Today, I made peace with God...

To have assurance of a future with God in heaven all you have to do is believe in His Son. John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life, no man comes to the Father but by me.” You have to be His child and the Word of God says in John 1:12 “as many as received Him to them gave He right to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name.”

1 Corinthians 15:3&4 tells us what Jesus did for us. He died for our sins, was buried and rose from the dead on the third day. Other Scriptures to read are Isaiah 53:1-12, 1 Peter 2:24, Matthew 26:28&29, Hebrews chapter 10:1-25 and John 3:16&30.

In John 3:14-16&30 and John 5:24 God says if we believe we have eternal life and simply put, if it ends it wouldn’t be eternal; but to emphasize His promise God also says those who believe shall not perish.

God also says in Romans 8:1 that “There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.”

The Bible says that God cannot lie; it is in His innate character (Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18&19).

He uses many words to make the promise of eternal life easy for us to understand: Romans 10:13 (call), John 1:12 (believe & receive), John 3:14&15 (look – Numbers 21:5-9), Revelation 22:17 (take) and Revelation 3:20 (open the door).

Romans 6:23 says eternal life is a gift through Jesus Christ. Revelation 22:17 says “And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” It is a gift, all we need to do is take it. It cost Jesus everything. It costs us nothing. It is not a result of our doing works. We cannot get it or keep it by doing good deeds. God is just. If it were by works it would not be just and we would have something to brag about. Ephesians 2:8&9 says “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.”

Galatians 3:1-6 teaches us that not only can we not earn it by doing good works, but we can’t keep it that way either.

It says “did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by hearing with faith… are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh.”

I Corinthians 1:29-31 says, “that no man should boast before God… that Christ is made unto us sanctification and redemption and… let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

If we could earn salvation Jesus would not have had to die (Galatians 2:21). Other passages which give us assurance of salvation are:

1. John 6:25-40 especially verse 37 which tells us that “him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out,” that is, you don’t have to beg or earn it.

If you believe and come He will not reject you but welcome you, receive you and make you His child. You only have to ask Him.

2. 2 Timothy 1:12 says “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him against that day.”

Jude24&25 say “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forever more! Amen.”

3. Philippians 1:6 says “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

4. Remember the thief on the cross. All he said to Jesus was “Remember me when You come in your kingdom.”

Jesus saw his heart and honored his faith.
He said, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42&43).

5. When Jesus died He finished the work God gave Him to do.

John 4:34 says, “My food is to do the will of Him Who sent Me and to finish His work.” On the cross, just before He died, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30).

The phrase “It is finished” means paid in full.

It is a legal term that refers to what was written over the list of crimes someone was being punished for when his punishment was completely finished, when he was set free. It signifies that his debt or punishment was “paid in full.”

When we accept Jesus’ death on the cross for us, our sin debt is paid in full. No one can change this.

6. Two wonderful verses, John 3:16 and John 3:28-40

both say that when you believe you will not perish.

John 10:28 says never perish.

God’s Word is true. We just have to trust what God says. Never means never.

7. God says many times in the New Testament that He imputes or credits Christ’s righteousness to us when we put our faith in Jesus, that is, He credits or gives to us Jesus’ righteousness.

Ephesians 1:6 says we are accepted in Christ. See also Philippians 3:9 and Romans 4:3&22.

8. God’s Word says in Psalm 103:12 that “as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

He also says in Jeremiah 31:34 that “He will remember our sins no more.”

9. Hebrews 10:10-14 teaches us that Jesus death on the cross was sufficient to pay for all sin for all time – past, present and future.

Jesus died “once for all.” Jesus’ work (being complete and perfect) never needs to be repeated. This passage teaches that “he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” Maturity and purity in our lives is a process but He has perfected us forever. Because of this we are to “draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22). “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:25).

10. Ephesians 1:13&14 says the Holy Spirit seals us.

God seals us with the Holy Spirit as with a signet ring, putting on us an irreversible seal, not able to be broken.

It’s like a king sealing an irreversible law with his signet ring. Many Christians doubt their salvation. These and many other verses show us God is both Savior and Keeper. We are, according to Ephesians 6 in a battle with Satan.

He is our enemy and “as a roaring lion seeks to devour us” (I Peter 5:8).

I believe that causing us to doubt our salvation is one of his greatest fiery darts used to defeat us.
I believe that the various parts of the armor of God referred to here are the Scripture verses which teach us what God promises and the power He gives us to have victory; for example, His righteousness. It is not ours but His.

Philippians 3:9 says “and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.”

When Satan tries to convince you that you are “too bad to go to heaven,” respond that you are righteous “in Christ” and claim His righteousness. To use the sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God) you need to memorize or at least know where to find this and other Scriptures. To use these weapons we need to know that His Word is truth (John 17:17).

Remember, you have to trust God’s Word. Study God’s Word and keep on studying it because the more you know the stronger you will become. You must trust these verse and others like them to have assurance.

His Word is truth and “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

You must fill your mind with it until it changes you. The Word of God says to “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,” like doubting God. Ephesians 6 says to use that sword and then it says to stand; don’t quit and run (retreat). God has given us everything we need for life and godliness “thorough the true knowledge of Him Who called us” (2 Peter 1:3).

