It's NOT about WORKS!!!

UNC Campus

Tarheels NC

I met Excel at UNC, a guy with a large psychedelic elephant on his shirt. I try not to judge people before talking but I assumed he was a Hindu or a New Age follower. I was wrong. He was a Christian but something seemed off about him. There was no joy of the Lord in him, from my observation. I asked him, “Do you believe there is a heaven? Will you get to go there?” Excel responded,” Well, yeah, there a heaven. I hope I get to go but I’m not sure. I try to do my bes...t but you never know.” So I asked, “So you get to heaven by works?” He agreed. I thought, “This guy doesn’t understand the power of what Jesus did for him. It’s not about works. It’s about Jesus.” I replied,” Well, let’s think about this here. What is God’s character? Is he all good, or is there some evil in Him?” Excel adamantly said, “Yeah… God is good, perfect, in him is only love.” “Okay.” I said, “So if God is only good and loving, how could he be loving if he expects us to meet him by our works. He is completely holy and our works will never meet his holiness.” I could see the gears rolling in his head. I went on to talk about how in the Old Testament, sin was atoned for by sacrifice. The Israelites works were not what atoned for their sins but their sacrifices. Jesus, being fully God and fully man, became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Our works do not get us into heaven, accepting Jesus does. Excel looked at me with amazement. I knew Excel was having deep revelation. Excel had become a Christian years before but had accepted the lie that works are what ultimately get you into heaven. He was so held down by Satan’s lie that he was missing out on the joy of his salvation. In an instant, it seemed that his uncertainty vanished as he realized the amazing power of Jesus’s atonement: his death and resurrection. He was free. He asked, “Can you pray for inner peace?” I prayed for Excel to be filled with God’s peace through the revelation of Jesus’s sacrifice. As I departed from Excel that day, I was so thankful to see a new peace about him.