"Something Special"

"My soul followeth hard after Thee: Thy right hand upholdeth me." (Psalms 63:8) Just because I might be very serious about how important God's grace is to our salvation, does not mean that works do not matter, because they do matter when it comes to following Jesus; you cannot follow Jesus without actually living out His life, which is a life of love and sacrifice. It's really not about gaining God's favor, or trying to please God; it's about living a life that shows others how important God's love is to you and to them. Actually, it matters most when you are less important than others. How can we pretend to put others first? Seriously, is it even possible, you either put others first, or you don't; I don't think it's possible to pretend to live that way. That is the real difference in the way 'works' work; works that are performed for your own personal gain don't really count, they have already been rewarded. But what you do for others, without seeking personal gain, that is what is considered "treasure in heaven", where neither rust nor thieves can touch one little bit of it. It is pretty obvious that salvation can only come through the blood of Jesus, yet there are so many different religions that will try and persuade you that it is His blood and works that save you; as if somehow His blood was not quite enough, or that His sacrifice provided the way for us to earn our way into grace. Paul called that being "bewitched" in Galatians 3:1, which means to be charmed, or lead away into error by wicked arts, arts meaning a way of life. How I got on this, I have no idea; really, I just realized that I was stuck in a debate over 'works' and 'grace', as if this is something we all don't already know! You would think by now that we would all get the message, and have came to the same conclusion: We cannot earn our way into heaven; no way, no how...
"Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as He went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. Someone asked Him, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" He replied, "Work hard to enter the narrow door to God's Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Lord, open the door for us!' But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' Then they will say, 'But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' And he will reply, 'I tell you, I don't know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.' There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out. And people will come from all over the world - from east, west, north and south - to take their places in the Kingdom of God. And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are greatest now will be least important then." (Luke 13:22-30) NLT