Just keep on believing.

Jesus taught us in the Scriptures (the Bible) in John 14:6 that He is the way to heaven. He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” The Bible teaches us that Jesus died for our sins. It teaches us that we must believe in Him to have eternal life.

I Peter 2:24 says, “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree,” and John 3:14-18 (NASB) says, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up (verse14), so that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life (verse 15).

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life (verse 16).

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge (condemn) the world; but that the world should be saved through Him (verse 17).

He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the only begotten Son of God (verse 18).”

See also verse 36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life…”

This is our blessed promise.

Romans 10:9-13 ends by saying, “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Acts 16:30&31 says, “He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’

They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.'”

If your loved one believed he or she is in heaven.

There is very little in Scripture which talks about what occurs in heaven before the Lord’s return, except that we will be with Jesus.

Jesus told the thief on the cross in Luke 23:43, “Today you shall be with me in Paradise.”

Scripture says in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that, “if we are absent from the body we are present with the Lord.”

The only clues I see which indicate that our loved ones in heaven are able to see us are in Hebrews and Luke.

The first is Hebrews 12:1 which says, “Therefore since we have so great a cloud of witnesses” (the author is speaking of those who died before us – past believers) “surrounding us, let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” This would indicate they can see us. They witness what we are doing.

The second is in Luke 16:19-31, the account of the rich man and Lazarus.

They could see each other and the rich man was aware of his relatives on earth. (Read the entire account.) This passage also shows us God’s response to sending “one from the dead to speak to them.”

God strictly forbids us from trying to contact the dead as in going to mediums or going to séances.
One should stay away from such things and trust in God’s Word, given to us in the Scriptures.

Deuteronomy 18:9-12 says, “When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.

Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out these nations before you.”

The whole Bible is about Jesus, about His coming to die for us, so that we might have forgiveness of sins and have eternal life in heaven by believing in Him.

Acts 10:48 says, “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His Name everyone who believes in Him has received forgiveness of sins.”

Acts 13:38 says, “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”

Colossians 1:14 says, “For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the Kingdom of His Beloved Son, in Whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Read Hebrews chapter 9. Verse 22 says, “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

In Romans 4:5-8 it says the one who “believes, his faith is reckoned as righteousness,” and in verse 7 it says, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven and whose sins have been covered.”

Romans 10:13&14 says,” Whoever will call upon the Name of the Lord wills be saved.

How shall they call upon Him in Whom they have not believed?”

In John 10:28 Jesus says of His believers, “and I give eternal life to them and they shall never perish.”

I hope you have believed.

Although Samuel’s body died, the spirit and soul of someone who has died do not cease to exist, that is, die.

The Scriptures (the Bible) demonstrate this over and over again. The best way I can think of to explain death in Scripture is to use the word separation. The soul and spirit are separated from the body when the body dies and begins to decay.

An example of this would be the Scriptural phrase “you are dead in your sins” which equates to “your sins have separated you from your God.” To be separated from God is spiritual death. The soul and spirit do not die in the same way as the body does.

In Luke 18 the rich man was in a place of punishment and the poor man was at Abraham’s side after their physical death. There is life after death.

On the cross, Jesus told the thief who was repentant, “today you will be with me in paradise.” On the third day after Jesus died He was physically raised. Scripture teaches that someday even our bodies will be raised as Jesus’ body was.

In John 14:1-4, 12 &28 Jesus told the disciples that He was going to be with the Father.
In John 14:19 Jesus said, “because I live, you shall live also.”
2 Corinthians 5:6-9 says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Scripture teaches clearly (see Deuteronomy 18:9-12; Galatians 5:20 and Revelation 9:21; 21:8 and 22:15) that consulting with spirits of the dead or mediums or psychics or any other form of magic is sin and grievous to God.

Some believe this may be because those who consult the dead are actually consulting demons.
In Luke 16 the rich man was told that: “And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.”

In 2 Samuel 12:23 David said of his son who had died: “But now that he is dead, why should I fast?

Can I bring him back again?

I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

Isaiah 8:19 says, “When men tell you to consult mediums and psychics, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God?

Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?”

This verse tells us we should seek God for wisdom and understanding, not wizards, mediums, psychics or witches.

In I Corinthians 15:1-4 we see that “Christ died for our sins…that He was buried… and that He was raised on the third day.

It says this is the gospel.

John 6:40 says, “This is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day.

In answer to your question, people who believe in Jesus Christ, in His provision for our salvation go to heaven to be with God and unbelievers are condemned to eternal punishment.  John 3:36 says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him,”

When you die your soul and spirit leave your body.  Genesis 35:18 shows us this when it tells of Rachel dying, saying, “as her soul was departing (for she died).”  When the body dies, the soul and spirit depart but they don’t cease to exist. It is very clear in Matthew 25:46 what occurs after death, when, in speaking of the unrighteous, it says, “these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous unto eternal life.”

Paul, when teaching believers, said that the moment we are “absent from the body we are present with the Lord” (I Corinthians 5:8).  When Jesus was risen from the dead, He went to be with God the Father (John 20:17). When He promises the same life for us, we know that it will be and that we will be with Him.

