You CAN be 100% sure you are going to heaven.
1 John 5:13 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have [present tense] eternal [never ending] life...”
Here God shows us that we can know (without a doubt) that we have, as a present possession, eternal life. And if I possess eternal life today, I cannot loose it tomorrow, or else it was never eternal life to begin with.
You must accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
John 3:7 ” Ye must be born again.” AND John 3:18 “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
You must NOT rely on works to save you or keep you saved.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Galatians 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”
2 Timothy 1:9 “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus…”
Romans 3:19-28 -"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
We are kept by the power of God, not of our own power.
1Peter 1:5 “Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation…”
2 Timothy 1:12 “…for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” AND 2Titus 1:14 “That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.”
We can NOT loose our salvation.
John 10:28-30 “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.”
1Peter 1:3-5 - "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
Also, read 1 John 2:1-2 and don’t forget 1 John 5:13 above.
We CAN have a false hope of salvation. If we are basing our hope of salvation on works such as baptism, church attendance, church membership, tithing, keeping the ten commandments, loving our neighbors, reading the Bible, praying, giving to the poor, or any other thing that we ourselves can do or have done, then we have a fake salvation and a false hope. We are not saved by anything that we can do. We cannot even have true faith without God.
Read carefully: Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:…by the faith of Jesus Christ,…that we might be justified by the faith of Christ…”
2 Timothy 1:9 “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus…”
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
So we see that Jesus Himself said there are those who prophesy, cast out devils and do many wonderful works in the name of Jesus Christ that have never actually been saved. They were too busy trying to work their way to heaven to take God at His word and accept the FREE GIFT of salvation.
