When my brothers and sisters in Christ start talking about their salvation or their place in glory I love their faith but I also worry because it is not as simple as they may think.

            I was on my way to the grocery store this morning and passed a sign that read.  Life has many choices.  Eternity has two.  Which will you chose?

            I know what these people are trying to say and I chose to spend eternity with my Lord but there is a real problem when we start thinking like this.  Yes, we should want to be closer to God but one of the things I find troublesome about the way we look at our salvation is it becomes all about me.

            Let us pursue that.  I should give to the poor as much as I can.  I should return good for evil just as Jesus taught.  I should teach the gospel.  More importantly I should live it as a witness of my faith in my Heavenly Father and his son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

            The problem is this.  Am I doing this to try to earn salvation?  Am I doing this because I want eternal life?  I really should have a far better reason for doing this.  I really should be doing it because the love of God has consumed me and now I do it out of love and gratitude to him.

            I won’t try to pretend that I always am successful.  I find myself thinking of my own health, financial well-being and security as much as anyone else.  I am only human.

            What our spiritual leaders should be teaching us is that Gods love is unconditional.  No, that does not mean we are guaranteed salvation.  We must return his love.  After you’ve been married as long as I have you realize that love is not one way.  I know my wife loves me but it is important that I love her too.

            God loves me but if that love is not reflected back to him it simply disappears into oblivion.  It is important for us to realize that we need his love.  It is important for us to realize that his love was given freely. 

Now comes the challenge.  I must call upon myself to give back as freely as he has given to me.  I do this by loving my neighbor as myself.  I become we.  All of mankind is a team and as a great coach once said, “there is no I in T.E.A.M. 

Now I have learned to love others.  What I do in the name of God is a gift given back to the one who paid the highest price for my eternity.  Do I do good to earn a place in Heaven?  I will rely on my Master for that.  I chose to do good to simply thank my Heavenly Father because he first loved me.

It is written, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Do you see what I mean?  I can’t earn eternity, salvation or a special place beside my Lord.  That is a gift from him to me.  Though I cannot earn these things I can show my Lord I love him by reflecting that love to others and thereby to him.

Eternity has two choices?  I think not.  Eternity has but one choice.  Do I love God?  If I do everything else falls into place.  Let us pray for those around us and more importantly let us never cease to pray for ourselves.  Pray for strength to love, forgive and reflect Gods love to others.