How many decisions do we make in a day?

• What time to get up,
• what to wear,
• what to eat,
• what to watch, read, or listen to.

In the scope of life, these are small questions.

There are more significant questions like:

• Who do I want to be like?
• What school should I attend, and what should I study?
• What do I want to be when I grow up?
• Where do I want to work?
• Who will I marry?
• Where do I want to live?

Any of these questions can have a big impact on your life, and some of these answers may change from time to time.

However, there is one question far greater than any of these, and it only needs to be answered once:

This is the single most important question you could ask yourself. Do you know the answer?

1. Will I go to Heaven or Hell?
2. Did you know you get to choose?
3. How do you choose?

What happens (to you) when you die? Erwin Lutzer provides a biblical perspective on the events that take place, written in this linked article, and book to answer this question.

One Minute After You Die

Death itself is a certainty we all face. Many have already died. Many have yet to die. Death surrounds us. Some will face it in the next hour. Some later today, and others tomorrow. We don't know when tragedy will strike and death will come. That makes answering this question urgent and important.

For mankind, life doesn't end here on earth. Death as we know it isn't really the end. Death is a transition to where we will continue “living”. Mankind was created with the breath of life, which means we have eternal souls.

If you haven't yet chosen Heaven, the default destination is Hell. A way of speaking about choosing Heaven is to say that you have chosen “Life”: to live eternally with God in Heaven. Our default destination is Hell, which is also known as “Death”. This is the second death: to be permanently separated from God. This is what is meant in [John 5:24 ESV] by “passed from death to life”: avoiding permanent separation from God, and spending eternity with Him in Heaven.

Thus, there are two possible deaths:

1. The first death is to be separated from those who remain living on earth. We will all experience this.
2. The second death is permanent separation from God: spending eternity in Hell. This can be avoided.

1. How do I choose Heaven (Life)?
2. Will Jesus be your Savior, or Judge?

Learn what the Bible says about death.

Learn what the Bible says about Hell:

Hell's Best Kept Secret

Baptism isn't a requirement to go to heaven. The requirement is the condition of your heart: the choice you make. Have you rejected Jesus? Do you cling to your sins instead of repenting and desiring to change? Do you desire to be full of goodness … holy (like Jesus), or do you prefer to continue doing things that you know are wrong?

Baptism is an outward expression of an inward decision. It is only used to declare your (already made) decision to trust Jesus. The act of baptism (a thing you do, also known as a “work”) does not save you. Thinking that baptism can save you, or cause you to go to heaven, contradicts Ephesians 2 where the Bible says:

Jesus saves you. It is your decision to trust Jesus, to repent, and the desire to be good … holy … that causes Jesus to claim you as His own and make heaven your final destination.

You trust Jesus like you trust a parachute. You trust your life to a parachute to save you from a tremendous fall. You trust your life to Jesus that He has paid the penalty for your sins. What is the penalty? An eternal separation from God, and continuous suffering and torment in Hell.

The Bible gives us the 10 commandments (Exodus 20) known as the Law. The Law can be used like a mirror. When you look at it, it reflects our sin back to us.

The Ten Commandments

1. You shall have no other gods before Me
2. You shall not make yourself a graven image
3. You shall not take God’s name in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy
5. Honor your father and mother
6. You shall not murder
7. You shall not commit adultery
8. You shall not steal
9. You shall not lie
10. You shall not covet

First you honestly admit to yourself, and to Jesus, that you have not obeyed all 10 commandments. Then you repent (because it makes you sad). Believe that Jesus died on the cross, taking God's punishment for you (that you deserve). He did this because God is righteous, and cannot accept sin. Because Jesus was punished, He can forgive you (and will). When He forgives you, God considers you to be blameless, and without sin (because Jesus took your punishment), and you will be welcomed into heaven (saved from the second death, eternal separation from God in Hell).

You can read more here:

• Who will go to heaven?
• Who will go to hell?
• How can I receive forgiveness from God?
• Going to Heaven—how can I guarantee my eternal destination?

Hebrews 2:15 explains that we have been created with an innate fear of death. This is a God-given will and instinct to live, and the reason we are afraid of death. Obey this feeling! C.H. Spurgeon, in his sermon, “Fear of Death” describes the fear of death as natural, since man was not originally created to die: No. 3125-55:1. Fear of Death. A Sermon Delivered On Thursday Evening, December 17, 1874, By C. H. Spurgeon, At The Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington

The following short movie, You Are Not Alone: Hope for Your Depression, shares snippets of candid interviews with people suffering from depression and thoughts of suicide. Watch and learn with these people, how to escape these terrible thoughts: