Almost every week I get a shiny colorful flier in the mail. I scratch off the gold circles to see if I am a winner. I’m always a winner, and so is everyone else. The catch is that you have to go to the car dealer’s showroom and show them your winning card and number. Most likely it will NOT match theirs. One time I did this and I won a $5.00 gift certificate to Wal-mart. I accepted it but the salesman pressured me so much to buy a car that it really wasn’t worth it.
There is also a real key attached to the flier. If the key will start the car they are giving away then you win the car. Well, that never seems to work. I’ve never heard of anyone who has won one of these free cars. Have you? I suppose they do have to give one away but your chances of winning are astronomical.
One of these days each and every one of us will stand before the gates of heaven. Will we be able to enter in? Yes, but only if we have the correct key. That key will not come in the mail on a colorful flier. I find there are many “keys” to heaven. So, where can we find the authentic key to heaven’s gate?
Imagine arriving at the gate of heaven and the gate-keeper says,”Do you have your key?”
“Yes,” you say.
“Go ahead and let yourself in!” You slip the key into the lock and it doesn’t work, just like at the car place. What then?
You say to the gate-keeper, “Please sir, let me in. You can open the gate for me. You are on the inside!”
He answers, “Why should I let you in?” “You have the wrong key!”
“But, Sir,” you plead, “I’ve been a good person. If you get out the scales of justice and put all my good deeds on one side and all my bad deeds on the other, you will see that the good outweigh the bad. I’m really not a bad person. I’ve worked hard to be good and decent. I’ve gone to church most of my life and supported it with my money. I’ve been baptized, and I’ve given to the poor and needy, so please let me in.”
The gate-keeper replied, “You think being a good person is the key to heaven? I’m sorry, but you are wrong! The Bible says in Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB)For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; (9) not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
“You cannot come in!” He turned, “Next!”
Do you know that approximately 250,000 people die each and every day in the world.(source: www.wiki.answers.com)
Just imagine what the line outside of heaven’s gate must look like. In order to filter through all those people the gate-keeper might make this announcement.
“All those who belong to any of the religions of the world, other than Christianity, please follow the path over there marked “to hell,”‘ That would clear out the line pretty fast wouldn’t it? He continues, “All other religions including Mormonism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism ,(source: www.evangelical.us) plus Catholics depend on works to save them from hell. So does Christian Science, Spiritualism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Eastern Mysticism, plus many other religions throughout the world. But, works are not the key to heaven! Now depart from me!”
I’m curious as to how many people would be left in the line to heaven’s gate? You will notice what Jesus said in Matthew, that wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction and there are many who enter it. Then he said the gate is small and the way narrow that leads to life and few find it. So, maybe that large number of people has been cut down to just a small number. How sad!
Matthew 7:13-14 NASB says “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. (14) “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”
So, what is the key to heaven’s gate? Simply put it is the gospel message.
I Cornithians 15:3-4 says:
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
There is no other key to heaven. It is only through Jesus Christ that we can be saved. He says he is the way. The only way. He is the truth. His Word is true. He is the life. Eternal life is found in none other than Jesus Christ
John 14:6 NASB
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
Acts 4:12 NASB
“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”
Romans 10:9-10 NASB that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; (10) for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
Do you have the key that will open heaven’s gate? I sure hope so!
Related articles
- How Can I Be Sure I’m Going to Heaven (asyougodiscipleship.wordpress.com)
- Getting a Cup of Joe in Heaven (5gsandacupofjoe.net)
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