this helps someone, although the best advice I can give is to read/study the Bible (and do what it says) and pray.

Matthew Winters said:

I have committed homosexual actions and have not repented, this is my biggest worry.

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I reread my earlier post and decided to say it better. Repentance is basically turning from sins and practicing God's Law. Not for salvation, but as a part of your faith, for your faith in the Word of God says that your sin will condemn you; but your faith in the Word of God says that if you turn from your sins you will not be condemned. Christ taught that Sin leads to death, and Christ is the Word of God made flesh (John 1:14). Christ said, "Unless you repent you will surely perish" (Luke 13:3).

All sin is evil, and Paul described homosexual actions as evil:

"Men left natural relations with women and burned in their lust toward one another, doing what is shameful with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty of their error" (Romans 1:27).

To repent, take the things that cause you to sin and lust, and throw them out; cut them off. Then replace them with prayer, the bible, or Christian pastor videos (I'll put links to some below). Replace your sinful ways with God's Law; focus on your lust, replacing it, when it comes, with holiness. God is Holy, and so He is ceremonialy, morally, and spiritually, for lack of a better word, "clean". God commanded us to "Be Holy, because He is Holy" (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16). All sin is unholy. Therefore homosexuality is unholy; and "without holiness we will not see God" (Hebrews 12:14).

But this is not to say that one sin makes you unholy in such a way that condemns you, nor that you are condemned for one, or even a hundred sins. Only God decides when you've sinned to much. David sinned multiple "mortal" sins, but still He received the undeserved forgiveness of sins (which is a part of grace); Moses sinned by not striking a rock in the way that God instructed Him to, thus, dishonoring God, yet He was still forgiven! However, concerning David, there was repentance, confession, prayer, a plea for cleansing, and conviction (example: Psalm 51).

The Law of God is a way of life that will not condemn us, unlike the ways of Sin, which are contrary to God's Law. What a glorious thing! God gave us a way to live without condemnation! Consider this: sin condemns us, but the Law of God does not. Without the Word of God, including the Law of God, we will never get to God. All sin is unholy; without holiness we will not see God. The breaking of the Law of God is sin (Romans 7:7), and therefore it only makes sense to go to the Law of God if we want to avoid condemnation.

Of course, this coming to the Law of God is to be a part of faith, and many will accuse me of promoting a works based salvation due to this that I say, but I seek God's approval, not the approval of man. I know that not even I am saved by works, but by my original faith; and not even that! I am saved by grace through faith; faith was God's means to grant me grace, otherwise faith becomes a work and I have something to boast about. But God's grace is what saved.

What I am saying to you is turn from your evil and turn to good, knowing that you will not be saved by your works but by grace through faith in Christ, who is the Word of God and taught all that I am telling you now to Paul, John, Peter, etc. And Christ couldn't have taught anything different, for He is the Word of God and the Word of God cannot contradict itself.

And remember that if you are being disciplined (and fear of condemnation can be a part of discipline, as it is/was for me), that is proof that you are loved by God. What does Proverbs 3:12 say? "Those whom Yehowah loves, He chastens." It shows beyond a doubt that you are still saved. But the discipline is not because He hates you, but because He loves you, and will save you and bring you to holiness.




Pauline Paradox (plus more): Pauline Paradox (plus more) - YouTube

I hope this helps. Remember Godly sorrow leads to repentance and a harvest of righteousness. God bless you and grant you repentance. P. M. Me if you want talk.

שלום אח

Matthew Winters said:

I believe in God and i'm trying to accept Jesus as my saviour again (I did when I was younger, but recently I have become distracted). I have committed forgivable sins. What must I do to ensure I will be saved?

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While the patience, grace and forgiveness of God through Jesus Christ are free gifts for the one who truly accepts them (Ephesians 2:8-9), they are given for something; that is, to accomplish something in the believer. Salvation does not end at justification, but merely begins there. Once we are saved from the just wrath of God, if our submission for Christ's salvation and Lordship is genuine, we are then saved from sin, to repentance towards Christ, for good works. As the Scriptures say: "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:10)." "Or do you show contempt for the riches of His kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance (Romans 2:4)?" "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17, see also Galatians 6:15)"

Jesus declared: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned (John 15:5-6)."

In Jesus' explanation of His parable of the sower, He designated that there are four kinds of seed (Matthew 13:19-23). Only one kind He mentions are those who immediately reject the Gospel, and one kind are those who accept it and become fruitful, up to thirty, sixty or a hundred times what was sown. But two kinds of these seeds are described as ostensible believers, those who at once appear to accept it with joy, but then shortly after fall away or get choked by the worries and pleasures of this life and become unfruitful (see also Matthew 7:21 and Jude 1:4). So again we see that there is a distinction between mere intellectual assent to the claims of the Gospel, and having a saving faith in Christ that is authenticated by the bearing of fruit. You can believe in God and that Jesus is His Son and still make yourself an enemy of God by your rejection of His sanctifying work in your life, as even the demons know these truths (Matthew 8:28-29, James 2:19).

So what does Christ mean by bearing fruit? What is this fruit that authenticates that I am remaining in the vine, whom is Jesus? Specific manifestations of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (who Christ does His sanctifying work through, John 16:7) are described in a few places in Scripture (Galatians 5:22-23, 1 Corinthians 12:3-11), but, broadly, the fruit of the Holy Spirit is Christ-likeness. Above all, it is the ever-growing knowledge and love of God, and the consequent growing love for our neighbour.

