It can happen to the very best of people. It happened to Nicodemus. People are naturally prone to trust in themselves for entrance into heaven, i.e., they falsely trust in themselves, deeds, or religion; oddly this generally leads to spiritual pride. Nicodemus was the very personification of Bible knowledge, deeds, ceremonies, and religion, yet this teacher of Israel had somehow removed “faith” as the necessary and essential ingredient for salvation.
In His dialogue with Nicodemus, Jesus made it crystal clear that one of Israel’s finest teachers needed to be born again (John 3:3, 5, 7, 16-18). In this particular discourse, Jesus had made a passing reference to how snake-bitten Hebrews during the Exodus avoided becoming a statistic by simply looking at a bronze serpent held up on a pole (Numbers 21:7-9). That was it; if you’ve been bitten, simply look up and live. It was accessible and free. Jesus used this event to emphasize and illustrate that salvation requires those bitten by the sin virus (all of us – Romans 3:10, 23, 6:23) to simply look up to Him for forgiveness and salvation and experience everlasting life-and to do so promptly.
In 1859, the famous tight rope walker Charles Blondin walked across Niagara Falls on a 1/4-mile tight rope 160ft above Niagara Falls. To everyone’s amazement, not only did he make it across, but he returned from the Canadian side pushing a wheelbarrow—and he asked the American audience, “Do you believe I can carry a person across in this wheelbarrow?” “Of course,” the crowd shouted that yes, they believed! It was then that Blondin posed the question: “Who will get in the wheelbarrow?” The crowd went silent and there were no volunteers. But then an elderly woman made her way through the crowd. She got in, and he pushed her across. It turns out that it was his mother.
Faith is being willing to get into the wheelbarrow. Are you ready to get in?
It’s no problem for Jesus to carry you across the dimensions into heaven. He alone has the credentials to do so.
If you’ve never gotten around to this, don’t delay. Pray something like the following: “Dear Jesus, I know you know that I’ve sinned and done wrong. I believe that you are the Son of God, and I ask you to please forgive me of all my sins, save my soul, and take me to heaven when I die. I place my trust in you for my salvation. Fill me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
Learn more about Jesus and the Good News of salvation through Him.
