I don't want to freak you out, but when you were born...you were....naked! Seriously! I know that some of you think that you may have come out in your 'Levi jeans' and 'Hilton Weiner T-Shirt', but if truth be told, you arrived on this planet in little more than your birthday suit and but a bit of hair on your head.
Every living person that has already been born, arrived in exactly the same way. What's even more important is that every person that has lived, leaves in the same way...with nothing. Pray tell, what good is a beautiful, red Ferrari to a dead man, or what about one million dollars? What good will it be to him? No good at all! I guess the verse in the bible that says, "naked I was born and naked I shall leave", makes a whole lot of sense. We all arrive on an equal footing and leave on an equal footing, although, the bible does tell us that there is one thing that you take with you to heaven...
With this in mind, let me tell you a little story...
Once upon a time, there lived a man named Frank. He was born in Jo'burg and had a lovely, thick ‘vaalie’ accent! Now unfortunately, he was walking to work when an 'out of control' pensioner driving an electric chair, mowed him down - forcing him under the wheels of an oncoming car. He was dead and found himself in heaven, standing in front of it’s giant, pearly gates. Having stood there for a moment, he got to grips with the situation and decided that he’d better enter through them, but would you believe it, there was nobody there to open up, in fact, the gates were locked! So, he gave a holler for the 'Gate men' but to his surprise, none other than GOD showed up at the gate!!! He was terrified! He tried to run but his legs weakened to a wobble like jelly babies. He was certain that he was about to die...um…again!? God saw his anxious state and told him not to be afraid; nothing was going to happen to him. God asked Frank if he could help him, with anything.
Frank confidently replied ,” Well ja, maybe you could let me in?”
God answered, ”And, why should I let you in?”
Stumped, Frank decided to plead his case.
Giving it some thought he replied, “Well…I think that you should open up because I'm not sure if you noticed but whilst I was on earth but I was a good man which means that I deserve to enter through Heaven's gates. I looked after my wife, my kids and even the poor, I think I deserve to come in!”
“Carry on", encouraged God.
“Well, I don’t want to boast but I’m a pretty nice guy! Genuine, I even made an effort to recycle my rubbish and play my part in preserving this beautiful planet of Yours! And don’t tell me you didn’t see the time I gave away my brand new, flat screen TV; I had two and I just gave the other away, for free. Of course, there’s also the issue of 'never killing anyone'. I did come close to it a few times but I never actually took a gun to anyones head, IN FACT, while we’re on the subject, I actually saved a man's life! That’s right, now I remember - that’s got to count for something! He was standing on the harbour pier when a guy came up to him, stole his wallet and pushed him over. Seeing what had happened, I dived over the pier after him, clothes and all and pulled him out. The man was eternally grateful and even named his favorite boat after me.”
God responded with a very simple, “You’re a very brave man, I should know, I made you that way.”
With God looking as unimpressed as a man who has accidentally just poured his Cafe Mocha down the front of his white, cotton pants, God was still not budging on the gate's lock, which encouraged Frank to continue.
“Of course, why didn’t I mention it sooner? Church! I went to church, like...every week, two services in fact! I gave money, kissed little, old grannies, washed cups, the whole lot. I am good, am I not?”
God looked him in the eye and said, ”I guess all that stuff you did might seemingly make you a good man, but what did you ever do for me?”
Frank retorted, “Well I just told you about the whole 'church thing', didn't I?"
God replied, “Yes, I heard what you told me but it seems as though you did all those things for yourself, not for me. Try again.”
Frank had no clue what is going on. He felt the panic starting to rise as he scrambled for an answer, “I don’t know what to say other than, I deserve to be in there, beyond these gates! I didn’t smoke, I didn’t get drunk, I gave up parties because I wanted to be a good person, to be a good dad….and well, I 'deserve' to be in there!!!!”
God replied,” I say that only a righteous person deserves to be in here, someone who is beyond 'just' good! Would you say that you’re righteous?”
Frank took a second and slowly suggested, “Sure, I’ve lived a good life.”
God continued, ” Would you say that that when you checked that lady out at the beach whilst holding your wife’s hand, that that was something a righteous man would do?”
“Come on, she didn’t know and besides, it did her no harm?”
“Well what about the time you ratted out your big brother just to be spiteful when you were seven!”
Frank exclaimed, ” When I was seven? Come on, I was a kid, I was 'seven'!”
The Father came close and with an intensity in His voice, questioned, ” What about that secret you’ve kept all to yourself, that you’ve told nobody about not even your wife?”
Frank had no answer, he was dumbfounded.
“You see Frank, it’s easy to be a good person in front of people, but on the inside, you aren’t actually a good person. You don't deserve to come in here, beyond these gates.”
Frank questioned, “Then what was the purpose of living, what did I live for?”
God replied, “I’m not sure, what did you live your life on earth for?"
Frank’s eyes began to fill with tears, he couldn't contemplate what was going on. He’d heard about hell about, about the pain and the suffering. He stood helpless, before the fading hope of heaven.
“So, you’re telling me that I have no option, absolutely no way in and that my best just isn’t good enough? That my life was a waste and now, where I thought I would be commended for the life I lived on earth, in actual fact, I will spend eternity paying for it, that’s not fair, why? You’ve made it impossible to get into heaven!”
.
The Father quietly responded, “There is a Way, but only one Way and that Way is my son, Jesus. Did you think that he was just a religious gimmick? I gave him to you because I made you and I knew that you could never live up to my standards. I knew that you would end up like this. He’s the only Way that any man can get into heaven. If you had just listened and opened your eyes to what the bible was saying. All you had to do was ask Jesus into your life and HE would do the rest, and not only get you into heaven but He would take your hand and personally walk you through the gates. No man is good enough to get in here by themselves. You’re right, it IS impossible to get into heaven, impossible for those who don’t have Jesus to vouch and stand in the gap for them.”
Frank raged through a blur of tears, “But don’t you love me? Isn’t that enough?”
“Of course I love you! I gave up my most precious and prized possession, my Son Jesus for you! For but only a chance to have you! I gave everything I had and you would not take or accept it. Though I gave all - absolutely everything, you gave nothing and did not receive my gift to you.”
“I am sorry.” Frank hung his head in shame.
And with that, God left.
There is only one thing that you can take with you to Heaven that is of any worth, and that one thing is Jesus. All your good ideas and good deeds, all your possessions and achievements will stay on the very planet you left. Salvation - a relationship with Jesus, is the only thing that will help you get to the other side. Don't be caught banging and hollering on the wrong side of a locked gate.
