Today I was reminded of an object lesson given to primary school children. Two long strips of masking tape were placed about seven feet apart from one another, and all the children were made to stand on one side of the tape. I was asked by the teacher to help with the lesson. My role was to keep anyone from successfully jumping over the seven foot gap, and to gently pull people close to the edge inside. After the players in the "game" were ready, he addressed the group.
The object of the game was to cross from one side of the tape to the other side without touching the ground in between. If any part of your clothes or body touched the floor in the middle, you were out of the game. He explained that people could use whatever means they wanted to cross, and he offered to lay down so people could walk across his body to reach the other side safely. Right away some of the athletic boys began to back up, preparing to attempt a jump to the other side. Others seemed bored with the whole idea, but others were cautions and inquisitive. How could the expanse be crossed?
Even though our speaker laid down on the ground as a living bridge, very few people crossed successfully because few people were willing to try that route. Half of the people (mostly energetic boys!) tried to jump over and failed, other bored people walked intentionally into the void and were out, and I gently gripped the hands of children who stood by the edge and drew them into the gap, effectively ending the game for them. Everyone who trusted the speaker and submitted to slowly walking over his body made it safely to the other side, and everyone who tried to do it on their own or didn't seem to care failed to cross. Jesus spoke in Matthew 7:13-14, "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. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Jesus is that exclusive, open gate for sinners to access salvation (John 10:7-9).
Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Jesus laid His life down so we might cross from death to life through Him. What was an object lesson to the children about Christ was revealing to me about people. Many people in this life think they are good enough to make it to heaven by their own efforts. Others couldn't be bothered to think about the claims of Christ or eternity, and slip into hell as surely as people who believe they will be saved by their own virtue. But there is a small minority who scramble away from the lure of Satan and this world and submit to faith in Jesus Christ. Only those who confess their sins and repent, trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation, will make it to heaven on account of His sacrifice and righteousness. Salvation and eternal life cannot be earned, but is a gift freely received through repentance and faith in Jesus.
So which of the three groups are you? Do you think your efforts are good enough to gain you access into heaven? Don't be deceived! Unbelief and boredom with the truth of the Bible and the person of Jesus Christ does not free you from guilt or make you righteous before the Judge before whom every man must appear. Hebrews 9:27-28 says, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." No man can leap to the moon through effort, and no amount of good works can free us from the penalty of sin. Even as the human body cannot endure the deadly conditions of space without special equipment, so no sinner can appear in the presence of a holy God without being consumed as tinder by flame. It is only by faith in Christ we can be forgiven and clothed with His righteousness and be acceptable in God's sight.
The object of the game was to cross from one side of the tape to the other side without touching the ground in between. If any part of your clothes or body touched the floor in the middle, you were out of the game. He explained that people could use whatever means they wanted to cross, and he offered to lay down so people could walk across his body to reach the other side safely. Right away some of the athletic boys began to back up, preparing to attempt a jump to the other side. Others seemed bored with the whole idea, but others were cautions and inquisitive. How could the expanse be crossed?
Even though our speaker laid down on the ground as a living bridge, very few people crossed successfully because few people were willing to try that route. Half of the people (mostly energetic boys!) tried to jump over and failed, other bored people walked intentionally into the void and were out, and I gently gripped the hands of children who stood by the edge and drew them into the gap, effectively ending the game for them. Everyone who trusted the speaker and submitted to slowly walking over his body made it safely to the other side, and everyone who tried to do it on their own or didn't seem to care failed to cross. Jesus spoke in Matthew 7:13-14, "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. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Jesus is that exclusive, open gate for sinners to access salvation (John 10:7-9).
Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Jesus laid His life down so we might cross from death to life through Him. What was an object lesson to the children about Christ was revealing to me about people. Many people in this life think they are good enough to make it to heaven by their own efforts. Others couldn't be bothered to think about the claims of Christ or eternity, and slip into hell as surely as people who believe they will be saved by their own virtue. But there is a small minority who scramble away from the lure of Satan and this world and submit to faith in Jesus Christ. Only those who confess their sins and repent, trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation, will make it to heaven on account of His sacrifice and righteousness. Salvation and eternal life cannot be earned, but is a gift freely received through repentance and faith in Jesus.
So which of the three groups are you? Do you think your efforts are good enough to gain you access into heaven? Don't be deceived! Unbelief and boredom with the truth of the Bible and the person of Jesus Christ does not free you from guilt or make you righteous before the Judge before whom every man must appear. Hebrews 9:27-28 says, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, 28 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." No man can leap to the moon through effort, and no amount of good works can free us from the penalty of sin. Even as the human body cannot endure the deadly conditions of space without special equipment, so no sinner can appear in the presence of a holy God without being consumed as tinder by flame. It is only by faith in Christ we can be forgiven and clothed with His righteousness and be acceptable in God's sight.
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