In Luke 16:22-31 we see the account of the rich man and Lazarus.  The righteous poor man was at “Abraham’s side” but the rich man went to Hades and was in agony.  In verse 26 we see that there was a great gulf fixed between them so that once there the unrighteous man could not pass over to heaven.  In verse 28 it refers to Hades as a place of torment.

In Romans 3:23 it says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Ezekiel 18:4 and 20 say, “the soul (and note the use of the word soul for person) who sins shall die…the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”  (Death in this sense in Scripture, as in Revelation 20:10,14&15, is not physical death but separation from God forever and eternal punishment as seen in Luke 16.  Romans 6:23 says, “the wages of sin is death,” and Matthew 10:28 says, “fear Him Who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

So then, who can possibly enter heaven and be with God forever since we all are unrighteous sinners.  How can we be rescued or ransomed from the penalty of death.  Romans 6:23 also gives the answer. God comes to our rescue, for it says, “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Read I Peter 1:1-9.  Here we have Peter discussing how the believers have received an inheritance “that can never perish, spoil or fade away – kept forever in heaven” (Verse 4 NIV).  Peter speaks of how believing in Jesus results in “obtaining the outcome of the faith, the saving of your soul” (verse 9).  (See also Matthew 26:28.)  Philippians 2:8&9 tells us that everyone must confess that Jesus, who claimed equality with God, is “Lord” and must believe that He died for them (John 3:16; Matthew 27:50).

Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the Truth and the Life; no man can come to the Father, except through Me.”  Psalms 2:12 says, “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way.”

Many passages in the New Testament phrase our faith in Jesus as “obeying the truth” or “obeying the gospel,” which means to “believe in the Lord Jesus.”  I Peter 1:22 says, “you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit.”  Ephesians 1:13 says, “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in Whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.”  (Read also Romans 10:15 and Hebrews 4:2.)

The Gospel (meaning good news) is declared in I Corinthians 15:1-3.  It says, “Brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received…that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that He rose again the third day…”  Jesus said in Matthew 26:28, “For this is My blood of the new covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”  I Peter 2:24 (NASB) says, “He Himself bore our sins in His  own body on the cross .”  I Timothy 2:6 says, “He gave His life a ransom for all.”  Job 33:24 says, “spare him from going down to the pit, I have found a ransom for him.”  (Read Isaiah 53:5, 6, 8, 10.)

John 1:12 tells us what we must do, “but as many as received Him to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”  Romans 10:13 says, “Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  John 3:16 says whoever believes on Him has “everlasting life.”  John 10:28 says, “I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish.”  In Acts 16:36 the question is asked, “What must I do to be saved?” and answered, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.”  John 20:31 says, “these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ and that believing you may have life in His name.”

Scripture shows evidence that the souls of those who believe will be in Heaven with Jesus.  In Revelation 6:9 and 20:4 the souls of righteous martyrs were seen by John in heaven.  We also see in Matthew 17:2 and Mark 9:2 where Jesus took Peter, James and John and led them up a high mountain where Jesus was transfigured before them and Moses and Elijah appeared to them and they were talking with Jesus.  They were more than just spirits, for the disciples recognized them and they were alive.  In Philippians 1:20-25 Paul writes, “to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better.”  Hebrews 12:22 speaks of heaven when it says, “you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and the church (the name given to all believers) of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.”

Ephesians 1:7 says, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”

The best passage to answer your question comes from Luke 16:18-31. Judgement is immediate, but it is neither final or complete immediately after we die. If we are believer in Jesus our spirit and soul will be in heaven with Jesus. (2 Corinthians 5:8-10 says, “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.) Unbelievers will be in Hades until the final judgment, and then go to the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20:11-15) Believers will be judged for their works which they have done for God, but not for sin. (I Corinthians 3:10-15)  We won’t be judged for sins because we are forgiven in Christ. Unbelievers will be judged for their sins. (Revelation 20:15; 22:14; 21:27)

In John 3:5,15.16.17.18 and 36 Jesus says that those who believe that He died for them have everlasting life and those who do not believe are condemned already. I Corinthians 15:1-4 says, “Jesus died for our sins… that He was buried and that He was raised on the third day.” Acts 16:31 says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” 2 Timothy 1:12 says, “I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.”

In answer to the question of remembering “past” life, it depends on what you mean by the question.

1).        If you are referring to re-incarnation the Bible does not teach it.  There is no mention of coming back in another form or as another person in Scripture.  Hebrews 9:27 says that, “It is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment.”

2).        If you are asking whether we will remember our lives after we die, we will be reminded of all our deeds when we are judged for what we did during our lives.

God knows all – past, present and future and God will judge unbelievers for their sinful deeds and they will receive everlasting punishment and believers will be rewarded for their works done for the kingdom of God.  (Read John chapter 3 and Matthew 12:36&37.)  God remembers everything.

Considering that every sound wave is out there somewhere and considering that we now have “clouds” to store our memories, science is barely starting to catch up to what God can do.  No word or deed is undetectable to God.