| This Way or That Way? - article by Joel Hempel Having finished lunch in Sausalito, across the bay from Oakland, CA, where Marcia and I were serving on vicarage, we set out to climb the hill to the north end of the Golden Gate for a romantic stroll across the iconic bridge. Arriving at the bottom of the steep grade, we approached a fork in the road. Thankfully, two bikers were relaxing on the shoulder at the fork. Which road will get us to the bridge? I asked. Both will take you there, but this one – pointing to the right - is shorter if you can manage walking up the steps. We thanked the men and hurried about a quarter mile to the steps, confident our twenty-something bodies could handle the climb. Sure enough, there they were. But between us and the steps was a ten-foot galvanized mesh fence posting a black and yellow sign: Danger. Unsafe Steps We returned to the fork, proceeded up the hill to the start of the bridge, and eventually completed our not-so-romantic walk through the thick, cold fog that had rolled in – 1 ½ miles to the San Francisco side. Is it this way or that way – to heaven? Marcia and I both remember the following verse given to us at our confirmation: Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. Rev. 2:10b We Lutherans (and others) emphasize salvation by grace through faith alone. But then we run into the above verse, which emphasizes living the faith, or what is called faithfulness, with the result being the blessing of a crown of life. So, how do we understand what seems like a conflicting message in Scripture? Which way is it to heaven? By grace or by our faithfulness? The truth is that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone. We are not saved by how good we are or how much good we do. But that does not mean we can disregard the truth in passages of Scripture that tell us doing is an essential part of being Christian. Here are a few of those passages, with many more listed in the footnote: Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:17 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21-23 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22 Frankly, only fools would confess Jesus Christ as Savior and then do their own thing throughout their lives, living by their desires rather than by what God desires for them. Because when such people die and go before God at heaven’s gates and announce their arrival, declaring, “Lord, Lord, here I am!” God will say, “Depart from me. For I was in need, and you did nothing!” (see Matthew 25:41-46) Friends, there is only one way to heaven. It is entirely by God’s grace. It’s by God’s grace that we have faith in Jesus as our Savior. It is by God’s grace that we can serve him as our Lord and do his will. And it is by God’s grace and loving-kindness that we are forgiven when we repeatedly fail him and forget who we are. Grace is the way! Also see: Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7; John 14:21; 1 Peter 2:1-3; Matt. 25:14-30; Romans 8:16-17; Luke 9:23-26; Matt. 10:32-33; 1 Peter 5:1-4; 1 John 1:5-10. | 
