HandUP to Heaven

Over the years HandUP Foundation has seen many people in need of various degrees of assistance. For whatever reason they were simply unable to help themselves. Regardless of whether the need was small such as a week's supply of groceries just to make ends meet or a serious crisis such as a fire or flood the situation is the same. That is a need for a "Hand Up". If the resources to meet a need are not available it doesn't really matter if the need is great or small, there might as well be a need for a million dollars because it's not available. That is the point.

When Jesus was among us in the flesh, one particular person who is known as the Rich Young Ruler had many resources and he was a basically good man. He came to Jesus and asked Him a question. The dialog according to scripture is as follows:

And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I? Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possesions. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. -- Matthew 19:16-26.

In other words we have a man who had everything and had done everything right his whole life asking Jesus how to get to heaven. When Jesus told him the few extra things that he needed to do they were too much for him to handle. He went away sad and empty as though he had nothing. Nothing that he had was good enough for heaven. This is the situation of us all. According to the bible we are all simply inadequate for heaven. Romans 3:23 tells us that, all have sinned, and come short of the Glory of God. That being true we are left with a tremendous debt to God because Romans 6:23a reveals to us that the very high wages of sin is death. That is a lot higher than a million dollars. Fortunately for us all the verse does not end there but part B tells us of a solution, a "hand up" if you will. Romans 6:23b states that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

It is like this. We have all sinned and are deserving of eternal punishment in the pit of hell. On our own all of us, even those among us with the credentials of the Rich Young Ruler, and many more of us with far less, are not able to pay that penalty. Yet Jesus paid it for us by dying on the Cross of Calvary. There on that day Jesus gave a hand up to anyone who would take it.

What must one do to take a hand up? First and far most a person who needs a hand up must admit that they are in need. To accomplish this a person must admit to God that they are a sinner who is not able to obtain the riches of heaven of their own accord. Secondly a person who needs a hand up must ask for it. This is accomplished by simply asking God to allow the sacrafice of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary as a substitutionary punishment for their own. Thirdly a person who needs a hand up must receive it. This is accomplished by placing Christ at the center of your life and beginning to learn how to live as one who believes that through Him you might be saved. If the God who made the Universe loved you enough to die for you and give you a "hand up" then that should affect every area of your life for the rest of your life. That is what it means to be a Christian.