The Answer???

"I've lived a good life"

That's the answer I tend to get. That's the sort of stuff we hear as Gideons when we're out and about. Even if you don't love Jesus, I want you to be able to answer correctly if you ever happen upon some person on the street who is trying to tell you about Him. I mean, if you don't give a decent response, they are going to think that you are going to hell, and then they'll try to show you how wrong you are. You don't want that now do you?

I can't give you the exact phrase, but it might sound something like this,

"I'm trusting that the blood of Jesus has paid my sin debt."

I'm not saying that it is the exact answer, but is should be close enough. Just so you know, the Gideon display at the IPM isn't the ultimate test. Eventually, every one of us will give an account of our lives to God. I don't claim to know exactly how the judgment will unfold, but if you are given a chance to speak and are asked to make a defense for yourself,

DO NOT TELL HIM THAT YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON!!!!!

Ask for mercy, fall on your face, ask for an Advocate to be provided by the court. Ask for a bathroom break, but do not start listing off your good atributes or accomplishments.

Nothing that we have done and nothing that we have abstained from can impress the One who sits on the throne. If you want to experiment with this truth, try impressing someone who is smarter than you. Tell them how smart you think you are. Or try impressing someone who is more virtuous than you are. Tell them of your great moral accomplishments. Let me know how it turns out. If it doesn't work with mere humans, how much less an all perfect, holy almighty God?

Why should you get in? It has to have something to do with Jesus. Your answer can refer to His blood covering our sins. We can speak on His finished work on the cross. Our defense can be as simple as having an authentic faith in Jesus Himself.

This week at men's group, Arthur Cairncross put it this way, "Nothing in my hands I bring, only to the cross of Christ I cling."

Many of you really are much better people than I am. That's wonderful. It just doesn't cut it.