Confident?

You can find just about anything on the internet these days. To this point, I Googled "building a hang glider," just to see if I could find basic instructions on how to build my own apparatus for soaring high in the air. Sure enough, I found enough information that I feel quite confident that in the little corner workshop of my garage I can build a hang glider, suitable for flight. Only problem is, I’m not too crazy about being up high, so I’m looking for a test pilot that would be willing to try out my new hang glider. My house is pretty tall, and has the proper pitch facing the west, from where the prevailing Kansas winds usually come, so take off from my roof should be, well, a breeze! Like I said, I’m quite confident that with the information I’ve found on the ‘net and some basic flying instructions, one of you will be soaring off the top of my house in no time. All I need is a volunteer...anyone?

Now, if anyone of you are considering my offer, please drop me a line so I can immediately contact your closest relative. Obviously they need to take you somewhere for some serious evaluation!

I John 5:12 makes a statement in which we should have the utmost confidence. It says:
"Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life."

There is no wiggle room here. Christians are often called out for being intolerant, having the audacity to believe that we have the only avenue to God, to heaven. It’s as if Jesus said something like "No one comes to the Father except through me." Oh wait, He did (John 14:6). We can have the greatest confidence in these words of Truth.

One of the greatest myths Satan has spun is the concept that Hell is only for the most despicable of people. Whenever a Timothy McVeigh or Sadam Hussein dies, the world instantly feels something like "well, now they’re getting their just due." With anybody else, "they’re in a better place." The problem with that way of thinking is it leaves Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross out of the equation. Satan has a majority of the world thinking in terms of "earning" salvation. Even Christians can fall for this notion. I was teaching a Bible study once and discussing Mother Teresa. I asked the group of believers how many of them thought Mother Teresa was in heaven today, and they instantly raised their hands in unison. Then I asked, "Why is she in heaven?" Immediately I started hearing about the wonderful works she had performed while living on this earth, and how compassionate and loving a person she was...all true attributes to her character, but none of which got Mother Teresa one inch closer to heaven. No, Mother Teresa is in heaven today only because of her acceptance of Jesus as Lord of her life, her Savior. Romans 10:13 tells us plainly, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved," another concrete statement we can put our full confidence in.

How about you today? Have you taken that step, the only step that will gain you access to the Father, accepting Christ as your Lord and Savior? Don’t fall for the notion that somehow you’re living a pretty good life, so you’re probably going to be okay in the end. That’s like meeting me on the roof with my homemade hang glider...it just won’t fly.