January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Good works not enough to get us into heaven
Eternal life assured by admitting to sin, believing Jesus Christ is Lord, and that he died and was resurrected to redeem us
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:16-18
2 Peter 3:9 says that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance; He strongly encourages us to receive the gift of God which is eternal life through Jesus Christ
(Romans 6:23b). If our eternal life is important to God, it should be imperative to us and should move us to consider the reality of eternity. Let me share an illustration that will help us to understand how to live for eternity.
There was a young man in his late twenties who was given a lucrative three-month assignment in New York. Eagerly he travelled to New York and found a beautiful apartment in Manhattan, seven blocks from his office.
After the first week he replaced the rented furnishings with the best things money could buy. He purchased furniture of rare woods, inlaid with gold and covered with the finest silks, and bought handmade rugs of fine wool. Furnishing the apartment cost him his three-month pay package in addition to money he had saved prior to accepting his boss's challenge along with a long-term loan.
When the assignment ended, he simply turned off the lights in his apartment, locked the door, and returned the keys to the Front Desk. No packing. No shipping. He locked the door, leaving all of his goods, and returned to Bermuda, with memories of the high life, but far worse off than before he'd left.
He returned to Bermuda and lived the rest of his life - over 50 years - struggling to pay off all the bills that he'd racked up in New York.
Most of us would consider the young man's actions as irrational and frivolous. Because he put more value on the three months than on the rest of his life, he spent the rest of his life suffering. He lived for the moment, for the day, for those three months; had he looked to the future, his lucrative pay package would have given him a life of ease and delight.
Let's look at our own lives in comparison with eternity. Our 80-year life span is so short compared to eternity that it's like the man's three-month assignment. Like him, we have a choice in how to live. We can live for the moment, for the here and now, or we can live with an eye toward what comes next.
Preparing for eternity
When we focus on life on earth as if it is all we have and we do not plan for eternity, we live like the man and face an eternity of struggle and judgment, without peace and joy. When we prepare for eternity we make sure that Jesus is part of our plans by accepting Him as personal Saviour.
Let me remind you that the question to consider is not, "Will I live for eternity?" We have determined that both heaven and hell are real places, so living for eternity is a given. The real question is, "Where will I live for eternity?" Are you like the young man only thinking of the short-term life span here on earth or are you thinking about where you will spend eternity? I hope that God will use this illustration in your life to draw you to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour.
When I share the Gospel, I try to clarify that no one can be saved by good works. There are many who are mistaken that approval from God can be obtained by doing good things for Him and others. If this is your thinking, you believe that God will weigh the amount of works you have done on earth. On the balance scale if you do more good works than bad works, you are safe; if you have done more bad works than good works, you are in big trouble. The Bible says that all of our good works are like filthy clothes in God's sight (Isaiah 64:6). So, even if you do more good works than Mother Teresa and multiply them by three, you still are not assured of eternal life because good works do not guarantee you a spot in heaven!
How, then, can we go to heaven?
God knew that our good works would never be sufficient to meet His requirement for the payment for our sins. 'Sin' is anything that we say, think, or do that is against God. Sin is real and powerful; it is all around us; it affects us all. We have all had bad or sinful things done to us; we have all committed bad or sinful things against others. If we are honest, we must admit that people cause many of the world's problems. How do we know this? Just read the newspapers and read the effect of sin! God knew we would be hopeless and we would have no possible way to work our way to heaven, so... God came to us!
Jesus, who is eternal and existed before the world began, came in human form through the Virgin Mary. He lived a perfect life for over 30 years, was betrayed, and died on a cross for our sins, shedding his blood for us as the payment for our sins. He was buried and rose again from the dead.
All we have to do to be assured of eternal life through Jesus is ADMIT to God that we have sinned; BELIEVE Jesus Christ died and rose for us; and CONFESS with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we will be saved. I think Ephesians 2:8, 9 really sums it up: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast."
Don't delay the reality of where you will spend eternity. Instead, prepare for eternity by accepting
Jesus Christ and living for Him.
Pastor Gary C. Simons serves as the Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Bible Fellowship, 82 Church Street, Hamilton, Bermuda[[In-content Ad]]
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