It Won’t Work

Ephesians 2:1-10

Grace and her mother were chatting about their purchases as they walked through the parking lot. When they reached the car, they got in, and Mom placed the key into the ignition. “Something’s wrong,” she said with a puzzled look. “I just had this new key made a few days ago, and it has worked up till now. But I can’t get it to go all the way into the keyhole.” She pushed and wiggled and wiggled and pushed the key, but it just would not go in. “It won’t work,” she said finally. “Let’s get some help.”

Soon they were back with a man from a nearby service station. As they approached the car, Mom stopped. “Oh no!” she said, blushing. “It isn’t my car that I was trying to start. I parked next to this brown truck, but my car is there on the other side of it. This one is the same color and style as mine, but I have a luggage rack on my trunk.”

“I can’t believe we both climbed into this car and never noticed that it wasn’t ours,” said Grace. “I guess we were too busy thinking about the things we bought.”

Mom took her keys and started her own car with ease. “I’m sorry to have taken your time,” she said, apologizing to the serviceman.

Grace and her mother laughed and laughed when they arrived home and told their story to Dad. He laughed with them. Then he became serious. “You know,” he said, “some people are a lot like you. You tried to get home in the wrong car. Many people try to get to heaven in the ‘car’ of good works, but that’s the wrong vehicle too. Only Jesus can get them to heaven. If you don’t mind, I’d like to use your experience to illustrate my sermon tomorrow.”

Grace and her mother gladly gave their consent.

How about You?

Are you trying to get to heaven by being good? Attending church, praying, and doing kind things for others are good, but they are not the right vehicles to get you to heaven. Only through Jesus can you be saved from your sins and receive eternal life.

Memorize:

“God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Ephesians 2:8-9