“You say you are? Fine! Perhaps we can travel together. What route are you taking?” “Well, what do you mean?” “I mean, how do you expect to get to heaven?” “Why, by living right.” “Do I take it then that you are living right?” “Well, yes, I try to.” “And do you succeed?” “Reasonably well, I think.” “Not perfect, are you?” “No, no one is.” “But you do make an honest effort to live right?” “Yes, I do.” “And you believe that when you die God will take into account your commendable efforts and welcome you into heaven?” “Yes, I’m hoping He will.” “Let me see, I suppose we might call that the Character route, would you say?” “Yes, I think that would be correct.” “Well, friend, I’m sorry, but we cannot travel together, for we are not taking the same route.” “Oh? What route are you taking?” “The Grace route.” “The Grace route? Never heard of it. What do you mean?” “I’ll be glad to tell you. Incidentally, you may be interested to know that I started out on your route, but gave it up.” “You did? Why?” “Simply because I found it was the wrong way. There were directive signs here and there, such as ‘Be Good,’ ‘Do the Best You Can,’ ‘Live Right,’ ‘Play the Game Fair,’ Treat Everybody Right,’ ‘Live for Others,’ and Be Sincere.’” “Yes, I see those signs, and I try to follow them.” “So did I until my attention was called to some other signs that seemed so different. These were warnings and directives placed there by God Himself. The first one I saw read, ‘There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is the way of death’ (Proverbs 14:12).” “I have never seen that.” “Nor had I. But immediately it made me suspicious of the way I was taking. Then soon I came upon three signs in quick succession. They read, ‘There is none righteous, no not one’ (Romans 3:10); ‘All have sinned and come short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:22); and ‘The wages of sin is death’ (Romans 6:23). This hurt my ego, of course, for it was God’s true estimate of my self-achieved goodness. It was alarming, too, for I was convinced now that I was on the way that leads to death; I would be shut out from God.” “Was it that serious? Weren’t you unduly alarmed?” “It was indeed serious, and my concern deepened still further when I came upon this pointed word, ‘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’ (Ephesians 2:8,9). I had sense enough to know that my thinking was in direct opposition to the truth of God. I was trying to go to heaven by my works; God said it was not by works, but by grace. I was dead wrong.” “But if it is not by works, I don’t see.....” “Neither did I until He gave me another directive which read, ‘Him Who knew no sin (Jesus Christ) He made to be sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in Him’ (2 Corinthians 5:21). This meant to me that Jesus Christ, the sinless One, bore the penalty of my sin (all of it) on the cross, so that I could be forgiven and looked upon by God as righteous; that God would accept me as His child, not because of what I was, or could do, but because of what Christ was and had done for me in His death and resurrection.” “Certainly I believe all of that, but I don’t see how it makes the situation any different.” “I felt much the same way until I fixed my eyes upon still another of God’s signs where I read, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved’ (Acts 16;31). Upon seeing that I said, ‘Yes, Lord, I do believe, not merely the fact of Your death and resurrection, but the reason for it, and the meaning of it. You died there in my place, and I trust You here and now as my Savior. I believe too that I am saved, for this is Your promise, THOU SHALT BE SAVED.’ God had put me on the Grace route. I wish that you too would heed the signs and head for heaven.” “Well, what you have said is interesting, and I’ll give it some thought.” “Friend, you had better think fast, for God says, ‘Now is the day of salvation’ (2Corinthians 6:2), and ‘Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth’ (Proverbs 27:1). By all means, do not ignore that first warning sign, ‘There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof is the way of death.’ The Character route may seem right, but it is the devil’s route to eternal death. The Grace route is God’s route to eternal life and heaven.” Thank you again for reading these gospel tracts. If we can help you in your search and understanding of God's gift of Eternal Life, we would be glad to talk to you. Email us or write to us. Email is: harvey@bar-non.net and mail address is Harvey Seidel, PO Box 70, Thermopolis, WY 82443 or you may call us at (307) 864 2020. May the Lord give you his PEACE. Remember, God will Bar None that come to HIM through the Lord Jesus Christ