As long as men are given to stealing, safes and locks will be needed. The harder they are to unlock, the better. Yet a strange thing happened a short time ago.
A notorious thief was caught with a bunch of keys, fifty-six in number. He was attempting to unlock a door with the express purpose of robbery. How many of the keys he had tried, or how long he had been attempting to unlock the door, we do not know. A watchman, however, caught him at it and handed him over to the police. He was fined for malicious trespass.
However, he might have tried all day and all night, and for the rest of his life to unlock that door. He could never have succeeded in his purpose for the simple reason that it was already unlocked. All he had to do was to turn the handle and walk in.
This reminds us, however, of a mistake made by hundreds of thousands, even millions, of honest people in a matter where a mistake is absolutely fatal, not only for time but for eternity, not only for the body but for the soul. We refer to the matter of the soul's salvation. If men only realized the seriousness of sin and their lost estate before God, how anxious they would be to enter the door of salvation! Indeed' many are thus anxious, but they make the serious mistake of thinking that the door is locked, and that they have to find the key with which it may be unlocked.
Many keep bungling at the door of salvation with the key of good works. They think this will unlock the door, and insure their reaching heaven at last. But good works can never merit heaven. The Bible is plain on that point. We read that salvation is "not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2: 9.
Friend, that door is already unlocked. What unlocked it? The Savior cried, "I am the Door: BY ME if any man enter in, he shall be saved." John 10:99I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9). He did the work of salvation at the cross. He cried, "It is finished." John 19:3030When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. (John 19:30). The work is DONE.
A Christian lady said to an earnest but unconverted religionist, "The difference between your religion and mine consists of TWO letters."
"Whatever do you mean?" he replied.
She answered, "Your religion is a hopeless religion, summed up in one word, DO. My religion is summed up in one triumphant word, DONE. Christ has DONE the work at the cross that has saved my soul."
Some actually are trying to force the door of salvation with the key of money. Was that not what Luther fought against when a representative of the church was telling the people that at the instant their money clinked at the bottom of his capacious alms-box, the soul of their dead relative would be released and ascend to heaven?
There is a fine church, towering as a handsome landmark. It was built by a wealthy retired ship-owner in his old age, and was intended as a peace offering to God. A person passing by when it was first built jerked his head in the direction of the church, saying sarcastically, "A big fire premium!" If the ship-owner thought that by erecting it he would earn salvation, he would find, to his eternal cost, that his act would not save his soul, nor hinder his being cast into the lake of fire.
All keys are useless in opening an unlocked door. The DOOR to life eternal swings wide when approached by simple faith in the Savior. We read that "the GIFT of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23). What can you do with a gift? You cannot buy it, you cannot earn it. All you can do is to ACCEPT it, and give grateful thanks. Why not do so here and now?