A while back I came across a nice little illustration of the grace of God. The writer referred to it as an old familiar illustration, but I had never heard it before, and maybe you haven’t either. (This is an illustration, not a joke… so don’t be waiting for the punch line). Here it is…
The story begins with the death of an old man, one of the most respected old men of the whole community. He was a pillar in the church and loved by everyone. So, as you might well expect, upon his death he went straight to heaven and found himself standing at the pearly gates.
St. Peter met him at the door, and said to him, “It takes one thousand points to get in here, so why don’t you tell me about yourself, and we’ll see what we come up with for you and if we can let you in.”
The old man, pillar of the church, confidently reported, “Well, until I was 21 years old, I never missed Sunday School, except for three times when I was sick in bed. I was an acolyte, active in the youth group, and I often worked around the church, cutting grass or doing other odd jobs.”
“Very good,” said St. Peter, “Congratulations. That gives you ONE point. Tell me more.”
‘One point? Is that all,’ thought the man, but he went on, “I lived to be 82 years old and I attended church regularly throughout my life. I served on the church council several times, sang in the choir, and always gave 10 percent of my income to the Lord’s work.”
“Remarkable,” said St. Peter “You are one of the best we’ve seen here today. For all of that, I give you another point.”
Another point, the man thought. I’ve told him everything, and I’ve got 998 points to go yet. He was starting to get nervous.
“Well,” he said, “During the war, I risked my life to save the life of my comrades, and, I’ve always tried to live a Christian life, and, ah, let’s see, — I did my best on the ten commandments– and I’ll have you know, I did a lot better on the commandments than most of my friends.”
“That’s wonderful,” said St. Peter, “another point for you. That’s three now. Go on.”
By this point, the man was becoming desperate. He was beginning to think he did not have a chance and all was lost. Finally, he blurted out, “Look, I don’t know what else to say. At this rate, the only way I’ll ever get to heaven is by the grace of God.”
“Now you are talking,” said St. Peter, “Did I hear you say you are ready to depend on and trust in the grace of God? Well, that’s worth a thousand points right there. Come on in!”
What St. Peter was saying is that saving faith is the faith that believes what the Bible says– that in Christ all has been done FOR YOU.
*************************************
Ephesians 2:8-9 — For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Hebrews 11:6 — Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Galatians 2:16 — Yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
Romans 11:6 — But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.
Romans 6:23 — For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Acts 16:31 — Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.
*************************************
We cannot come before God unless we are first honest with ourselves about who we are, about the mistakes we make, and about how well or poorly we care for others.
In this spirit, let us offer our prayers to God.
Lord God, we have given more weight to our successes and our happiness than to your will.
We have eaten without a thought for the hungry.
We have spoken without an effort to understand others.
We have kept silence instead of telling the truth.
We have judged others, forgetful that you alone are the Judge.
We have acted rather in accordance with our opinions than according to your commands.
Within your church we have been slow to practice love of our neighbors; nd in the world, we have not been your faithful servants.
Forgive us and help us to live as disciples of Jesus Christ, your Son, our Savior. Amen.
————————-
Lord Jesus Christ, pattern of humility, who emptied yourself of your glory, and took on yourself the form of a servant; root out of us all pride of boasting in our hearts, so that acknowledging that we are guilty sinners, we may willingly suffer contempt for your sake, and only glory in you. Not unto us, O Lord, but to your name be the praise, for your loving mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen.
–Treasury of Devotion
Related Posts
