God's love can not be earned. It always does, and always WILL exist!

Sometimes I like talking to the characters in the Bible. To ask them questions. Almost always I get very insightful answers.

Today I was talking to the thief on the right of Jesus on Calvary. I told him how I secretly envied him. That he got away with so much wrongdoing and then got all of his sins forgiven in one shot, at the last minute. I told him how I always felt it was unfair for him to have done so little good in his life and still get into paradise, while I was having to do all of this "good work" to achieve the same end. He did not have to go to church. He did not have to attend any prayer meetings. He did not have to study the Bible or spend time in daily personal prayer or fast or tithe or forgive his enemies. It just didn't seem fair at all I said. I went on for a while, almost sounding like the older brother in the prodigal son story envying his younger brother's conversion and homecoming. He listened patiently, until I had nothing more left to say.

And then he spoke. Jaime, you are foolish to envy me. How so? When I look down at you from heaven, it is I who am filled with envy. That you have a relationship with the Lord. That you can love him and serve him while still on earth. That you can share the good news of the gospel with others. That you can work for his kingdom. I never had the opportunity to do that, because I was lost. I wasted most of my life on worthless things, wrong things that brought me on the verge of physical and spiritual death. If it wasn't for the grace I received at that last moment to acknowledge that I had been wrong about the way I lived and to recognize that the king of the universe was dying next to me so my soul could live for ever, I would have been doomed for eternity.

Now don't get me wrong. I am very happy to be in paradise. Nothing compares to joy of being in heaven. But here in heaven I cannot do what you can do to touch the lives of souls, to bring people to the knowledge of Christ. Don't you see what a gift you have been given to know Christ early in your life? You have an opportunity to do so much good on earth, to be used to bring about his kingdom. You are blessed Jaime. Truly blessed. Don't ever envy me. Enjoy the beautiful relationship you have with the Lord. Grow in his love. Share that love with lost people like me, so they will not end up losing their lives and losing their souls. I am praying for you. Every time you think of me and the Calvary scene, think of how blessed you are for not having had to wait till the hour of your death to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior.

And I need to correct you further. The "good work" you are doing will not earn you a place in heaven. It is Christ's death on the cross that earns you a place in paradise. The work you do for the Lord, you are doing because of the love you have for the Lord. Not to earn your way to heaven. That's what I would have done if I could have survived my crucifixion. Served him all the rest of my life out of pure love for the one that saved me. Happy New Year Jaime.

 

Jaime DeMelo

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