Make Sure To Double-Punch Your Ticket!

MAKE SURE TO DOUBLE-PUNCH YOUR TICKET!

Someone very dear to me once told me that nobody really knows for sure that they're going to heaven.  Really?  If we don't believe this, then are we unbelievers?  If we are like this, then we should be as the father of the child whom Jesus healed; "And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, 'Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.'" (Mark 9:24)  Likewise, what about people of other religions; though they have good works that they do all their lives, will they earn heaven for their good works, without belief in Christ Jesus, and acceptance of Him as their Savior?  Let's start with the first half, as James did in his epistle. "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works?  Can faith save him?" (James 2:14)

"If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, 'Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled'; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." (James 2:15 - 17)  Unlike the thief on the cross who displayed faith on the cross, but was unable to do a work, save rebuke the other transgressor, we, while free, DO have opportunities to do works!  "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion." (Rom. 9:15)  We can donate clothes to many charity outlets, and things like bedding and toiletries to gospel missions.  We can visit prisons, although that's very difficult nowadays, and we can go to hospitals and make donations there as well.  Baby clothes to a poor family, for example.  My wife and I did many things for a sweet couple out on a limb not too long ago whose baby was in the hospital for a month.  We have many works that we have done, but we don't stop, and we don't list them all for anyone, because, of course, we don't want them to be straw and burned in the bemus (believer's) judgment.  Nevertheless, works is another part of a two-part ticket one need to punch in order to be sure of going to heaven!  If one has faith with no works, their workless faith is a worthless faith!

One might say, "And how do we know what type of works qualify as works worthy of going to heaven?"  Fair question, and Jesus answered that question with some works He qualified as worthy of kingdom entrance; "Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, 'Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Me in: Naked, and ye clothed Me: I was sick, and ye visited Me: I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.'  Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and fed Thee?  Or thirsty, and gave Thee drink?  Saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in?  Or naked, and clothed Thee?  Saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?'  And the King shall answer and say unto them, 'Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.'" (Matt. 25:34 - 40)  Surely Jesus has put here examples for good works that qualify for the half of the ticket we need to get to heaven.  But surely there are also more.  These are works of compassion, and He gave examples here, but let the days be many and in abundance where we may come upon opportunities of all kinds where we can demonstrate compassion to our fellow human beings!  Now I mean not in any way to misconstrue the idea that anyone can be saved by works, but rather, that works are demonstrations of faith and a way of gathering treasures in heaven.  "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." (Eph. 2:8 - 9)

Now many say, "I can't believe our God would send to hell a man or woman of many good works who belongs to another religion, just because his religion didn't have Christ as their Savior"  So what then?  Do they doubt the bible where it is written, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.  He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16 - 18)  Everyone is quickly taught John 3:16, but few are ready to take it to John 3:18 to finish the concept!  Is it any wonder why Jesus so excellently said, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matt. 7:13 - 14)?  As it is so written, so believe.  This is why the gate to heaven is narrow; because the instructions to find it are here, but so few want to follow ALL of them!

"Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?  Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God." (James 2:18 - 23)  So by this point with all I've written, we may draw that faith in Christ Jesus and good works is both parts of the ticket into heaven.  Punch both parts, and you have your ticket!  But don't stop experiencing either part of the ticket, particularly faith, because that would be apostasy, and that's in the bible, too!  "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto Him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." (2 Thess. 2:1 - 4)  So don't lose the faith part of your ticket, as is explained here.  The bible already has told you there will be an apostasy, a falling away from faith in Christ, a turn in rebellion, and we don't want to be one of them!  "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only." (James 2:24)  Here it is plainly; works justify our faith in Christ and the two parts of the ticket are punched hereby!

So what about a pagan, or Gentile, unbeliever, who changes their mind?  What if a prostitute finds faith in Jesus the Son of God and does works worthy of salvation?  It's been done before, and by a harlot, no less!  "Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." (James 2:25 - 26)

If we find a fellow Christian who has not yet realized this biblical precept, let us explain it to them while the opportunity exists, and for the seeker, who has not committed to Christ, let us explain this, that they might accept Christ's invitation to His light yoke and gain their opportunity for salvation in Him!