Friday, February 3, 2006
I couldn't just sit down and start using your personal computer. Of course, you couldn't just sit down and start using mine either. If you work in an office, changes are they make sure they can have access to the company computer that you use. Your computer, my computer, your company's computer are all protected from any funny business by something called a password. I can't get into my computer without typing in my password. Would you like to know what it is? It's... a secret.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Password for Heaven."
Our word for today from the Word of God is important mostly for one group of people - people who want to go to heaven when they die; which is just about all of us. This statement by the God whose heaven it is reveals the only password that will get you in. And the last thing God wants for it to be is a secret. He really wants you to be there with Him forever, but there's only one way possible.
Acts 4:12 - The disciples have just healed a lame man in the name of Jesus. Then, through them, God says, "Salvation is found in no one else." (When you hear that word salvation, think rescue - like first responders going in to save the lives of people trapped in a collapsed building.) "Salvation is found in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." No one else but Jesus. No other name but Jesus - the only way to be saved, to be rescued.
From what? From the eternal death penalty the Bible says we all have facing us because we've taken the life God gave us and, in essence, made ourselves "God" in our life. My Creator was supposed to run my life and I ran it myself. The Bible says every one of us has done that. And there's no religion that can possibly pay or remove that death penalty, including the Christian religion. What we need to be saved from is hell itself. Without that, any hope you or I have for heaven is false hope.
But why is there "no one else," "No other name," other than Jesus? Why is He God's password to His heaven? In a world that so values tolerance and open-mindedness, isn't it colossal arrogance to say He's the only way to heaven? Well, I didn't say it. The Bible did. Jesus did when He said, "I am the way ... no man comes to the Father except through Me" ( John 14:6). It isn't so much about one religion being right and others wrong. In fact, it's not about religion at all. It's about a spiritual death penalty that can only be paid one way - by someone dying. And that's why Jesus came. In His words, He "came to give His life a ransom for many" ( Mark 10:45). In other words, when Jesus died on the cross, He was dying so you don't have to. And the day He walked out of His grave, He proved He's got the power to turn your death sentence into eternal life.
Only someone with no sin of their own could take your place, and that would have to be the Son of God. No one else could have died for you. No one else even claimed to; which leaves us with the question on which everything rests, "On what are you basing your hope for heaven?" If your password is the good things you've done or your spiritual background or your religion - no chance. Your only hope is pinning all your hopes on Jesus Christ.
Has there ever been a time when you clearly, consciously, personally told Jesus that you were placing all your trust in Him? The day you do is the day you trade forever the hell you deserve for the heaven you could never deserve. And this could be that day. With your forever at stake and with life so unpredictable, waiting another day just doesn't make sense. If you want to reach out and grab Jesus as your personal rescuer from your sin, I want to help you be sure you've really begun your relationship with Him with my booklet Yours For Life. Just let me know you want it.
Your hell cancelled, your heaven guaranteed - today. If you'll enter in through the only name God will accept - His Son, Jesus.