A story that is true - but that is not a true story!

This is a story that I have sometimes used as an illustration of a great truth. As the opening words, alone, make clear, the story is not, in itself, even remotely true! However it is, to me, somewhat amusing - and the truth that it contains is well worth discovering! So, here it is!

A man died, and arrived at the Pearly Gates (I told you that the opening words would show that the story is fictional!). He was met by Peter, who was holding a clip-board. 

"Hello!", he says to the man. "I assume that you are wanting to go through these gates, and enter Heaven."

"That is correct." replies the man. "Is there a problem?"

"No problem!", says Peter. "All that you have to do is get 100 points, and the Gates will open wide for you."

"100 points? No-one ever told me about 100 points! How do I get them?"

"Just tell me why you believe that you should be permitted to enter." responds Peter.

"Oh!", says the man, "that's okay. Now, let's see. Well, I was a very nice person, always helping others. I would have given you my last penny; my last piece of bread; the coat off my back."

"Very good. That gets you 3 points."

"Hmm," says the man. "Well, I was married to the same woman for 52 years; I was faithful to her; I cared for our children; and played with my grandchildren. I worked hard to provide for all of their needs."

"Impressive!" says Peter. "You've just gained another 5 points!"

"Just another 5?!" exclaims the man.

"That's it." replies Peter.

"Okay. I was a church member, and always put something into the offering plate. I attended every Christmas and Easter, and sometimes managed to fit in a few additional visits."

"That's definitely worth another 3 points." says Peter. "Anything else?"

"Well," (the man thinks hard), I was a good employee. I never gave my boss any problems, and worked as hard as I could."

"Well done!" is Peter's response. "That's another point".

"Hang on." says the man. How many points have I got now?"

Peter does some quick addition. "I make that a total of 12 points." he tells the man.

"12 points!" the man exclaims. "At this rate, only the grace of God will get me in."

"100 points!" says Peter. "Welcome."

As I said, this is a totally fictional story - but it does seek to emphasise the Biblical truth that our good works, whatever they may be, will never, ever, gain us entry to heaven. We can never 'make up' for the sinful life that we have lived. Even the best disciple of Jesus is only a sinner - but a sinner, saved by grace. That is why Paul could write to the Ephesian believers: "... by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph 2:8-9).

If you are depending on a 'good' life for salvation, please think again. You have broken every one of the Ten Words (Ten Commandments) - if not literally, then certainly in your heart. Jesus made clear that the thought is as bad as the deed - not in its action, but in its sinfulness. For example: "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire." (Matt 5:21-22). Now, I can say, with absolute honesty, that I have never killed another human being. But does anyone think that I could claim never to have been angry?! Yet Jesus says that, although my anger is not as bad as committing murder - it is every bit as much a sin that comes between me and Father God! I am a sinner - and I must claim the grace of God.

That is why the Lord Jesus went to the cross. He did so, in order to present Himself, the perfect sinless sacrifice that paid the penalty for your sin, and for mine. What He demands is that we offer Him our lives, in total surrender to His will. Paul, again: "I appeal to you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Rom. 12:1-2).

The choice is yours - make it count!

Born - to die!

It is a simple fact of life that, at least until the Rapture (see my book: Link in post on Sept.20th, 2012!), each of us is going to experience physical death.  Indeed, as Benjamin Franklin famously said, ''In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."

When I was designing our 2012 personal Christmas Card, a month or so ago, I was led to put on the front a crib with a faint picture of the crucifixion in the background with, underneath, the text from Matt 1:21 - "... you shall call His Name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."  My thinking was that the Babe in the manger was to become the Christ of the cross - something that is not realised, I suspect, by the average Christmas reveller!

This morning, my personal Bible reading was in Hebrews 2 - a passage that reminds us that Jesus' humanity was necessary in order that He might taste death since God, by definition, cannot die.  Of course, it's a link that is found throughout God's written Word.  The Christ, the Messiah, was born to die, not simply as a natural progression, but as a definite purpose.  This is why, on the cross, He gave that great shout: "Tetelestai!" ("Finished").  This was not the weak whimper of a man who had been defeated, and was acknowledging the bitter end of his life. No!  It was the loud, triumphant, declaration of One Who had completed the task committed to Him by God the Father!  And it was that death that enables those who place their trust in Him, and submit their lives to Him, to experience that great salvation.

