Gift or Gamble?

Which is better? A present or a lottery ticket? A gift or a gamble?

When it comes to religion, most people seem to prefer a gamble instead of a gift.

“Now hold on just a minute—why gamble your soul for eternity?” Good question.

But millions of people do it every day. Why? Because their religion teaches them to gamble.

Many religions emphasize salvation by works. In other words, when you die, your good works are weighed against your bad. And if more than 51% are good, you get to go to heaven.

But how do you know if you have enough good works? What if you die before that point?

Most people want assurance about eternity, but a false religion gives none. It’s a gamble.

One religion promotes a martyr’s death as the path to paradise. Another religion offers an endless cycle of rebirths. The hope is of one day being able to escape the cycle. Good luck.

False religions offer no forgiveness, only fate and fear of an unknown eternity.

Some religions teach that all paths lead to the same God and the same truth. But that can’t be true when you compare faiths and discover opposite beliefs.

If you’re born into one of these traditions, there is pressure to keep the family faith. To remain true to your religion. So you must decide if you will pursue tradition or truth.

In his book “Jesus Among Other Gods,” Ravi Zacharias compares the claims of Christ with the founders of other major religions. (It is a book well worth your time.)

The book observes that only Jesus claimed to be from Heaven. To be the Son of God. Buddha did not claim that. Neither did Krishna or Mohammed.

Instead of pointing to a “path” of rules to follow, Jesus claimed to be the path. He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Zacharias writes, “The message of Christ was not the introduction of a religion, but an introduction to truth about reality as God alone knows it.”

What God wants is a personal relationship with us through Christ, not just rule-keepers.

Some religions teach you must pay for your sins. But the Bible says that, because Jesus was sinless, God accepted his death on the cross to pay for all our sin. What amazing grace!

Jesus paid the price to reconcile man to God and change the human heart by the power of God. He did not come to offer us a new religion. He offers a relationship with a personal God.

The Bible reveals the truth about good works. It says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Did you catch that? Salvation is a free gift through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not by works.

During this week before Easter, consider this: Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection are not just a myth; they are real facts of history. The evidence is there for all who will seek it. And if you will seek the truth about Christ, it will change your life forever.

It did mine. The day I put my faith in Christ is the day I found true peace and joy. I found forgiveness in Jesus. And that’s why one purpose of my life is to point people to the Savior.

The good news about faith in Jesus Christ is for people of all nations. It is for everyone who is tired of gambling on religious traditions. It is for people who want truth.

Only faith in Christ is a sure thing. For everyone. Because it’s a gift and not a gamble.

What will you trust for your eternity—God’s gift or man’s religion?

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Secret Life

Can you keep a secret? Chances are you already do--more than you care to admit!

“Now hold it right there for just a minute! How do you know whether or not I keep secrets?”

That’s a fair question. Let me answer with the words of Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez: “All human beings have three lives: public, private and secret.”

In public we cultivate the image of self we want others to believe is true. Generous. Kind. Talented. Family man. Successful woman. Whatever we think will make others like us.

In private we “let our hair down.” We become the person with whom we are comfortable. Only our family or closest friends see this person. Some parts of this self make us ashamed. So we guard it closely, afraid others will not like us if they know the truth.

Then there’s our secret life. The self we become when we think no one knows. The self of our daydreams and fantasies.

James Thurber famously portrayed this unseen side of our lives in his classic book, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.”

Mitty was a meek, mild-mannered man dominated by others. But in his daydreams he was a fierce, courageous hero’s hero--the man he so desperately wanted to be.

What we are in the secret playground of our minds is the self we want to be. And while we may keep our secrets safe from others, we cannot keep them from God.

The Bible reveals that one day “God will judge men’s secrets.” It adds, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Accountability is a troubling thought to modern minds. We fancy ourselves free to do what we please without unpleasant consequences.

But the beauty of the Bible is that it presents us with unvarnished truth.

God says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

Such truth pains our conscience. Why? Because we know God is ultimately right.

What makes the Bible unique is its uncanny ability to reveal who we really are. Its truth “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Once we admit our shortcomings and humbly approach God in prayer, we find that “we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

God is not the angry scorekeeper some imagine. Instead of sternly looking for people to punish, God offers forgiveness and a fresh start to everyone through faith in Jesus Christ.

The best part is God welcomes all that seek him. You don’t have to come from a certain nationality or a particular religion. Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

Speaking of himself, Jesus added, “Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him, shall have eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day.”

It is no secret what God can do in a person’s life through Christ. So bring your secrets to God. He will love you, forgive you and transform you into the person you always wanted to be.

Then you can be the same person all the time. No more secrets. As God’s child, you have nothing to prove and nothing to lose because you’re loved and accepted for who you really are.

Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!