I learned a new word today, cielo. It's Spanish for heaven. It's also the name of a remarkable song by Phil Wickham. Listen to it real fast before going on.
I picked up the guitar and started playing it immediately. I know my fellow musicians can attest to the how much more powerful worship can be when you get to play the music. As the chords frets were pressed by my fingers, the words became engraved upon my soul.
I can't sing loud enough. I can't bow low enough. I can't. Ultimately it doesn't matter. God grants us entrance into Heaven because of his majestic grace. We're thankful for that. But to what extent? None of us can give God anything close to what he deserves. He is holy, set apart from everything he has created. And that should awe us.
Other beliefs have there own versions of God. Mormons believe Christ was a created being, Muslims that he wasn't killed on the cross, Jews say he wasn't the promised Messiah. Without a right few of Jesus Christ none of this makes sense. Without Jesus' bloody brutal sacrificial death on the cross, ultimately what makes the One True God much better than the others?
Please here me out, I know that sounds blasphemous. I don't intend to be. My point is that if God doesn't send his son to wash us in his blood, then we're hopeless. Hell as the eternal destination for all of us. But Our God, Jesus Christ is different. Many think that the heavenly scales operate in a sort of "Santa Clause" fashion. If the good outweighs the bad then we're free to go. But I ask this: how can a righteous God allow a sinner to be with him? He can't and he won't. To every other major religion in the world, the purpose of life is to live for God by honoring a serving him - to be good enough. But if God is just, which he is, original sin condemns us all at our birth.
And this is the truth. Not every path leads to Heaven. Jesus says the narrow path is the only way, and few will find it. Do you get it yet? We're too worthless to stumble upon that narrow path through our own doing. The difference between the Truth and the lies of the world is that to be with God in Heaven you have to only accept the fact that we are all sinners in need of his grace. It's no longer about being good enough. God loves us in spite of our sin. We can't comprehend how truly miraculous this grace is.
We should be in awe. We're being given eternal life after living a life worthy of eternal damnation. I can't bow low enough. I can't sing loud enough. I can't reach high enough. Heaven is beyond my grasp. But Christ's outstretched arms are enough for all who come to him and ask for that salvation.
If you say you're a Christian then quit trying to earn it. You're spitting in Christ's face as he is pinned on the cross. He doesn't want you to earn it. He wants you to humbly come and accept what he has done for you. It's not about being good enough, in fact our offerings are compared to dirty rags. Heaven is open in front of us. Christ is bridging the gap between us and the Father. Accept that you're not able to jump the gap alone. Be in awe of that grace.
you're fellow undeserving sinner,
-matt
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