Interestingly, it is in Hebrews 2 that we also find a question that no-one, not even the Omniscient God, can answer: "... how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?" (v.3).  But that's a sermon topic - far too much for a blog post!

It was the novelist and dramatist, Dorothy L. Sayers, who wrote the 1940s radio drama "The Man born to be King", in which the characters speak in contemporary colloquial English - which caused much disquiet among those more used to hearing Jesus and His followers speaking in the polished and formal words of the King James (Authorised) Version of the Bible.  The title is not, I would suggest, quite accurate!  He already was, and continues to be, not only King, but King of kings, and Lord of lords. The gift of gold was symbolic of that Kingship, just as the frankincense was symbolic of His eternal Priesthood.  However, the third of the magi's gifts - myrrh - was symbolic of His death.  He was born - to die.  The Man born to be King had to travel to His throne by the way of the cross.

As the latest Christmas season rapidly becomes no more than a faded memory; a depleted bank balance; an attempt to rid ourselves of excess weight; and the taking of unwanted gifts to our local Charity Shop; may we look forward to Easter.  And not just to Good Friday, but also to the glory of Easter Day, and the chorus that wafted from the blades of grass around the tomb, to the very portals of heaven: "Jesus is risen!  The stone is rolled away!  Glory, hallelujah!"

Promises!

Promises! They’re not always easy to keep. I suspect that each of us has been let down by someone who made a promise to us. Perhaps we have even let down others to whom we have made a promise!

The Bible portrays a God Who always keeps His promises. In the Old Testament (the Jewish Scriptures), we read that He promised a man named Abraham that, although old and childless, he would be the father of a great nation. That promise was kept – through Isaac, Jacob, and the twelve tribes of Israel.

A young man named Solomon became king. In a dream, God asked him to name whatever he wanted. He asked for understanding and wisdom to rule Israel well. God was pleased with that response (I wonder how pleased He would be with the answers that you and I might give?!). He gave Solomon wisdom – and promised that He would give the young king all the things that he might have been expected to ask for, as well. And God kept His promise. The queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s wisdom, and wealth, and travelled a long distance to visit him. Her verdict is recorded for us: “... she said to the king, "The report was true which I heard in my own land of your affairs and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it; and, behold, the half was not told me; your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report which I heard.” (I Kings 10:6-7).

By Sunday, millions of people around the world will have celebrated Easter – arguably the most important festival in the Christian calendar. They will have remembered Good Friday (“good” because, according to the Christian Gospel, Jesus of Nazareth, known to His followers as the Christ, was paying the price for all of our breaking of God’s commandments) and Easter Day.

And on that very first Easter Day, some women went to the tomb to complete the task of embalming the body with spices. To their utter astonishment, there was no body to be found! What they did discover was an angelic being who told them: “He is not here; for He has risen, as He said.” (Matt 28:6). “He has risen – as He promised”! Once again, God had kept His promise.

It is my conviction that God still keeps His promises. Many will be aware of that best-known of New Testament verses – John 3:16. But John continues: “Whoever trusts in Him is not condemned; whoever does not trust is condemned already, because they have not trusted in the Name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18). And I believe that God keeps both of those promises!

Easter is not just an excuse for hot-cross-buns, and chocolate eggs. It’s the anniversary of what Christians believe was the greatest victory in all of history – when God, in Jesus, broke the devil’s claim on you and me, enabling us to be at one with Him, and to have His life within us – a heart transplant, with no fear of rejection!

Holy Week Videos

Once again, the helpful folk at Damaris (www.damaris.org) have provided some helpful video material for Holy Week.  There is also a video - The Real Easter? - that will be available all week.  I do recommend that everyone watches both that one, and the daily one that will change each day until Easter Day.

Happy viewing!