Jump to the Moon?

     I know a lot of "good people".  They are nice, help others in need, volunteer, give to charities, etc...How many times have you been to a funeral and heard all about the good works of the deceased person?  Nothing wrong with that.  Just sayin'.  And how often do we compare ourselves to other people?  We may make some mistakes, but at least we're not anywhere as bad as "so and so". Guess what?  It really doesn't matter if we are less sinful than the next person,  if we pray splendid prayers or donate tons of money to the poor.  None of that stuff will get us into heaven. 

     I read a great analogy the other day.  Imagine for a moment if God commanded us to jump to the moon.  Tall people or athletic people might be able to jump higher than me.  I might be able to jump higher than a baby or a person in a wheel-chair.  But not one of us will be able to jump to the moon.  It's impossible.  In other words, it doesn't matter how hard we try...no one can be perfect enough to enter heaven on their own.  We were born with a massive defect that makes it impossible to be perfect enough to please God.  It takes divine intervention.

     The author also used another great analogy.  What if you ran up a large debt on your credit card?  Instead of paying your debt, what if you constantly called the credit card company and offered food baskets or baked goods?  They would never accept it as payment.  It must be paid on their terms...cash!  Many sincere people try to pay their sin debt their way instead of God's.  Remember the story of Cain and Abel?  Cain knew what God required as payment for his sin, but he decided to do it his way anyway.  It wouldn't have mattered if Cain had given God all the crops in the entire world.  That's not what God wanted from Him.  He wanted a blood sacrifice. 

     As we know...God sent His son as a living, perfect sacrifice.  The only solution to our dilemna was for God to take the form of a man, come to earth, live a sinless life and die for us.  Receiving His gift of salvation has nothing to do with "doing".  It's already "done".  The gift of eternal life is completely free and can't be earned.  In fact, a gift is something we either accept or don't accept.  It's ours to decide.  He tells us that if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead, we will be saved.  It must be a heart belief (actually trusting in that knowledge) and not just a head belief. 

     Do you believe that NOTHING else can save us?  A lot of good people out there do not have a saving faith in Jesus.  The Bible tells us this is the only way.  Give up trying to be perfect enough to please God.  You can't do it.  But God will wipe your record clean and He will no longer see your sin if you accept what He has done for you.   The blood of Jesus will cover our sins and we will be perfect and righteous in His sight.  Good works will follow, but they don't save us.  We never need to fear death...not because we earned it but because we accept His gift.  Let Him transform your life.  I never tire of hearing about His grace.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
    and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
    for those who love him.”  ^{1 1 Corinthians 2:9}