Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved —you and your household. Acts 16:31

It is a very sad fact that many people who regularly go to church believe that their attendance and a life of good works will gain them access to heaven when they die.

Randy Alcorn in his book Heaven tells the story of a professional singer and her husband who had been invited to the wedding reception of a wealthy couple. She had sung at their wedding and afterwards they all went to a prestigious hotel where the reception would be held on the top two floors overlooking the city. As they waited in line to be received waiters were serving canapés and drinks and they were excited to going to such a wonderful event.

When they got to the head of the line the maitre d’ asked their names but they were not in his book. The lady explained that she had sung at the wedding but the maitre d’ said that if their names were not in his book they would not be received at the reception no matter who they were. A waiter showed them out, past tables laden with wonderful food, to the service lift.

On the way home her husband asked her what had gone wrong and she tearfully replied that she had been too busy to reply to the invitation and assumed because she was the singer at the wedding she would have access to the reception.

This is such a powerful illustration of what will happen to many people at the final judgement. They will have assumed that because they did good works they will have access to heaven. They may have been at church every week, sung in the choir, served at the soup kitchen but it will not get them to heaven. We have to accept Jesus’ invitation. It is free but it is a gift that has to be received.

Peter said on the day of Pentecost, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2: 38 People don’t like the mention of sin and repenting taking the line that they are ‘not that bad’ and compared with others they are pretty good but we know ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ Romans 3:23.  We must receive the free gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life with Jesus in heaven.

I feel such an urgency to be a more effective witness to those who have not yet received this wonderful free gift. I want to take them by the shoulders and shake them and tell them they are going to hell which is both true but not very helpful!  The reality is that people’s default destination is hell not heaven, not the other way round. Everyone hopes their default destination is heaven hoping they have done enough good things to get there and that a God of love would not send them to hell. God does not send them to hell – their sin does and yet God has given EVERYONE the get-out- of-hell-free card but we have to accept it. We have to acknowledge our sin and humbly ask for forgiveness which is never denied.

Today let’s pray that God would give us the wisdom, grace and boldness to tell people the good news of Jesus’ wonderful saving work and his free gift of eternal life in heaven with him. I want to plunder hell and see my family and friends with me in heaven – don’t you?