The IAMS {long I) Pet Professionals is a team of 30 trained customer service representatives at The Iam Company. They handle more than 300,000 inquiries a year from pet owners across the country. Most of their calls can be handled with straightforward answers. Some are a bit tougher. Here are some of their favorites:

• My cat just came in from the garage and I was wondering…how many calories are in a mouse?
• I have a neutered male cat. How old should he be before I can breed him?
• Does your dog food help with emancipation?
• What size litter box do I need to keep my cat comfy?
• Is it normal for a dog to shed?
• How can I keep my cat from stealing my husband's toothbrush?
• My cat passed a stool on the indoor rug and it's stuck in the vacuum cleaner. Any suggestions?
• Do you know how to toilet train a cat?
• Will chewing pop cans remove enamel from my puppy's teeth?

Well, some questions just don't have easy answers, do they? Sometimes we ask questions about God that don't have easy, straightforward answers. Why have all these bad things happened to me? Which church should I belong to? How can I be certain that I make the right decision? Sometimes the questions are silly. How many angels can stand on the head of a pin?

On the other hand, some questions have clear, simple, straightforward answers. Today, we're going to look at one such question. And, quite frankly, I don't know of another question that is more important than this one. How can I know for certain that I will go to heaven when I die? You might say, "No one can know absolutely for certain." I beg to differ. The Bible says, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13).

On a scale of 1-100, what percent sure are you that you will go to heaven when you die? If your certainty level is less than absolute, wouldn't you like to change your score to 100 percent? The Bible says that God does not want "anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). In other words, God wants everyone to be saved. Let me explain to you God's plan for how you can know for certain that you will go to heaven when you die. His plan is clearly stated in the Bible, which is God's Word.

This question we are raising this morning is best explained by raising two other questions. First, what does it mean to be saved? According to the Bible, we have all sinned. It says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). You are a sinner. Your mother and grandmother are sinners. Billy Graham, the Pope, Mother Teresa—all have said and done things that went against God's will.

The fact that we all are sinners is bad enough. But what complicates matters is that this sin causes us to be eternally separated from God in Hell. The Bible says, "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). As sinners, there is nothing we can do to save ourselves from the punishment of sin. However, God desires to have a relationship with you. Think about that. In spite of your sinfulness, God still wants to have a relationship with you. But how can that ever happen? I'm glad you asked.

Once again let's look at what the Bible says. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). God's love is not based on what you can do for Him, but on what He has done for you. Because of His love for you, Christ chose to die in order to save you from a hopeless future. He died so that you could have the assurance of going to heaven when you die.

Now follow closely. God has offered everyone (absolutely everyone) His gift of salvation, but He has also given us a choice to accept His gift and spend eternity with Him or reject it and suffer forever in Hell. That's what it means to be saved—to spend eternity in heaven.

Now for the second question. How can you be saved? Right now, this very minute, you can be saved from an eternity in Hell and have eternal life through Jesus. The Bible makes this clear when it says, "That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). In other words, you must admit your sinfulness and call out to God for Him to save you.

You might say, "But that sounds too simple. Certainly there is a ‘to do' list that I have to consider as well." No, that's what makes Christianity so unique. We are not saved on the basis of how many good things we do. No matter how good we are, we are still sinners. Going to heaven when you die is a gift that God Himself freely offers. If you had to do something to earn that gift, it would no longer qualify as a gift, would it? No, you simply must accept the gift. And that's what God wants you to do, even right now.

To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and receive the gift of eternal life, all you need to do is to speak to God from your heart and invite Him to come into your life. I want to give you an opportunity to do that right now. So will you bow your heads and close your eyes?

If you want to be sure you will go to heaven when you die, then let me help you with a prayer that you can say to God. I will help you with the words, but you must personalize the prayer with the sincerity of your heart. Do you remember the percentage of certainty you chose a few moments ago. If your score was less than 100 percent, I encourage you to give your heart to Jesus right now.

Here is a sample prayer you can pray. "Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and that there is nothing I can do to earn my way into Heaven. I believe that Your death on the cross and Your resurrection paid the penalty for my sins. I now accept Your gift of salvation and receive You as my Savior. Thank You for forgiving my sins and saving me by Your grace. Help me to follow You from this day forward. In Jesus' name I ask these things, Amen."

How can you know for certain that you will go to heaven when you die? The Bible says, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). If you prayed the prayer and you really meant it, you just called on the name of the Lord. He heard your prayer and He answered it. He came into your life. That's where He is right now. And He came in to stay. He will never leave you. He will be your ticket to get into heaven when you die.

If you just gave your heart to Jesus, I challenge you to do a couple of things. First, tell somebody. Don't be ashamed. In other words, go public with it. Second, get involved in a church somewhere. Whether it is Chapin Baptist or another church in the area, go to one of the pastors and tell him you recently gave your life to Christ and you plan to demonstrate your commitment by attending church every Sunday. You see, when Jesus comes into your heart, He changes your life. A changed life is genuine evidence. If there are no changes, then perhaps your commitment a few moments ago was not a real thing.

Keep this study guide handy. Look over the verses again and again. Share this sheet with someone who needs to know Christ. At Chapin Baptist we are here to help you in your spiritual journey. Let us know how we can help.