You Already Have Your Ticket

When Corrie Ten Boom, of The Hiding Place fame, was a little girl in Holland, her first realization of death came after a visit to the home of a neighbor who had died.  It impressed on her that someday she and her family would also die.  Like any little girl, she was frightened by that thought.

Corrie’s dad comforted her with this thought, “Corrie, when you and I go to Amsterdam, when do I give you your ticket?”  She answered, “Why, just before we get on the train.”  “Exactly,” her father answered, “And our wise Father in heaven gives us our ticket before we leave this world so that we know we have safe passage to where he will receive us.”

Fear of death is natural.  God understands.  So he regularly in his word gives us reminders that we have nothing to fear because of his love and the death of Jesus for our sins.  “Since the children have flesh and blood, Jesus too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who has the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”  Hebrews 2:14-15  And just a moment later, we read that Jesus made “atonement for the sins of the people.”  Hebrews 2:17

Adam and Eve were sinners.  Are they in heaven?  YES.  Abraham was a sinner, a liar.  Is he in heaven?  YES.  Rahab was a prostitute.  Is she in heaven?  YES.  David was, well David was a lot of things.  Is he in heaven?  YES.  Peter vowed that he had never known Jesus.  Is he in heaven?  YES.  The sinful woman from the streets who washed Jesus’ feet, is she in     heaven?  YES. The thief on the cross was a, well I guess he was a thief.  But he was a murderer too.  Is he in heaven?  YES.  

GOD WANTS YOU THERE.  HE HAS PROVIDED HIS OWN SON AS A SACRIFICE FOR YOUR SINS SO HE CAN WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS.  Are you a sinner?  YES.  But by the grace of God will you go to heaven?  YES.  

If you haven’t accepted Christ’s sacrifice for your sins, do you need to do that?  YES.  And God will safely bring you home to him forever when you die. 

Don’t worry about your ticket.  He has your name in his book.