18 Inches From Heaven
I’m reading a book about John Wesley’s life and the forming of the United Methodist Church. I’ve heard the name and sung his songs all my life so I wanted to read more about him. The most amazing thing I’ve learned is that John Wesley wasn’t a Christian when he came to the Gravesend colony in Georgia in 1735 to be a missionary. By his own account, he had a head knowledge and the rules of the Anglican Church but not a true conversion which is found only in Christ. On the voyage to America from England, his ship was caught in a great storm. With him on the ship was a group of Moravians (a German Protestant denomination) who did not seem to be afraid if the ship sunk because of the storm. When John Wesley asked why they weren’t afraid, the leader of the group told him that their entire group knew Christ as Savior and heaven awaited them when death does take them. The Moravians believed that faith in Christ alone is the way for salvation. This was too simple for John Wesley. In fact most of England thought this was too simple so the Moravians were on their way from Germany to the new world (America) to preach Christ. Through his friendship with this group’s Bishop (David Nitschman), John Wesley became to true Christian several years later. John Wesley took this new found message of salvation back to England and changed England and the world.
This part of John Wesley’s life reminds me of a phrase I heard my childhood pastor use many times; “Some people will miss heaven by 18 inches.” The meaning to this phrase means that people have a head knowledge of Christ and what He did on the cross, but never have received Him into their hearts and lives.
Test yourselves to see what you have. Do you only have a head knowledge or do you have Christ in your heart? Christ is the only way to heaven and He only is the way into heaven. John 14: 6 says, “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” You can’t work your way to heaven, it’s because of what Christ did for us on the cross that we have access to the Father and salvation. Ephesians 2:8 - 10 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
Do you have true peace or just religion? Religion is spelled “DO.” Religion is based on what you think you most “DO” to enter heaven. True peace in Christ is spelled “DONE.” Our salvation is based on what Christ has “DONE” on the cross. Our hope is based on nothing less than Jesus blood and His righteousness. How far are you from entering the peace of heaven? Are you only 18 inches away? Stop putting your hope for eternal salvation on anything but Christ. If you say I have Jesus Christ and fill in the blink, you don’t have true salvation. True salvation is Christ alone. Examine yourself to see where you are on this matter.
This part of John Wesley’s life reminds me of a phrase I heard my childhood pastor use many times; “Some people will miss heaven by 18 inches.” The meaning to this phrase means that people have a head knowledge of Christ and what He did on the cross, but never have received Him into their hearts and lives.
Test yourselves to see what you have. Do you only have a head knowledge or do you have Christ in your heart? Christ is the only way to heaven and He only is the way into heaven. John 14: 6 says, “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” You can’t work your way to heaven, it’s because of what Christ did for us on the cross that we have access to the Father and salvation. Ephesians 2:8 - 10 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
Do you have true peace or just religion? Religion is spelled “DO.” Religion is based on what you think you most “DO” to enter heaven. True peace in Christ is spelled “DONE.” Our salvation is based on what Christ has “DONE” on the cross. Our hope is based on nothing less than Jesus blood and His righteousness. How far are you from entering the peace of heaven? Are you only 18 inches away? Stop putting your hope for eternal salvation on anything but Christ. If you say I have Jesus Christ and fill in the blink, you don’t have true salvation. True salvation is Christ alone. Examine yourself to see where you are on this matter.
No comments:
Post a Comment