The Bridge Is Out
May 9, 1980, was a stormy Friday morning when the cargo ship Summit Venture collided with a support beam on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
The thunderstorm was so severe that motorists couldn’t see that a large bridge section had collapsed. Six cars, a truck, and a Greyhound bus plummeted 150 feet into Tampa Bay. In all, 35 people died that morning.
Chip Callaway and Greta Hedquist probably never met. They probably never nodded or smiled or even made eye contact. They had, after all, no mutual friends, no shared interests. He was 20, an exceptional college student on the school tennis team, standing on the brink of his life.
She was 92, stiffening with advanced arthritis, planning another trip to her native Sweden, most likely the last given her growing physical limitations.
They had nothing in common. However, as they settled into their Greyhound bus seats, heading south under gray and threatening skies, they were about to die together. The short bus ride from the Saint Petersburg bus terminal took them to their final Earthly destinations, next stop, eternity.
There's no destination more important than where we're going to spend forever. We usually don't think about it much, mostly when our health or safety is in question, we have a close call, or someone's death makes us confront our own mortality. Most people spend more time thinking about next year's vacation destination than their eternal destination, but forever is a long time. Like Chip and Greta, we all have an appointment that we will keep. It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement (Hebrews 9:27).
According to the Bible, many people will be tragically surprised by where they end up. The Bible warns that there is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death (Proverbs 16:25). This warning is particularly relevant in today’s society, where many people believe they can earn their way into heaven through good deeds.
In one survey, the vast majority of Americans thought they would go to heaven when they die because their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds. However, the Bible teaches that salvation is only possible through God’s way, and no amount of good deeds can earn it. It is not a matter of balancing good and bad deeds, but rather a matter of accepting God’s gift of salvation.
The consequences of holding onto these misconceptions are severe. One second after you die, you will either have had your first glimpse of heaven with its euphoria and bliss or your first experience of unrelenting horror and regret. The Bible is clear that there are only two destinations after death: heaven or hell. There is no middle ground, and the choice is made in this life.
Do you know for certain that you will go to heaven when you die? God wants you to be sure!
First, we have to understand that in our sinful state we cannot save ourselves. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Our efforts, no matter how sincere or well-intentioned cannot earn salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 clarifies this point: “For by grace are you saved, through faith, and this not of yourselves – it is the gift of God. Not by works, so that no one can boast.” This passage emphasizes that salvation is a divine gift rather than a reward for human achievement. It is through faith in Jesus Christ that we receive this grace.
God is holy and just and must punish sin, yet He loves us and has provided forgiveness for our sin. Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus died for us on the cross: “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). Jesus was resurrected from the dead: “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25).
So, back to the original question – “How can I know for sure that I will go to heaven when I die?” The answer is this – believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). “To all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). You can receive eternal life as a FREE gift. “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). You can live a full and meaningful life right now. Jesus said: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). You can spend eternity with Jesus in heaven, for He promised: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am” (John 14:3).