Greg Chandler
08/18/14
United Airways had a costly error. Some fortunate customers visiting their website were greeted with airfares from $0 to $15 for tickets normally costing hundreds of dollars. The company acknowledged that this happened due to problems with their technology and agreed to honor the advertised prices.
Has God made a similar offer concerning Heaven? Sometimes church marquees will seek attention with pithy statements such as “Free Trip To Heaven: Details Inside.” Such is quite deceptive. Far from a technology glitch, this “free” trip to Heaven comes at a terrible price. Payment required the Son of God to die by the hands of His own creation. In explaining this, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For while we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly (Romans 5:6). Payment required that Christ come to this earth, live the perfect life, and die as the perfect sacrifice for man’s sins. It required Him to do what man could not do because of sin.
Through His great love, Jesus Christ has prepared the way to Heaven. The Apostle Paul explained this by stating, “By grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). Salvation is a gift given in mercy by the Lord. Sin, with its rebellion against God, made the sinner an enemy to God, yet the blood of Christ brings reconciliation. This free gift is made possible when one acknowledges Christ as His Lord, repents of past sins, and is buried in the waters of baptism for the remission of sins. The terrible price is paid by the Lord in hopes that His wayward creation will choose to return to Him.
Does this then mean that the trip to Heaven is free? Yes, in the sense that Christ paid a debt that man cannot pay and yes, in the sense that Christ’s blood provides atonement for sins upon one’s baptism for the forgiveness of those sins. Man has had a way prepared through the gift of God! God, however has expectations. As Paul explained this to the Romans, he wrote, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship” (Romans 12:1). This free trip to heaven means surrendering one’s life as a sacrifice devoted to the Lord.
Does this presentation of life as a living sacrifice mean that one is “buying” a way to Heaven? Absolutely not! As noted earlier, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was needed because of man’s failure due to sin. His life as a sacrifice illustrates that he has changed from his old ways and is now ready to pursue godliness. Thankfulness for this salvation brings him to seek to imitate the Lord in every walk of life. Everything he does is done to the glory of the Lord since he has given the Lord his life as a sacrifice.
For some, this living sacrifice is considered a cost too high to pay. While there was an initial desire to please the Lord, some choose to return to the sins of the past and live in a way that reflects no appreciation for what the Lord has done. In describing this situation, the writer of Hebrews wrote, “For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt” (Hebrews 6:4-5). The writer certainly does not mean that one cannot repent of sin. However he forcefully states that one who comes to Christ, but then decides that the old life of sin is better, will find no other path to Heaven. This one has forfeited life with Christ in eternity in order to live without Christ on this earth. A sad decision indeed!
What decision will you make concerning this sacrifice for the Lord? The Lord has given His Son for your salvation. Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the way for you to find the way of eternal life. In return, He simply asks that you live completely for Him while on this earth as He remakes you in His image. When your time of departure comes, He will then lead you to an eternal home with Him in Heaven. Flyers with United may have found a good deal in reaching their destinations, but the Lord offers a deal that will take you to a place out of this world!