If we are saved, we have inherited eternal life, and eternal life is to know God (John 17:3), and God is love (1 John 4:8). Thus, if we have come to know God, since Christ makes Him known, (John 1:18) we will love God, and "...this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3)." This is true; His commands are not burdensome to the one who has come to know God because all of this is the result of the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, who effectuates God's work of saving us from the present power of sin so that we are no longer enslaved to it, but are freed to live for the glory of God. God accomplishes this by giving us an entirely new nature, so that not only do we despise sin, but we actually find pleasure in doing the will of God because it is now the Holy Spirit that is at work in us, regenerating our spirit and putting to death the sinful inclinations of our flesh. As Paul admonishes in Galatians 5:16-17:

“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”

This will be gradual, but also eventual; there will be times of regress, but there will always be recovery and continual growth, "being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6)."

In the words of John: "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One (1 John 2:1)."

Thus Christ calls to us saying: "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30)."

Make no mistake: We are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone, but we are saved from the past penalty of sin and the present power of sin for repentance to Christ, who will begin His work of making us spotless and without blemish for the day of our glorification, the redemption of our bodies (Ephesians 5:27, Romans 8:23). You were made to glorify God, and enjoy Him forever.

Matthew Winters said:

I have committed homosexual actions and have not repented, this is my biggest worry.

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As you should know being a Catholic, Jesus Christ has established the Sacrament of Penance, When in John 20: 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
John 20: 23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

Yes, it is always good to go straight to Jesus Christ on a daily bases for forgiveness, but truth is This is not what Jesus Christ wants the repentant to do, he want s the the repentant to go to His Church founded on Rock, thus why He breathed on them the Holy Spirit in order to forgive our sins.

Being a Catholic, having this truth go and see a Catholic Priest and sin no more.

singpraise said:

Rest assured if you love Jesus in your heart and believe in Him you are saved. You will not go to hell.

The only people who go to hell are those who choose by their own free will to do so. Nobody accidentally goes to hell.

Hell is reserved for those who continually and consciously choose to commit evil actions - actions that harm other innocent people - over and over again, blaspheming the Holy Spirit by turning away from the good voice inside them telling them they are wrong, every time they murder or rape that innocent victim, for example. Eventually the voice of good in a person will be quieted if it's drowned out with evil actions long enough.

If you are concerned about going to hell it's a sure sign you will not go there. People who go to hell either don't believe in hell at all or hate God so deeply they would be "happier" in hell than in heaven with Him.

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Singpraise, "Rest assured if you love Jesus in your heart and believe in Him you are saved. You will not go to hell".

Singpraise, are you sure??? What about, Matthew 7: 21Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, HE shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Singpraise, Loving and believing in Jesus Christ is not enough. I'm sure those in Matthew 7: 21 above were Christians for they said Lord Lord, however, these so called Christians who said Lord, Lord, did not do the Will of the Father, therefore will not enter Heaven.

Thus why St. Paul states in Scripture: "workout your faith with fear and trembling". If not then we may find ourselves saying: Matthew 7: 22Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.

Though these Prophesied in the name of the Lord, cast out Devils in the name of the Lord and did many miracles in the name of the Lord they we still be cast into HELL, not my words, but the Lords.

Why would these Christian be sent to hell??? Perhaps they did believe that we must Eat and Drink His Body and Blood, as Scripture states: in John 6:53Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. SingPraise, do we find Ourselves among these that do not Eat and Drink His Body?

John 6: 54 HE that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day. SingPraise, or do we find ourselves among these that do Eat and Drink His Body Literally ?
John 6: 55For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed. 56He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him. SingPraise, if this is not Literally, then what is? Or what part of the word INDEED, do we not believe.

PanDeVida said:

Singpraise, are you sure??? What about,

Matthew 7
21Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.

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This verse many times is used to persecute God's Children but that is not the correct understanding.

Matthew 7:21-23
21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

Those who are and recognize themselves as God's Children are not the targets of this verse.

ToBeLoved said:

This verse many times is used to persecute God's Children but that is not the correct understanding.

Matthew 7:21-23
21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

Those who are and recognize themselves as God's Children are not the targets of this verse.

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Thank you for your excellent response, ToBeLoved, I couldn't have said it better myself.

I must say, among the many comments about homosexuality going around, that homosexuality, or homosexual acts is/are a Sin, as stated in Leviticus 18:22 "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination."

an abomination is a great sin to God, and as Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

and the death that is described here is not physical death, but eternal, spiritual death in hell; however it is only so, if the person is unrepentant of said sin; and continues to do it under the pretense that God will simply turn the blind eye because it's "love and caring". clearly God does not do this, as stated in Leviticus 18:22. where it's described as an "abomination".

this is not to say that he won't forgive you if you sincerely ask, but you must forsake it as well, Proverbs 28:13 "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."

As for the actual thread question:

All sins are forgivable, the type of "unforgivable" sin in the Bible - Blaspheming the holy Spirit - is when someone deliberately rejects his forgiveness, mercy and salvation through His sacrifice, and such a hardness of heart would lead to final impenitence (the trait of refusing to repent) that would lead to eternal death.

I went through a similar, though not exactly - what I'm just gonna call an "experience" - a few years back. and finally by His grace came to the conclusion that the only thing I needed to do to be sure I was saved, and was not going to hell, is simply trust in His eternal power and saving grace, and prayed that He would give me grace, wisdom and understanding, and eventually I stopped worrying.

hopefully this helps, God Bless

To the OP. Have faith in the promises of Christ. He who has been set free by Christ is indeed free.

Walk in the freedom you have in the promises of our Lord and Savior.

Matthew Winters said:

I believe in God and i'm trying to accept Jesus as my saviour again (I did when I was younger, but recently I have become distracted). I have committed forgivable sins. What must I do to ensure I will be saved?

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You must live an unselfish life, do good and not think in selfish way of your own salvation. Live your life like christians should, and you may be saved.