100 Points

 

I heard a good one this week: A man died and went to heaven.  St. Peter met him at the pearly gates and said, “You must have 100 points in order to get into heaven.”  The man thought a moment and said, “Well, I gave a tithe to the church each week of my life.”  “2 points.” St. Peter said.  The man was taken aback, but went on, “I donated a kidney to a complete stranger.”  St. Peter said, “3 points.”  The man was getting more and more nervous, and said, “I adopted an orphan and gave half of my inheritance to the poor.”  St. Peter said, “4 points.”  The man, in utter hopelessness said, “The way this conversation is going, the only way that I’ll ever get into heaven is by the grace of God!”  “Bingo!” St. Peter said, “100 points!”  Often, we think that we can earn God’s favor.  We do our best to please the dear Lord and work hard to help our fellow man.  But salvation is a gift that can’t be earned.  Paul said in Ephesians 2:8&9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”  Nothing that we do will impress God.  God is only interested in our faith in Him.  He alone can save us, and salvation is a gift, always given, never earned.