Standing in Line...
Three men were standing in line at the Gates of Eternity. As they approached the gate, the gatekeeper asked each one of them, "Why should I let you in?"
The first man replied, "Well, I think I've been a good person. I've never killed anybody or anything like that. I never stole anything... well, nothing important anyway. And one time I helped this guy that his car broke down... and I didn't ask him to pay me."
"Okay," said the gatekeeper. "That's good enough. You can go in."
As the first man stepped through the gate, the gatekeeper posed the same question to the second man: "Why should I let you in?"
"Well," said the second man, "I've gone to church my whole life... every Sunday, except when I was sick. I even taught Sunday School for a few years. I joined the local Lodge and you know we're always helping other people. I helped a lot with the church youth group and I think I've lived a pretty good life overall."
"Good enough," said the gatekeeper. "Go on in."
As he stepped through the gate, the third man approached the gate with his head lowered. "And why should I let you in?" the gatekeeper asked.
"Well," the third man said timidly, "I'm really ashamed to tell you about myself. You see, I know I've lived a really rotten life. I was a drunk for most of my life, I never really amounted to much. I was a horrible husband to my wife and a terrible father to my children." Then the man lifted his head and looked the gatekeeper in the eyes. "But then I met Jesus Christ and asked Him to forgive me of my sins. I know I don't deserve His forgiveness, but I know that He died for me. I wanted to live whatever time I had left for Him."
"Oh," said the gatekeeper, startled. "Wait a minute. You're in the wrong line. You want the line for Heaven. This is the line for Hell."
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one... For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus... But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.... For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
- Romans 3:10, 23-24; 5:8-9; 6:23
