Imaginary Impact

When I was young, I was a huge Los Angeles Dodgers fan. I would listen to Vin Scully broadcast the game every night. I had received a small transistor radio for Christmas and would lay awake, well past my bedtime, listening to the game. I would even keep score on the wooden slats of my bunk beds.

Somehow I began to believe that my behavior impacted how well the Dodgers would do in each game. If I behaved well that day, I believed that the Dodgers would win that night. Unfortunately, I also believed that if I had misbehaved, the Dodgers would lose. I don’t think that I had any empirical evidence to prove my theory, but it did help me improve my behavior, at least during baseball season. I don’t think that I am alone in applying this logic.

Don’t we all think that good things will happen for us, if we do good things. We think that if we are kind to others we will receive kindness in return. If we love others, we will be loved. If we are generous, we will reap the benefits. To be honest, sometimes this works, but the results are by no means guaranteed.

Most people believe, in some form or another, that at the end of our life we will be judged on the balance scale of goodness. If we have done enough good to more than compensate for the bad we have done, we will be rewarded with heaven. If we haven’t done enough good, then there will be hell to pay.

Fortunately, God says that it doesn’t work that way. He looks at humankind and doesn’t find one person who is righteous enough to earn salvation and a heavenly reward. He knows that we have all sinned and rejected Him at some point. If we are honest we also know this to be true.

Fortunately, God Himself has made provision for our salvation and for us to receive the heavenly reward. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

No matter how many good things we have done, we cannot earn salvation. But God made provision for our sins in the sacrifice of His own Son on the cross. His grace has done what our own efforts cannot do. So it is left to us to acknowledge our sins and inadequacy and accept the saving work of Jesus Christ.