The Cross Holds The Answer

Did you ever hear something that just couldn’t be unheard or erased from your thought process for the rest of the day…?!  That happened to me the other day and I wanted to share the essence of that story because I think so many miss the really big point made by it.  Given that we are celebrating the most important event on the Christian Calendar, I felt it very important to bring to light.

Here is the essence of the story, which with some slight alterations, has probably played out countless times in many different settings for the past 2000 years.  A little girl is enrolled in a school run by Nuns, remember them…?!  Now I don’t know what this little girl, now a grown woman was doing beyond being a normal little girl, but the Nun in question looked at her, rather sternly I’ll bet, and said “…you’ll never be good enough to get into Heaven.”

However true, what a harsh, potentially life altering thing to say to any child.  Yes, I said “however true” because while the Nun’s delivery was straight out of any child’s nightmares, it was indeed a very accurate statement.  Not just accurate for this poor child who did have a very rough go of things for many years thereafter until she learned the truth; it is accurate for me and you, and for everyone we know or don’t know.  That is to say that with One exception, no one, not one person has ever been “good enough to get into Heaven.”  It just isn’t possible..!

That little snippet of memory in that little girl’s life, or anyone’s life which causes so much anguish and so many poor decisions by so many people, is one that is answered so simply at the foot of the Cross.

That message, which has been so over complicated and corrupted by so many men for so many different reasons over the centuries boils down to this, “…we are never going to be good enough to get into Heaven” of our own accord.  We are sinners and the wages of sin is death.  

There is however good news, very good news indeed.  Simply put, we lost our fellowship way back at the beginning when original sin took place and we lost fellowship with God because of that sin.  Just like any parent, He didn’t stop loving us because we did something wrong, but there were consequences; major consequences in fact.  For millennia after “the fall,” the faithful were required to temporarily atone for their sins via the use of a sacrificial system, but those sacrifices had to be done over and over again.

And that is where Jesus entered the picture and offered Himself as the once and for all permanent sacrifice.  He took every sin ever to be committed and bore the burden and paid the price in full for all who would believe.  He conquered death and is still alive today waiting to welcome everyone who accepts His free gift of Salvation.

And that is why when that Nun said, “…you’ll never be good enough to get into Heaven,” she was right.  All she neglected to do was add that because of the sacrifice of our Lord, you can absolutely get into Heaven by putting your faith in Him.

Such a simple message; too simple for some I suppose, but never the less, there it is.  

So if you’ve ever wondered if you can enter Heaven after you breathe your last, if there is a way, the answer is yes.  It doesn’t matter how bad or unforgivable you may think you are, all you need to do is recognize that He bore your sin and paid the price for that sin on that Cross, and in your own words simply tell Him that you believe, ask Him to forgive you, and invite Him into your life.  He will do the rest.

He is Risen, He is Risen indeed.  Hallelujah.  Happy Easter my friends.