Making The Grade

13“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14c“Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. 15“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16“You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17“Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20“Therefore by their fruits you will know them. 21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22“Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
Matthew 7: 13 - 23 NKJV

A terrible thought hit me last year, one that I was sure was not real but scary nonetheless.  After my mothers death, I began to question my own qualifications for spending my eternity with my heavenly Father.  I mean, I had prayed, done mostly good things and had known Christ Jesus as my Lord and savior formost of my life.  But was this all enough for me to "Punch my ticket" into heaven?  That's our ultimate goal, right, to secure our place in our Lords eternity?  This is what I had been taught all of my life.  However, the words of my savior still haunted me from time to time, "I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!"  For me, to be denied by Jesus was something I didn't want to even think of.  But isn't that just what I had done before accepting Him into my own heart?  Had I not denied Christ Jesus?  If Jesus was anything like the rest of us, He would keep score of those who scourned Him and ultimately shut them out of His Fathers kingdom.  Thankfully, Jesus isn't like that at all.  For aren't we the ones who often put Christ Jesus on that back burner of importance in our lives as we say to ourselves, "I'll get to Jesus later."  For His part, Jesus does not discard us, but waits patiently and lovingly for Gods children to return to Him.  We know that Jesus did not come to this world of ours to condemn the world, but that ALL the world might be saved through Him {John 3: 16-17}.  If there is anyone who is unbelieving or reluctant to invite Christ Jesus into our hearts, it is us.

1“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2“In My Father’s house are many amansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4“And where I go you know, and the way you know.” 5Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. 7“If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” 8Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” 9Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. 11“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
John 14: 1 - 11 NKJV

It is the apostle Thomas who would inquire of Jesus a key question.  For Thomas asked his teacher, "How can we know the way?"  For anyone who has ever wondered or fretted if their own efforts of rightousness were enough to secure a place in Gods kingdom, please read Jesus' response to Thomas carefully.  "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."  There it is, it is not by our own efforts at Being good, doing good works or treating others with goodness that will ultimately secure for us a place with Jesus in heaven, but it is only THROUGH Jesus that we will gain access to our Lords paradise.  There is no test or grade to make, there is only acceptance.  Acceptance that Jesus is indeed our risen savior and that He came not only for the forgiveness of our sins but that we would live our lives AS CHRIST who is in us {Galations 2:20}.  Yes, this takes the pressure off of us that we need to perform and "Be more like Christ" in order to gain access to heaven.  For not only are we already more like Christ Jesus, we ARE Christ Jesus.  If there is one thing we need do is to accept Him who is the way, the truth and the life.  For it is indeed only through Him that we will see our Fathers kingdom.

~Scott~