Q:I have some Jewish friends and I wonder if they will go to heaven? They are very devout in their faith and I respect them as people, but really hurt inside because I don't know if they will be with me in heaven? That goes along with other religions and their beliefs. I feel that I have benefited from always having a Christian home and believing what my parents have taught me to believe. I see it hard for kids to just go against their parent's faith.

A:It's great to hear that you have some Jewish friends. The fact that you are also concerned about their salvation and want them to be with you in heaven shows that you have a heart of love. God shares your heart, as He too wants all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:3-4; Ezekiel 33:11).

Whether a person will spend eternity in heaven or not comes down to what they believe about Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ being the only way to heaven (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-11; John 3:16-18) for someone to believe they can get there another way, or to reject Jesus' claims altogether, will lead to an eternal disappointment. 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." (See also Luke 10:16)

While people might be "devout in their faith", if the belief they are committed to is not true, it doesn't matter how strongly their view is held. Belief alone is not enough, believing the right thing is what is eternally essential. God's Word, given to us in the Old and New Testament of the Bible, is the truth to guide our way (2 Timothy 3:16-17) when it comes to matters of heaven and hell, as well as all issues of life and faith.

Regarding children who go against their parent's faith, you are right, this cannot be easy. Rather than ground our lives on a faith that "has been inherited" the more important matter, as difficult as it might be, is for each of us to base our life on the faith "that is true" as outlined by God in the Bible.

Something that may bring comfort is that someone might not know Jesus their entire life, yet come to know Him in the final moments before their death. The thief on the cross is a great example of this. His life had not conformed to the teaching of God's Word, yet in his final moments he reached out to Jesus and placed his trust in Him. Eternity in heaven was the result.

While a Jew or a Mormon or a Hindu might currently reject Jesus Christ as God, and their personal Savior from sin and death, you never know what God might do in their hearts in the future. On countless occasions in the Bible, and throughout history since, God has transformed the hearts and lives of those who reject Him to become His followers.