To Be Least
"For he who is least among you all--he is the greatest." (Luke 9:48)Friday, June 04, 2004
Be Good to get to Heaven?
Once, when I went over to our local school's playground, I encountered two young girls. They seemed to be around seven years old and came up to me with this
abrupt comment, "My favorite place to be is heaven."
I found this strange behavior by seven year olds, but I also saw this as an
opportunity to tell them about the Truth. Provided they did not know the Truth of course. So I followed their comment on favorite locations by asking them, "How do you get to heaven?"
Without the slightest hesitation, one of the young girls replied, "By being good." Like many others on this planet, this young girl had made a common mistake. I decided to tell her how one really gets in to heaven.
I explained to her how we all have done "bad things" in our life and because we did these "bad things" we deserve death in the hell (a place that feels a billion times worse then fire on your skin). Then I proceeded to tell her about Jesus, who is God. How he came to this earth and died so that we can go to heaven. We must accept Jesus as our Savior and that he is God. When I finished my simple sermon, they decided to change the subject to something of less importance. At this, I decided my part was done and I told them I had to go.
This little girl held the same belief that most of the world holds. That in order to get to heaven you just have to be good and do a lot of good deeds.
This is obviously not biblical. Would we need a savior if we could get to heaven by being good boys and girls? We would not need a savior, but we do not get to heaven by being "good." We all are sinners, and because of our sin we deserve death. Therefore we do need Jesus. He is our Savior and God.
abrupt comment, "My favorite place to be is heaven."
I found this strange behavior by seven year olds, but I also saw this as an
opportunity to tell them about the Truth. Provided they did not know the Truth of course. So I followed their comment on favorite locations by asking them, "How do you get to heaven?"
Without the slightest hesitation, one of the young girls replied, "By being good." Like many others on this planet, this young girl had made a common mistake. I decided to tell her how one really gets in to heaven.
I explained to her how we all have done "bad things" in our life and because we did these "bad things" we deserve death in the hell (a place that feels a billion times worse then fire on your skin). Then I proceeded to tell her about Jesus, who is God. How he came to this earth and died so that we can go to heaven. We must accept Jesus as our Savior and that he is God. When I finished my simple sermon, they decided to change the subject to something of less importance. At this, I decided my part was done and I told them I had to go.
This little girl held the same belief that most of the world holds. That in order to get to heaven you just have to be good and do a lot of good deeds.
This is obviously not biblical. Would we need a savior if we could get to heaven by being good boys and girls? We would not need a savior, but we do not get to heaven by being "good." We all are sinners, and because of our sin we deserve death. Therefore we do need Jesus. He is our Savior and God.
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
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