Ron Hutchcraft Ministries - Stopped at the Gate

Wow, talk about so near and yet so far. Poor Desmond Bishop. He missed what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - to go to the White House and meet the President of the United States!

Desmond's a linebacker for the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers. And last week, his team met the President. Meanwhile, Desmond took a nap on the team bus. Why? All because he inadvertently left his ID on the plane. And the Secret Service wasn't about to make any exceptions on letting someone close to the President. No ID - no White House, no President.

It could be worse. I can't think of anything more tragic than getting to the gates of heaven, expecting to get in with others who are going - and being turned away. That's not an imaginary scenario.

Jesus said, "Many will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' But he will answer, 'I don't know you.' Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you and you taught in our streets.' But he will reply, 'I don't know you. Depart from me'" (Luke 13:24-27 ).

That's disturbing. The folks who are shut out of heaven are apparently church folks, people who've been around Jesus, who know a lot about Jesus. They have Christianity. But they don't have Christ.

Jesus made it really clear when He said, "I am the way...no man comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6 ). The way. Because you can't get into heaven with your sin, and our sin can only be forgiven by the One who paid the sin-penalty we deserve. "He carried our sins in His body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24 ). No religion, no spirituality can die for your sins. Only God's sinless Son could do that. So He's the only "ID" that will get us into God's heaven.

A while back, I was speaking at a large youth event in Canada where the music was provided by one of North America's most popular Christian bands. I had a small group of young people who really wanted to meet them (meet a speaker - no big deal; meet the band - freak out!). They kept getting stopped by security. Until I showed up. I pointed to the first one - and eventually each of them - and said the magic words that got them in. "He's with me."

That's the only way you or I are going to get into heaven. It takes Jesus saying, "He's with Me. She's with Me." And "the Lord knows those who are His" (2 Timothy 2:19 ) - those who have pinned all their hopes on Him and put their life in His hands.

Without that, there's no getting in.