One of the greatest joys of life is watching your kids verbally process the gospel. I mean its enough to make you really want to understand it yourself. The other morning, while reading HEAVEN FOR KIDS, by Randy Alcorn, with my 3 oldest daughters, Lauren, the oldest, blurts out with no solicitation, "I don't know if I'm going to heaven."
Chris: Oh really? Why is that?
Lauren: I do a lot of bad things.
C: Is doing only good things the way to get to heaven?
L: Yes.
C: Does anyone only do good things?
L: No
C: So, how does anyone get to heaven?
L: (silence)
C: Lauren, no one gets to heaven because of doing good and no one misses heaven for doing bad. Only Jesus takes away our sin and that's the only way to heaven.
The conversation then dwindled into questions about pets and dolls in heaven...
So what does this have to do with Fallwell. I remember my first thought when I heard of his death. "Well he's one person who we know is with Jesus" (I know, I am really getting in trouble with this one, but please suspend your disbelief and look for the analogy at the end) And then I thought, "Why am I so sure about him and not some others" What came crashing upon me is the reality that the ONLY thing that makes someone righteous is the cross of Jesus, applied to our souls by the Holy Spirit according to the gracious initiative and prerogative of God the Father. So no matter if its Lauren who needs Jesus because she speaks harshly to her sisters or wether its Fallwell who needs Jesus everyday becuase none of his great deeds could commend him to God, we all need Jesus. Period.
Chris: Oh really? Why is that?
Lauren: I do a lot of bad things.
C: Is doing only good things the way to get to heaven?
L: Yes.
C: Does anyone only do good things?
L: No
C: So, how does anyone get to heaven?
L: (silence)
C: Lauren, no one gets to heaven because of doing good and no one misses heaven for doing bad. Only Jesus takes away our sin and that's the only way to heaven.
The conversation then dwindled into questions about pets and dolls in heaven...
So what does this have to do with Fallwell. I remember my first thought when I heard of his death. "Well he's one person who we know is with Jesus" (I know, I am really getting in trouble with this one, but please suspend your disbelief and look for the analogy at the end) And then I thought, "Why am I so sure about him and not some others" What came crashing upon me is the reality that the ONLY thing that makes someone righteous is the cross of Jesus, applied to our souls by the Holy Spirit according to the gracious initiative and prerogative of God the Father. So no matter if its Lauren who needs Jesus because she speaks harshly to her sisters or wether its Fallwell who needs Jesus everyday becuase none of his great deeds could commend him to God, we all need Jesus. Period.
